In case anyone didn't hear...

[thebitterguy]

There's been an election called. (What, you heard? What, you listen to the CBC or something?)

Anyway, I'm kinda glad I still don't live in Napanee.

Apparently they elected a guy from the freaking Alliance party in the olden days. That's disquieting.

Anyway, Halton is looking a little more sane, at least. I was hoping to drink the orange kool-aid, but with the look of things (Garth Freaking Turner?) I may have to go 'strategic'. Shame, as I've no love for Carr, as he was weak.

Feh. I hates politics.

Comments

[cargoweasel.livejournal.com]

I've been following this a little.

Man, I'd totally vote NDP but I remember the reign of error that was Bob Rae's Ontario all too well.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

Bob Rae wasn't really well liked by most New Democrats. He was dead centre politically and fought constantly with Howard Hampton (current leader of the ONDP). The only reason he secured leadership was that the trade unions liked him (that is, up until he won and they found out that he didn't like them).
That's why McGuinty hired him to do up that report on our universities. He got brownie points for hiring a New Democrat, but he knew that Rae would come back with what the Liberals wanted to hear because the guy was practically a Liberal to begin with.

Of course, Rae isn't relevant to this election because he was provincial and this is a federal election. I don't write off the Conservatives because of that psycho, Ralph Klein. I write off the Conservatives because of that psycho, Stephen Harper.

[cargoweasel.livejournal.com]

From what I can see from the States, which admittedly isn't much, Jack Layton looks like a pretty decent guy. I'd vote for him. But the NDP seems capped in the mid 20s and can never quite seal the deal. They always seemed to serve a decent spoiler function, keeping the Liberals from drifting too far to the right. Of course, sometimes that means you gotta spoil.

What the hell is up with Canada anyways, it's either a weird government crisis every six months or the same guy is in power for decades.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

One of the problems with our current government setup is that, when you get right down to it, there are only two things that separate Paul Martin from Stephen Harper:
1. Martin is okay with gay marriage. Harper is not.
2. Martin is able to deliver a big "fuck you" to the American government (but you've really got to force him). Harper will do anything to make Bush like us, and I think he's going to campaign around that.

This leads to the following situation
Martin: We're gonna give Wal-Mart a huge tax break, and you can't stop us!
Harper: ... shit, that's what I was going to say. Well we should privatize hospitals!
Martin: Damn it. Stop agreeing with me. Uh... softwood lumber?
Harper: Give it away for free!
Martin: Aha! Perfect! Now, can we talk about just that and gays for the next four years?

Also, we're not really used to having our religious conservatives in bed with our economic conservatives. We're all, "I really like the idea of that upper-class tax cut, but do we have to execute abortion doctors, too?"

I'm still voting and helping with campaigns, but I know there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop my tuition fees from going up or to prevent new poor taxes (Liberals just love cut transit funding). At least if I vote for the NDP it helps them get up in parliament and say, "Okay, we got 17% of the vote and only 7 of the 100 seats. This voting system stole 10 seats from us." Proportional representation is coming. *mad cackling*

[cargoweasel.livejournal.com]

As long as I've been politically aware I've noticed that Canada follows the US 2-3 years after the fact.

Trudeau was our JFK, only he didn't get shot and continued to rule until he retired willingly.

When Reagan was elected, along came Brian Mulroney four years later, like a puppy dog.

When the Reagan era died and Clinton showed up, along comes Chretien in Canada.

My favorite example: when there were riots in LA in 1992, six months later there was a "riot" in downtown Toronto. no reason, they just wanted to be cool like the americans.

When the American economy is in the tank so is Canada's. When America recovers, it takes Canada a couple
years to start nosing upwards as well. By the time America is overheated and peaking, canada is just getting
going and then boom, there's a crash and both countries' economies collapse simultaneously.

Harper is Canada's GW Bush except he won't get elected due to differences in the electoral system. Hey, even GWB only scrapes into power on wings and prayers and friendly supreme courts.

The divergence has only come in the last five years or so, with America going way to the right culturally, or at least giving unprecetoo far for Canada which is drifting along muddled-center.

