Kevin O'Leary thoughts?

[jasonec]

[jasonec]

OK - here are my two cents:

Business savvy isn't a bad thing for a government - it's actually a good thing. In order to spend $$ on heathcare, education, and many other things, you need to get money. Taxing the average Joe in a poor economy isn't how you can get it, and Canada is feeling that pressure right now. Instead, at the heart of any government is it's ability to stimulate and grow the economy - with a strong economy, you can get and spend money on healthcare, education, etc.

As Canadians, we've always valued diversity, immigration and equal rights - and every government we've had has expanded those values. In other words, we don't have a problem with values (like the US has) - instead, we've got a problem with our economy. The reason I posted the video above is because it's nice to see someone like O'Leary talk about that (the very last 2 sentences are the best) - at this point, he seems like he's got the same values as any other Canadian (and Trudeau), but the business savvy to improve our economy.

It looks like O'Leary is giving himself 2 years to come up with a plan (or he'll "fire" himself ) - we'll have to wait and see if he'll get one together.....

[menace]

I would agree--I want my government to run things that only they can (healthcare, military, money etc.) I don't want them pretending to save the planet, gallop around the world visiting far flung places with no discernible results. I also believe that they need accountants and money managers and not career politicians and drama teachers. Its just like a household, once you learn to manage the money properly--then you can spend it on more "frivilous" things. And if you don't, you get a notice from the gas company that says they are shutting your shit down until you pay.

Too bad we can't send these bozos a bill every now and again..

[ken_cinder]

Trudeau is a moron and needs to go, so does Wynne. I'm fiscally conservative and socially liberal, but Liberals have gone so far off the deep-end these days they have to go. Enough of the pandering to special cases.

[theyangman]

I think his chances are directly tied to what sort of results Trump puts forth in the next 12-18 months. If Trump can actually produce some viable results to his credit, O'Leary's chances of winning begin to skyrocket.

In the eyes of many people, these two guys are lumped into the same category. Businessmen who are here to shake shit up for better or worse.

O'Leary is right, though, we need to push incentives to create jobs and investments within Canada, not tax it to death and drive it away.

Having a global conscience is great, rah rah rah, green earth etc... but too bad, so sad, that positive environmental agenda shit doesn't feed kids whose parents have been laid off. It doesn't help rural Ontarians pay their four-figure hydro bills. Take care of your own before you take care of others. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of choice, I get that, but there are people struggling here and now. They need relief. Trudeau seems to be doing his hardest to make sure they collapse under the new stresses his government has implemented.

[a_arthur_n]

Thing is, even if you think a good businessman would make a good leader Kevin O'Leary is not a good one of those. Look into his past. He got lucky seeking shovelware edutainment garbage to people. Then he sold The Learning Company by faking their prospective earnings. He was sued by the shareholders and since then has done little in the way of innovation, and has illegally funded investments with the principle from shareholders in his equity firms. He is only wealthy through luck and illegal, or at best shady transactions. I understand the attraction to successful or rich people to manage the country; however, many of them got where they are with luck and or taking from the middle class.

O'Leary is not a job creator, the sale of The Learning Company was called one of the worst business deals ever and nearly everyone who worked there list their job after he misrepresented the earnings and made billions in the sale. He is the exact opposite of a job creator. He had purchased and gutted companies for his own gain time and time again.

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[ken_cinder]

Thing is, even if you think a good businessman would make a good leader Kevin O'Leary is not a good one of those. Look into his past. He got lucky seeking shovelware edutainment garbage to people. Then he sold The Learning Company by faking their prospective earnings. He was sued by the shareholders and since then has done little in the way of innovation, and has illegally funded investments with the principle from shareholders in his equity firms. He is only wealthy through luck and illegal, or at best shady transactions. I understand the attraction to successful or rich people to manage the country; however, many of them got where they are with luck and or taking from the middle class.

O'Leary is not a job creator, the sale of The Learning Company was called one of the worst business deals ever and nearly everyone who worked there list their job after he misrepresented the earnings and made billions in the sale. He is the exact opposite of a job creator. He had purchased and gutted companies for his own gain time and time again.

