So we've come down to the final day, and the race (if the polls are to be believed) are closer than they were when the election was called. I'll be paying ESPECIALLY clsoe attention to this election, because for the last five weeks I have actually been providing IT Support for the Cosnervatives in their "War Room" Headquarters here in Ottawa.
So I suppose it won't surprise anyone here, but I'll be voting for Stevie Haprer.
Of course, regardless of affiliation, GO VOTE.
(edited by El Nastio on 14.10.08 0724) You know, I really don't know what to put here. Close your eyes and thank of something funny!
Originally posted by El NastioSo I suppose it won't surprise anyone here, but I'll be voting for Stevie Harper.
I still haven't made up my mind yet. I've narrowed it down to three, which tells you who I won't be voting for - hooray for cancelling out each others' efforts!
Should I vote for the leader I like, the most-qualified MP, or the party that I want to support? Hooray for splitting the vote!
(And hooray for long-ass walks to the polling station through several inches of snow!)
Got the civic duty out of the way earlier than usual (it helps that I'm taking a week off between jobs). I've also moved to a different part of the city since the last election and I'm now in a tiny, uncrowded polling station instead of a medium-sized overcrowded one.
I'm also in one of the "lucky" ridings where I don't have to worry about a split vote between the Liberals/NDP/Green leading to a Conservative win, so I was able to vote with my conscience instead of out of fear.
Great timing for an election: I stayed up late last night, cleaning up from thanksgiving dinner slept in, and then went to vote. I was able to miss a couple of hours, and the boss allowed it. It's all good.
This has been a very fun election to follow.
I voted Green...if for any reason, Elizabeth May wasn't on a smear campaign.
I predict a minority government...even closer than the last election.
Originally posted by El NastioSo we've come down to the final day, and the race (if the polls are to be believed) are closer than they were when the election was called. I'll be paying ESPECIALLY clsoe attention to this election, because for the last five weeks I have actually been providing IT Support for the Cosnervatives in their "War Room" Headquarters here in Ottawa.
So I suppose it won't surprise anyone here, but I'll be voting for Stevie Haprer.
Of course, regardless of affiliation, GO VOTE.
(edited by El Nastio on 14.10.08 0724)
Erm...not really as close as people may have thought. Tories are probably going to fall around 10 seats or so from an overall majority, and the speculation has already started on how long Stephane Dion is going to twist in the wind before the Liberals have to have a new leadership election.
Seat tally, as of 11:20 Eastern, on CBC, 155 seats needed for majority:
CBC has called a minority government for the Conservatives. Nothing changes, Liberal remain the strongest opposition, and NDP make gains.
If I lived in Quebec, I would have voted Bloc. However, as an independent contractor, Harper offered me the strongest number of bribes, and as a result, he retains my loyalty for another year.
ANother reason why I really have to stop reading the news. I swear, political pundits know nothing.
I'm really surprized that Harper won with a larger minority (sounds like an oxymoron, I know)...and that the Greens aren't getting any seats. I seriously thought that this year was going to be their year to break out.
I'm sorry Elizabeth May didn't win...but then again, what was she thinking, running against Peter McKay in his riding? Central Nova has been a Tory hotspot for years. Peter's held onto that riding for the past five elections. His father was an MP there for a number of years, and ol' big chin himself, Brian Mulroney held a seat there once or twice.
I'm surprized Bob Rae made it in...especially in Toronto. I mean, enough people should remember his run as Premier of Ontario, and the mess he made of our economy. I mean, these four words could scare any Ontarian: "Finance Minister Bob Rae".
Enough with the election, let's get a government in motion.
“How is it that I am a good actor? What I do is I... pretend to be the person I’m portraying. You’re confused. Case in point: in Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson comes to me and says ‘I would like you to be Gandalf the Wizard,’ and I said ‘You are aware that I am not really a wizard?’ and Peter Jackson said ‘I would like you to use your acting skills to portray a wizard for the duration of the show.’ So I said ‘Okay’ and then I said to myself ‘Mmm.. How do I do that?’ And this is what I did: I imagined that I was a wizard, and then I pretended, and acted, in that way on the stage. How did I know what to say? The words were written down for me in a script. How did I know where to stand? People told me where to stand." -- Sir Ian McKellen, Extras
Originally posted by Big Bad That....was....pointless....
