So much for populism and the grassroots.

For a party that claims to listen to the grassroots, the Tories sure have problems with letting those grassroots choose candidates. First we have the party elite protecting the seats of people like Rob Anders by calling snap nomination meetings and disqualifying all other comers. Now we have the Tories doing the same thing again in London, Ontario. The party head office in Ottawa has parachuted in Dianne Haskett to run in the currently vacant riding of London-North-Centre. Now Ms. Haskett is a known theo-conservative. As mayor of London she refused to declare Gay Pride Week and also apparently participated in an evangelical Christian rally where Muslims were slandered.

So we now have solid evidence that the theo-cons are firmly in charge of the Conservative party. Ms. Haskett's nomination was set up from the CPC's head office in Ottawa (she new of her nomination before the local riding executive did). Since the party head office doesn't blink without permission from the PMO, we can also deduce that her nomination was ordained by the Prime Minister. So we have Harper protecting radically conservative MP's from having to face a nomination fight and now parachuting in theo-cons into ridings and preventing them from facing a nomination battle. Not a good sign. It would appear that the socially moderate factions of the Tories are being shut out of the decision making process. The theo-cons have taken over the party, which has been suspected for some time.

The problem with the theo-cons is that they don't believe in populism or any of that openness or accountability. Their actions show this. By not even informing the riding association before telling their hand picked nominee, the theo-cons have started to play their cards and their cards are telling. Those cards are telling us that any moderate promise of the Conservatives wasn't worth the paper they were written on. Gone are the promises of grassroots involvement in nominations and no interference from the PMO. How can the people of Canada expect openness and accountability from the Tories if they are unwilling to be open and accountable even to their own members?

The only real question remaining is how long until the Tories fracture. By marginalizing the more moderate members of their party, the theo-cons will alienate them to the point where the moderates are going to leave. Some already have left or have been kicked out, more will follow. A party with a minority government can't afford to do this to it's own members. apparently Harper has forgotten that he needs to carry more than just Alberta to remain in power.

Herein lies the crux of the Tories problem. They have forgotten why they were elected. They weren't elected because the country took a sudden swing to the political right. They weren't elected to create a Christian version of Iran here in Canada. They were elected because they weren't the Liberals. - period. Much of their support outside of Alberta is very soft and likely to go to other parties should the Tories continue with their current path. Continued pandering to (or more than likely control by) the theo-cons will drive this soft vote away in droves and the Tories back to the opposition benches. The moderates need to take back control or else the Conservatives are finished.

Unfortunately for the Tories, moderate control is unlikely given the current Prime Minister. Since Harper is such a micromanaging control freak, it's obvious that all of this is being orchestrated from the PMO. This means unless the leader is change, nothing will change. Any dissent or even hint of critique (even if it's all internal) will be immediately and brutally suppressed. Anyone even hinting at what Harper and his inner circle are doing could hurt the party will be bullied back into line. So like Ralph Klein in Alberta, the federal Tories are stuck with Harper until Harper decides he's done. So no change in Tory direction will be forthcoming any time soon. Which will hurt them more than it will help them.