Gay marriage is a single issue for me but i must admit a pretty huge one.

if my 2-3 years later theory holds up, Canada is like the parallel America that continued with Al Gore after Clinton. And they're being given the choice to go with a Bush-esque leader or stay the course. Would they? Who knows!

[scapersuse.livejournal.com]

I write off the Conservatives because of that psycho, Stephen Harper.

Word.

[lickerishwhip.livejournal.com]

I'm disgusted with things right now. We've got to choose from Douche, Turd and Wet Noodle. Bleah.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

My Liberal rep is further to the right than his Conservative opponent, so there's no point in being strategic over here.
Last federal election we voted in a retirement home. I had an NDP button on my backpack. On the way out, this old lady chased me out of the building, shouting "YOU DON'T STAND A CHANCE!" That was the best part of the last election.

[thebitterguy]

Of course, the issue then goes to the national party system; do you vote for a centrist Conservative candidate over a more conservative Liberal, or do you vote for the party? He'll likely follow party lines in any case.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

Well my conservative Liberal's campaign pamphlets declared that he would vote against any pro-choice legislation, regardless of any threats of party discipline. He was also one of the Liberals who voted against gay marriage.
Harper's actually said he'll call a free vote on gay marriage if he wins. The funny thing is, there was one, and it passed...

[kaijugal.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be a non coward and admit I'm voting NDP.

To be honest I'd rather the government that overspends on social programs, than the government that overspends on filling thier wallets and those of their fat cat friends. I know simplistic, but I'm a Hard working, Social Healthcare system loving, environmentalist, and I feel that they will best represent my concerns.

None of us are getting any younger and we ALL should be concerned about preserving our public health care system. ^_^""

I often think the only reason the NDP DON'T win is that too many people that really agree with alot of what they stand for fall for that old "you're throwing your vote away", crap.

If the NDP can overcome thier need to do, EVERYTHING RIGHT AWAY WHEN ELECTED BECAUSE IT MAY BE THE ONLY CHANCE WE GET, and instead slowly implement some of the good things they stand for, I belive in my heart of hearts that they could be one hell of a good change for Canada, and something we've needed for a long time.

[thebitterguy]

The problem is, you see, twofold: A) I believe that the Liberals will not endanger medicare & the SSN any further, and B) If I vote NDP, it is entirely likely that the Conservative candidate will win, not that the NDP candidate will.

I'm in one of those ridings where they run token Green/NDP candidates. The 905 is precariously close to blue, and voting NDP is pretty definitely throwing my vote away.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately the Liberals are pushing really hard for public-private partnership hospitals. They're cheaper to build in the short term but the sponsoring company gets a HUGE return on its investment in the long term, and it comes out of our pockets.

[thebitterguy]

I haven't seen anything in any Liberal policy stuff about PPP.

[terminal-pariah.livejournal.com]

The P3 PM (http://www.cupe.ca/www/privatization/9692)
McKay used to be my rep, before the riding changes. He's a real piece of work, let me tell you.

[umario.livejournal.com]

Ah, it seems we're both doomed to be in Liberal ridings. Ottawa-Vanier (http://www.electionprediction.org/2005_fed/riding/35065-ottawa-vanier.htm) is one of those monkey in a red suit ridings (civil servants and federalist francophones, and very urban).

This time, I will despise it should the Liberals win my riding. At least I knew it didn't matter when I was voting in Kingston, because Peter Milliken was going to win and isn't completely terrible. Here, Mauril Bélanger (the aforementioned monkey) could possibly lose, though it's very unlikely, and is terrible.

If it weren't for Rockcliffe, I'm sure there wouldn't be more than 10% blue in my riding.

[thebitterguy]

I wouldn't mind a Liberal riding, if it was one where the dippers had a chance, not where it's "Red VS Blue" with a margin of 3%.

[umario.livejournal.com]

This one is over before it started - last time around, Belanger had more than twice as many votes as the Conservative (26000 vs. 13000), and the Dipper was at 10,000. Ugh...