...and...expensive... ...and...disheartening...
The Conservatives took Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick with a platform of "Dion sucks; don't vote Liberal."
Originally posted by Oliver I'm sorry Elizabeth May didn't win...but then again, what was she thinking, running against Peter McKay in his riding? Central Nova has been a Tory hotspot for years. Peter's held onto that riding for the past five elections. His father was an MP there for a number of years, and ol' big chin himself, Brian Mulroney held a seat there once or twice.
I'm sorry, too. I spent 10 years growing up in that riding. I met Brian Mulroney when Peter's Dad, Elmer, stepped aside for him. I will never ever be able to see Peter as anything more than "Elmer's Boy" especially since that's how he always behaved (he was a "do you know who my Dad is?" kind of kid). If he wanted to impress me he'd a) take better care of his constituency and b) run in a riding his dad didn't own for 20 years. The only positive thing I can say is that he understood the importance of running a local campaign this time; I don't think he's spent so much time in his own riding since high school.
But big applause to May for going for it. If she had won, it would have been an immeasurably huge blow to the Conservatives. And I think it was running in such a high-profile riding that helped raise the profile of what she was trying to do. She will gain political traction someday, I just don't know what party it will be with. The NDP with her at the helm might gain some serious ground.
Originally posted by Oliver I'm surprized Bob Rae made it in...especially in Toronto. I mean, enough people should remember his run as Premier of Ontario, and the mess he made of our economy. I mean, these four words could scare any Ontarian: "Finance Minister Bob Rae".
If we're ever going to see another non-Conservative government, Ontarians are going to have to get over Bob Rae (it would not surprise me to see him follow Dion as Liberal leader, no matter what he says). I know so many (lots of family and friends up there) who practically spit when they say his name, it's almost scary. I don't deny it was awkward and terrible, at times, but I think history will be kinder to him than you might think.
Originally posted by tarnish The Conservatives took Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick with a platform of "Dion sucks; don't vote Liberal."
As opposed to what Williams was doing in Newfoundland with the "ABC"? And what the Bloq was doing in Quebec?
And I don't suppose the Tories taking those provinces had anything to do with the Carbon Tax or the now infamous "30 Day Plan to Make a Plan" plan. Or the "lets do an interview three times because I have no plan so I can't explain it right". It's laughable when the only reason you gain support is largly out of pity.
I would've liked to have seen a Harper majority, but I'll take him being in charge over any of the other current crop of leaders. It'll be an interesting couple of years.
Regarding Elizabeth May, she might have been a bit too ambitous running in Central Nova.
EDIT: There's two people I'd love to see take on Liberal Leader Bob Rae. One is another fellow former Ontarian Premier who used to be aroudn North Bay. The other is my boy MPP ~BILL MURDOCH.
(edited by El Nastio on 15.10.08 1133) You know, I really don't know what to put here. Close your eyes and thank of something funny!
Originally posted by El Nastio As opposed to what Williams was doing in Newfoundland with the "ABC"?
Williams is the Premier at the Provincial level and was not campaigning nationally against Harper as a competitor, but locally as the leader of the Provincial Government who was disillusioned by the Conservative government's behavior regarding the Atlantic Accord. I wish my Premier had the same sized balls. Further, Williams "ABC" thing was based on actual politics, not trying to make Harper out to be a buffoon.
I was talking about the nationally aired, small-minded attack ads that our elections used to be reasonably free of. Yay progress. The NDP were also guilty of this (at least that was my reading of their animated ads). I wish the three major parties had all spent more time talking about what they were going to do instead of decrying their opponents.
And I don't suppose the Tories taking those provinces had anything to do with the Carbon Tax or the now infamous "30 Day Plan to Make a Plan" plan.
Again, nothing to do with the actual Conservative platform and everything to do with, "not what those guys would do."
Or the "lets do an interview three times because I have no plan so I can't explain it right".
In Dion's defense, Steve Murphy is one of the worst interviewers I have ever seen in my life. He tends to ask poorly-worded and ambiguous questions that don't get any better with rephrasing.
That said, I don't like Dion very much; I don't think he's national party leadership material. I also don't like Jack Layton, especially after finding his campaign style so much like the Conservative's. Elizabeth May is the most likeable and well-spoken of the three alternatives, but that party has a long row to hoe just to get on the map.
