Election Rambling
So, election time's coming up. No, Americans, I'm not talking to you.
Apparently Stephen Harper (a.k.a. the current Prime Minister, for those Americans of you who don't pay the slightest bit of attention to the massive country generally to your North) went and called an election while I was literally sleeping yesterday (what can I say, I keep an odd schedule), and all of a sudden we responsible Canadian folks have to get to the polls on October 14. Joy. Didn't we have a Federal election in early 2006? Why yes, yes we did.
What's good about this is that we don't have to endure months upon months of campaigning. Limit the pain, limit the damage. However, I can't help but feeling rushed, even though we all knew it was coming. I keep hearing a movie-style drill sergeant voice in my head: "Decide the fate of your country, you maggots! Now, now! Go-go-go!!"
And, yes, we know why he's calling this shotgun election. He's trying to get the election in now when there's still a chance of a strong Conservative vote, because come November Canada may be swept up in the wave of change that is -- sanity willing -- going to overtake the States. Lord knows I'd welcome some change on the Federal level here, too.
Yet polls show that Stephen Harper -- who, might I add, I find to be a total asshat, and with whom I appear to have a fundamental disagreement on pretty much everything -- is still leading. Please, for the love of all that is still good and right in this world, don't tell me that I’m facing even the possibility of a Conservative majority. Just ... don't.
Stephen Harper. Political party: Conservative. He's the Prime Minister. He's an asshat. Really, total asshat. I have, however, remembered one decision that he made that I didn't disagree with: he did not try to challenge/revoke the legislation on gay marriage (even though he may have wanted to). Also, the day I even consider voting Conservative is going to be the day following the total destruction of my higher brain functions. I mean, really.
Gilles Duceppe. Political party: Bloc Quebecois. What, do I look like I'm from Quebec? To my knowledge, the Bloc doesn’t run at all in Ontario, never mind Toronto ridings. Irrelevant to my personal voting situation, if not the political flavour of the country at large.
Stéphane Dion. Political party: Liberal. Oh, Stephane Dion, why must you be so forgettable? I know you must stand for something -- probably something I would agree with approximately 60-80% of the time -- but what is it? Dion is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying, "When Canadians see who I am and what I stand for, they will be happily surprised." Great, bring it on, man. Surprise me. Please. (It is, of course, worth noting that I live in a currently Liberal riding.)
Jack Layton. Political party: NDP. When I'm not voting Liberal, I'm voting NDP. And yet ... I find Jack Layton's public persona objectionable. Those ads sent to me on his behalf that are masquerading as surveys have been pissing me off for months now. The current NDP is a continual disappointment to me. But really, right now I put the chances of even an NDP minority government somewhere just above my chances of spontaneously combusting.
Elizabeth May. Political party: Green. Let's be honest, I don't know a lot about her or her platform, though I'd rather like to. Too bad she's just been banned from the televised debate. (Not that I'll actually be watching the debate, of course, because it looks like I won't even be home. Such is life.) No chance at all of a Green government, but I'd be willing to bet they win a seat or two this election.
Apparently Stephen Harper (a.k.a. the current Prime Minister, for those Americans of you who don't pay the slightest bit of attention to the massive country generally to your North) went and called an election while I was literally sleeping yesterday (what can I say, I keep an odd schedule), and all of a sudden we responsible Canadian folks have to get to the polls on October 14. Joy. Didn't we have a Federal election in early 2006? Why yes, yes we did.
What's good about this is that we don't have to endure months upon months of campaigning. Limit the pain, limit the damage. However, I can't help but feeling rushed, even though we all knew it was coming. I keep hearing a movie-style drill sergeant voice in my head: "Decide the fate of your country, you maggots! Now, now! Go-go-go!!"
And, yes, we know why he's calling this shotgun election. He's trying to get the election in now when there's still a chance of a strong Conservative vote, because come November Canada may be swept up in the wave of change that is -- sanity willing -- going to overtake the States. Lord knows I'd welcome some change on the Federal level here, too.
Yet polls show that Stephen Harper -- who, might I add, I find to be a total asshat, and with whom I appear to have a fundamental disagreement on pretty much everything -- is still leading. Please, for the love of all that is still good and right in this world, don't tell me that I’m facing even the possibility of a Conservative majority. Just ... don't.
Stephen Harper. Political party: Conservative. He's the Prime Minister. He's an asshat. Really, total asshat. I have, however, remembered one decision that he made that I didn't disagree with: he did not try to challenge/revoke the legislation on gay marriage (even though he may have wanted to). Also, the day I even consider voting Conservative is going to be the day following the total destruction of my higher brain functions. I mean, really.
Gilles Duceppe. Political party: Bloc Quebecois. What, do I look like I'm from Quebec? To my knowledge, the Bloc doesn’t run at all in Ontario, never mind Toronto ridings. Irrelevant to my personal voting situation, if not the political flavour of the country at large.
Stéphane Dion. Political party: Liberal. Oh, Stephane Dion, why must you be so forgettable? I know you must stand for something -- probably something I would agree with approximately 60-80% of the time -- but what is it? Dion is quoted in the Toronto Star as saying, "When Canadians see who I am and what I stand for, they will be happily surprised." Great, bring it on, man. Surprise me. Please. (It is, of course, worth noting that I live in a currently Liberal riding.)
Jack Layton. Political party: NDP. When I'm not voting Liberal, I'm voting NDP. And yet ... I find Jack Layton's public persona objectionable. Those ads sent to me on his behalf that are masquerading as surveys have been pissing me off for months now. The current NDP is a continual disappointment to me. But really, right now I put the chances of even an NDP minority government somewhere just above my chances of spontaneously combusting.
Elizabeth May. Political party: Green. Let's be honest, I don't know a lot about her or her platform, though I'd rather like to. Too bad she's just been banned from the televised debate. (Not that I'll actually be watching the debate, of course, because it looks like I won't even be home. Such is life.) No chance at all of a Green government, but I'd be willing to bet they win a seat or two this election.