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Curious how the bolded part is ANY different from just about any politician to date. If it wasn't from lying and taking, it was on the coat-tails of someone that preceded them.
I'm not saying he's a good candidate, hell neither was Trump. But Trump was a big "FUCK YOU!" from the people...and we need one of those just as much given the utter trash we have in office.

[a_arthur_n]

Not really discussing any other person/government/etc. Just if you are choosing an outsider as a protest vote, that person's integrity, policies and character as demonstrated by their previous actions are extremely important. This is a man that has demonstrated poor financial judgement and a lack of empathy. Not sure what qualities he has that would qualify him in any way.

[jasonec]

The problem I see is that we're essentially stuck with choosing between a Conservative and Liberal candidate during the election (the rest probably won't count). If, by 2019, our economy goes downhill amidst large Liberal spending, then I think it's a given that the Conservatives will win, regardless of who is at the helm....

It's like the US election - most people thought they were between a rock and a hard place choosing between Trump and Clinton.

[a_arthur_n]

The problem I see is that we're essentially stuck with choosing between a Conservative and Liberal candidate during the election (the rest probably won't count). If, by 2019, our economy goes downhill amidst large Liberal spending, then I think it's a given that the Conservatives will win, regardless of who is at the helm....

It's like the US election - most people thought they were between a rock and a hard place choosing between Trump and Clinton.

However, the Conservatives should choose qualified candidate. Not a failed, lucky, egotistical businessman.... Right now it isn't a choice of government. The are others more qualified in the race who don't have O'Leary's flaws. Also in a typical Canadian election 60-70 percent view left and left centre so the conditions are very different here. If the Conservatives want to win they need to speak out of there traditional base, even Happier became a good French speaker for example. O'Leary is a rather poor candidate for the Conservatives too since he will be of little appeal to the moon Conservative base.

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[a_arthur_n]

http://www.nationalobserver.com/2016/01 ... ess-career

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[tekkaraiden]

I'm not saying he's a good candidate, hell neither was Trump. But Trump was a big "FUCK YOU!" from the people...and we need one of those just as much given the utter trash we have in office.

Well 1/4 of the people, the other 1/4 voted for Hilary and 1/2 didn't vote at all. I'm all for change but we're not going to get anything good out of O'Leary.

The problem I see is that we're essentially stuck with choosing between a Conservative and Liberal candidate during the election (the rest probably won't count). If, by 2019, our economy goes downhill amidst large Liberal spending, then I think it's a given that the Conservatives will win, regardless of who is at the helm....

It's like the US election - most people thought they were between a rock and a hard place choosing between Trump and Clinton.

Except we do have a 3rd choice, problem was there leader is an out of touch politician. I'm pretty convinced had Layton not passed away the NDP might have won the last federal election.

[ken_cinder]

I never said he was a good choice, just what most people are thinking. He is no Donald Trump, you'd have to not be a complete failure as a businessman to do that.
Unfortunately enough people might see him that way., and those of us above the age of 25 are sick and tired of Liberal bullshit.

[jasonec]

If the NDP have a strong candidate whose focus is the economy, then yeah, there's a good chance they'll get in.
I seriously doubt that the Liberals will win the 2019 election - they've just done too much damage, and gotten too much bad press for it all.
The Bank of Canada predicts that our economy will be much much worse in 2019 too - if this is the case, most people will likely vote for change by then....

[TrueJedi]

As a seasoned business person myself who's worked in a number of large corporations I can certainly value the skills of having a business person in power. Yes, Kevin has made mistakes, but he's also made successes as well. In short I'm intrigued to see him run, what he has to say, how he handles the tough questions during his campaign, where he lands on the softer needs such as the environment and what his plans are to rectify the mistakes of previous governments. I don't view him as a perfect candidate and there are areas which I have reservations, but in the end it's about us selecting the best candidate within the choices we have in front of us.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the Liberals win another Federal election, but provincially for Ontario I can't fathom the idea after the last few years of gouging the middle man.