What a Harper Win Could Mean for George Bush
A Glimpse of George Bush's Political Christmas List?
Ryan and I have written about the upcoming election in Canada, both here at JTTR and on my own blog. It goes without saying that we would both like to see Stephen Harper's Conservative Party win on January 23. In yesterday's Washington Times, Patrick Basham of the Cato Institute explains the positive implications of a Harper win for George Bush:
It is not certain they would become best buddies, and suddenly the United States and Canada would return to the days of President Ronald Reagan and Brian Mulroney, but for the first time in many years, we would be on friendly terms with our northern neighbor. However, more than the benefit to Bush is the benefit to American conservatives in terms of example:Why does President Bush hope Christmas comes a little late this year? Because on Jan. 23, Canada may elect the most pro-American leader in the Western world. Free-market economist Stephen Harper, leader of the opposition Conservative Party, is pro-free trade, pro-Iraq war, anti-Kyoto, and socially conservative. Move over Tony Blair: If elected, Mr. Harper will quickly become Mr. Bush's new best friend internationally and the poster boy for his ideal foreign leader.
Indeed, Harper is already moving to cut taxes, announcing a cut to the Goods and Services Tax earlier this week, but even more so, American conservatives who feel somewhat let down by the growth of government even under Republican control could be inspired by the election of a truly principled conservative leader in a country often viewed as progressive and soft-socialist. And hopefully that would inspire a new conservative revolution in this country, calling the GOP back to its principles or resulting in a new, third alternative in this country.What will happen if Mr. Harper's Conservatives win? Most important, Canada will have its first leader in living memory who actually believes Big Government is a real problem. A Prime Minister Harper may not be able to pass all the legislation he wants, but he would push to cut taxes and spending and the regulatory burden on Canada's business sector.
Not to mention a cut in the GST would help me considerably when I go shopping in Toronto and forget to go take my tax refund documents to Canadian Customs.
A Harper victory may prove to be the exception to the international rule -- a rare foreign event that manages to put a smile on President George W. Bush's face.
Not to mention a smile on mine.
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