elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
wake me up when it's over...
Canadian Election aka Let Borefest '08 begin!
- Thread starter bonoman
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
wake me up when it's over...
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
I don't know why people think the election is boring.
If you're trying to compare Canadian and American politics you're wasting your time. Yes, we don't have politicians that have the mass appeal of a Barack Obama, and Canadian politics aren't as flashy as their American politics. The last time we had a politician of equal stature was Trudeau, and he burst onto the scene in the late 60s.
But each election on its own is important, with the possibility of setting the country on a different course. And for this reason, I find all elections interesting and exciting.
As for the current vote, it can have far-reaching effects. If Harper gets his majority, then that means 4 years of Conservative rule, and I, for one, do not want that. Even a minority win would spell the end of Stéphane Dion and would pave the way for Michael Ignatieff or Bob Rae to gain control of the Liberal Party. How that would play in Quebec, I don't know, but I doubt that Ignatieff would be any less popular than Dion is in his own province.
We shall see.
If you're trying to compare Canadian and American politics you're wasting your time. Yes, we don't have politicians that have the mass appeal of a Barack Obama, and Canadian politics aren't as flashy as their American politics. The last time we had a politician of equal stature was Trudeau, and he burst onto the scene in the late 60s.
But each election on its own is important, with the possibility of setting the country on a different course. And for this reason, I find all elections interesting and exciting.
As for the current vote, it can have far-reaching effects. If Harper gets his majority, then that means 4 years of Conservative rule, and I, for one, do not want that. Even a minority win would spell the end of Stéphane Dion and would pave the way for Michael Ignatieff or Bob Rae to gain control of the Liberal Party. How that would play in Quebec, I don't know, but I doubt that Ignatieff would be any less popular than Dion is in his own province.
We shall see.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
cus it is boring? None of these people inspire me to watch any kind of debate let alone vote for them...
I will say that I only mildly dislike Dion and Layton while I truly despise Harper... Those fucking commercials of his make me want to harm myself and others
I will say that I only mildly dislike Dion and Layton while I truly despise Harper... Those fucking commercials of his make me want to harm myself and others
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
cus it is boring? None of these people inspire me to watch any kind of debate let alone vote for them...
I will say that I only mildly dislike Dion and Layton while I truly despise Harper... Those fucking commercials of his make me want to harm myself and others
Why is it boring? You can't expect every politician to have charisma or whatnot. At its core, elections are about the policies and the direction someone wants the country to go in, which is why they're important and never boring. This is just my humble, objectively subjective opinion, of course.
Plus, we need a strong leader to fight off the impending invasion.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
NSW 
YouTube - FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
YouTube - Canadians on Stephen Harper
especialy the part at the end
YouTube - FAMILY IS EVERYTHING
YouTube - Canadians on Stephen Harper
especialy the part at the end
VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
Really? I see very little difference regardless of who's in power, actually. The Harper gov't won't touch social policies with a minority, and he's not likely to gain a majority this time. Even if he did, I still can't see him doing that much damage, socially.
So, chances are extremely good that we'll see a minority gov't again, probably Liberal, but maybe Conservative, with the NDP playing their usual role as the third party spoilers.
That said, I like that our leaders are boring. We don't have the same cult of personality tendencies that they do in the US, and I think that much better suits our collective Canadian nature. I enjoy seeing my leaders go on Rick Mercer and make fools of themselves, dammit.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
NSW
wow. these just made me feel better about my own country.
he's so douchey.
thank you, Canada.
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
I was going to say, is that 'fatherhood' video supposed to mitigate the fact that he drops off his children at school for the day with a handshake?
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
lol! I never thought of it that way but he does! 
that last line in the second commercial seriously gives me the dry-heaves: "I'll be voting for the first time and I'll be voting for Stephen Harper"
that last line in the second commercial seriously gives me the dry-heaves: "I'll be voting for the first time and I'll be voting for Stephen Harper"
that last line in the second commercial seriously gives me the dry-heaves: "I'll be voting for the first time and I'll be voting for Stephen Harper"
No, no, the best is that woman who just randomly says "I like Stephen Harper because he has two young children" apropos of absolutely nothing at all.
Irvine511
Blue Crack Supplier
in other countries, it's customary to award women who give birth to DS babies the vice presidency.
I will give Harper and the Conservatives some credit, in that they are airing ads, thus far, that make no mention of the other political parties. Syrupy sweet and vomit inducing, certainly, but it's all Harper and all Conservative.
Or maybe the attack ads will come later?
Or maybe the attack ads will come later?
VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
Anti-Liberal attack ads by the Conservatives have been airing here off and on for a good 6 or 8 months now. Very eyeroll-worthy, when an election was months from being called. A pre-preemptive strike, I guess.
Layton's still spamming my inbox.
I guess I missed those. "Credit" revoked.
VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
Now that I think of it, maybe they've been mostly on radio? They're not that frequent, so I can see people having missed them. Just horribly out of place when the election hadn't even been called. I can just remember thinking a bunch of times "if they're starting that shit already, I'll be wanting to poke my eardrums out by the time the election does roll around."
ladywithspinninghead
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Why would Ignatieff be unpopular in Quebec? Is it because he's a relative unknown having only been in politics a few years?
I just moved to Etobicoke last month so got to see him this past weekend at a local fair. He's a natural when it comes to schmoozing that's for sure
I don't think Harper would have called an election if polling data didn't suggest he's within reach of a majority. With two minority gov'ts, he'd be lucky to be a footnote in the history books.
And the whole "Obama-mania" would probably wear off by next Oct. 2009 so he could have waited until then to call it.
I just hope the Canadian populace is smart enough to see through this whole "Parliament wasn't working" schtick
Anyway, my personal prediction is that the Conservatives will win, Dion will be out, and Iggy will be the next PM
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
Why would Ignatieff be unpopular in Quebec? Is it because he's a relative unknown having only been in politics a few years?
I just moved to Etobicoke last month so got to see him this past weekend at a local fair. He's a natural when it comes to schmoozing that's for sure
What I mean is that Dion is already very unpopular in his own province (thanks to being labeled that father of the Clarity Act) and I doubt that Ignatieff would poll less than Dion were he the Liberal leader.
bonoman
Refugee
Here, Here!
This would be the ultimate outcome. I said this exact thing last night at dinner, the only problem is that two people asked who's Iggy?
I've read up on the guy and watched his speeches, he's intelligent, but not the drone-on-put-you-to-sleep intelligent Harper and Dion are. He can actually bring out some emotion in voters. I'm actually hoping that the Libs lose but they can't lose too badly then I'd have to wait for four more years to see Iggy win the leadership.
And about those attack ads: You know those little tv screens they have at the gas pumps these days? Harper was playing attack ads on those! Imagine standing there, paying $1.49/L and this asshole comes on the screen to explain to you that Dion is this and that. I'd be tempted to break the screen! Or take the noozle out of the car, spray myself with gas and light myself on fire!
elevated_u2_fan
Blue Crack Supplier
bonoman
Refugee
We're better off with Harper.
What a ringing endoursement of yourself. The other guy sucks a bit more, eh.
What a ringing endoursement of yourself. The other guy sucks a bit more, eh.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
Can you help me understand your desire to be fired up by politicians? For me, at the end of the day, it's all about the policies and I couldn't care less if someone's speeches put me to sleep or not. If someone has sound policies, irrespective of their speaking style, then I'm all for them.
Remember in 2000 many Americans said they'd prefer having a beer with George W. Bush instead of Al Gore. And look where that got them.
I've met Dion on numerous occasions and found him to be sincere in his desire to make a difference and enact change in the country. Whether or not he's a "leader" in the traditional sense of the word is debatable. But I believe that he would do a lot more good for Canada than Harper ever will, so I sincerely hope there will be a Liberal minority, at least.
bonoman
Refugee
Well you are probably in the minority. Most Canadians don't have the time or passion to stop for a few hours and actually look into a parties overall policies. That is unfortunate but reality. I've looked into the Green Shift, and don't think much of it. I feel its going to have an negative impact on my life, carreer and family. I'm one of those evil Albertans that are apparently wrecking the worlds enviroment by producing oil for people in this country. I would never vote for a Conservative gov't at any level, but I do not want the Green Shift implemented. Unfortunatly it does'nt matter what I think since I live in Alberta and my vote never has any influence, seeing as all 28 seats will go blue.
The reason we need candidates that are personalbe and able to speak well is so they can communicate their platforms. Dion has the obvious disadvantage of not speaking English very well. Chreiten had this problem but he could cancel it out with his charm. Dion is not so lucky. People tune out when he speaks. Iggy is a very good speaker and the plans that the Liberals have would be better communicated and more people would be included in the debate. He also has better foriegn policy platform and isn't a defeatist NDPer or Liberal. He believes in strong military and has convictions, something I feel Dion does'nt have. But I could be wrong, Dion has never shown me in his actions that he posses that strong leadership ability he needs as a PM. I'm not againist the Liberals, but I don't think I could vote for Dion.
DaveC
Blue Crack Addict
I'm undecided.
I like what the Conservatives have done for the military, but Stephen Harper is the leader, so I can't vote Tory.
I usually agree with Liberal policy, but Stephane Dion is a tool and the Liberals are awful at governing, so I can't vote Grit.
I would vote NDP, since my riding (Downtown Halifax) is a complete lock for them anyways, but Jack Layton is a smarmy douche, so I won't vote NDP.
I won't vote Green because although I like what I hear about their platform, Elizabeth May is an airhead and an awful leader, and I won't support a party that thinks she'd be a good choice for Prime Minister.
Last time, I faced the same choice. I still needed to vote though, so I threw away my vote and marked an X next to the Marijuana Party candidate, for kicks. I might end up having to do the same this time around.
