Two Conservative Parties into One? 

Two Conservative Parties into One?

Joe Clark has now held forth on the proposed merger of the Progressive Conservative party, with which he has long been associated (as a Red Tory), and the Canadian Alliance.

Clark says the PCs are simply being taken over by a hostile, right-wing party that is in free-fall, desperately hoping the old PC brand will help.

Where are the seats the new party will win? he asks. There are probably none. On the other hand, are there seats they are likely to use? Yes, many.

Clark may be right.

It all reminds me of an old joke. When some of the mainstream Lutherans in the U.S. were discussing a merger with the Episcopalians, or Anglicans, one bishop of one group or the other said: this is a classic case of ecclesiastical necrophilia.