Borefest, indeed.
I like what the Conservatives have done for the military, but Stephen Harper is the leader, so I can't vote Tory.
I usually agree with Liberal policy, but Stephane Dion is a tool and the Liberals are awful at governing, so I can't vote Grit.
I would vote NDP, since my riding (Downtown Halifax) is a complete lock for them anyways, but Jack Layton is a smarmy douche, so I won't vote NDP.
I won't vote Green because although I like what I hear about their platform, Elizabeth May is an airhead and an awful leader, and I won't support a party that thinks she'd be a good choice for Prime Minister.
Last time, I faced the same choice. I still needed to vote though, so I threw away my vote and marked an X next to the Marijuana Party candidate, for kicks. I might end up having to do the same this time around.
Borefest, indeed.
VintagePunk
Blue Crack Distributor
I tend to like Jack Layton quite a bit, and probably to an even greater degree, I like his wife, Olivia Chow. I watch a lot of CityTV news, and I'm familiar with her from her days in municipal politics in Toronto. However, where I live, voting NDP would have no impact whatsoever, and I'm happy with our local Liberal MP. Dion really hasn't left an impression on me, either favourable or unfavourable. I remember being really impressed with Ignatieff during the time surrounding the Liberal leadership convention, though, and it's surprising to me that the rather dull Dion (sorry, BoMac!) won rather than him. Harper = smarmy bastard, as pretty much everyone has pointed out.
BoMac
Self-righteous bullshitter
I was at the convention, and it was quite interesting. I knew that Dion had a shot after the first round. A few token votes sent Martha Hall Findlay's way went a long way towards sealing Gerard Kennedy's fate and helping Dion in the process. Had those votes gone to Kennedy instead, Dion would have had to drop out, which meant that Igantieff would have probably won.
As it was, there was a 'anybody-but-Ignatieff' movement, which also played into Dion's favour.
In any case, I can understand the comments towards Dion. I just think that he means well. And, he's nerdy and goofy like me, so I guess I also relate to him in that way.
I can technically vote in one of two ridings. I am registered at my parents' address which I still use for most of my mail since I've moved around a lot in the last 3 years. Then there is the current place I live in. Since their riding will certainly go Liberal regardless, I'll probably vote here where the fight will be tighter.
bonoman
Refugee
What riding is everyone in and do you think there is any chance that there could be a good race in your riding?
I live in Edmonton East. Seeing as my riding is in Alberta there is next to know chance of anyone but Peter Goldring winning again. I could also vote in the Fort McMurray riding, seeing as I (unfortunatly) spend most of my life up here working. But it is even more hopeless of anyone but the Conservatives winning this riding!
Truth be told there are only two seats in Alberta that could be contested: Edmonton Centre (Anne Mclennan's old seat) or Edmonton Strathcona (most liberal area of Alberta, arts district and UofA area) but for the rest of us its sit back and watch the rest of Canada make us into the evil and hated destroyers of the enviroment, while not taking a second to actually look at the facts!
I live in Edmonton East. Seeing as my riding is in Alberta there is next to know chance of anyone but Peter Goldring winning again. I could also vote in the Fort McMurray riding, seeing as I (unfortunatly) spend most of my life up here working. But it is even more hopeless of anyone but the Conservatives winning this riding!
Truth be told there are only two seats in Alberta that could be contested: Edmonton Centre (Anne Mclennan's old seat) or Edmonton Strathcona (most liberal area of Alberta, arts district and UofA area) but for the rest of us its sit back and watch the rest of Canada make us into the evil and hated destroyers of the enviroment, while not taking a second to actually look at the facts!
bonoman
Refugee
What riding is everyone in and do you think there is any chance that there could be a good race in your riding?
I live in Edmonton East. Seeing as my riding is in Alberta there is next to know chance of anyone but Peter Goldring winning again. I could also vote in the Fort McMurray riding, seeing as I (unfortunatly) spend most of my life up here working. But it is even more hopeless of anyone but the Conservatives winning this riding!
Truth be told there are only two seats in Alberta that could be contested: Edmonton Centre (Anne Mclennan's old seat) or Edmonton Strathcona (most liberal area of Alberta, arts district and UofA area) but for the rest of us its sit back and watch the rest of Canada make us into the evil and hated destroyers of the enviroment, while not taking a second to actually look at the facts!
I live in Edmonton East. Seeing as my riding is in Alberta there is next to know chance of anyone but Peter Goldring winning again. I could also vote in the Fort McMurray riding, seeing as I (unfortunatly) spend most of my life up here working. But it is even more hopeless of anyone but the Conservatives winning this riding!
Truth be told there are only two seats in Alberta that could be contested: Edmonton Centre (Anne Mclennan's old seat) or Edmonton Strathcona (most liberal area of Alberta, arts district and UofA area) but for the rest of us its sit back and watch the rest of Canada make us into the evil and hated destroyers of the enviroment, while not taking a second to actually look at the facts!
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