And there I go again harping on party leaders like everyone else when I should know better. Meaningless elections sure bring out the best in me
Lowest voter turnout ever for an election, 58%, showing once again how much the people in this country really care. I really believe the type of campaign that was run helped with this. The Conservatives have been running anti-Dion ads since he won the leadership, they didn't even wait for the election. The Liberals, in the end, turned around and did the same back, while the NDP slagged both.
This country is as split regionally as ever. In the end the party that won the election is the one that actually has support everywhere. They won seats in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, Ontario and pretty much own everything West of there. The Liberals will never regain power in this country until they have a leader and policies that the Conservative west can support.
I am a Liberal supporter and believe in the policies that the party put together, however, they need a leader who can actually voice those policies and make the people believe in them. Dion is not that and, more than likely, will not get another opportunity to try. I was sold when I watched a CBC special, in which Scott Brison was the Liberal representative and was able to explian the policies and make people understand them.
Who is next? Possible Rae, possibly Ignatieff, although I don't like either. Is there someone new on the horizon?? I would really like to see some new Liberal blood from the West. Does such a thing exist?? In the end, whoever wins the next time is a seat-warmer.
Warming up in the bullpen, but not ready yet, Justin Trudeau. His time will come, but at this point the Liberals need to reach out beyond Quebec.
Someone earlier mentioned that they would vote for the BQ if they lived in Quebec. You have to explain that one to me? I just don't get it. How can we have a party in this country that is not a National party. And what good does it do me voting for them when I know they will never, ever be in power??
Look what you did
Is this who you wanted me to be?
Well it's not me
Originally posted by hazbig big waste of time and money...
Someone earlier mentioned that they would vote for the BQ if they lived in Quebec. You have to explain that one to me? I just don't get it. How can we have a party in this country that is not a National party. And what good does it do me voting for them when I know they will never, ever be in power??
But, in the end, isn't that the Bloc's major selling point (Full Disclosure at this point- I've spent the sum total of less than 1 month of almost 29 years of life in Canada). Duceppe KNOWS he's never gonna get the big job, in fact he said as much during the English Debate. In fact, if his party achieves his goal, he's out of a job. Harper has to balance the needs of the entire country, Duceppe's whole fixation is what's best for Quebec. Now, it is certainly arguable that his vision for Quebec may not be what you would want, but there is something that has to be a bit freeing to have a leader and a party that can try to go for what it says it's going to go for, without worrying that it's gonna cost them the Prime Minister's seat.
Saying that the Bloc stopped a Tory majority last night may have been taking it a tad too far, but on the whole, operating under the system that Canada operates under, I don't necessarily think that a strong regional party is a bad thing.
The Conservatives were poised for a big break-through in Quebec. There was some talk at the start of the year of the Bloc dropping to as few as twenty-five seats (from about fifty) with all the gains going to the Conservatives. If you do the math, all the Conservatives had to do was win ten of those seats, twelve to be be safe to have a slim majority.
Duceppe had lost a lot of respect in Quebec when he announced that he would step down as Bloc leader and run for leadership of the PQ and then after twenty-four hours changed his mind when he realized that Pauline Marois was going to soundly kick his ass in any leadership vote.
What saved the Bloc and Duceppe was that Harper cut about $60 million dollars worth of cultural spending in August all designed to send Canadian artists abroad to perform or to market their art. (According to rumours because Harper was upset that most of the money was going to non-Conservatives. Bit of a self-reinforcing bit going on there artists don't support the Conservatives because the Conservatives don't support the arts.)
This got spun by the Bloc as an attack by Harper on Quebec culture aided by a very popular French you-tube video by Michel Rivard of the pop group Beau Dommage
I was at a dinner party on Saturday before the election hosted by a long-time concert promoter for folk music and they were mocking Harper for saying during the debate that he supported the arts because his daughter could play a musical instrument.
Massive irony that I should be grateful to the Bloc who I hate for preventing Steven Harper from getting a majority government.
*****
The one good thing to come out of the election for me is that in my riding of Papineau, a guy that I admire greatly (more than his party) won: Justin Trudeau, sone of former Prime Minister Pierre Eliot Trudeau.
Curiously, Justin played the Papineau that the riding is named after in a docu-drama about Paineau's involvement in the First World War.
So, speaking of Justin Trudeau, will he wait a little to get his feet wet as an MP before running for the Liberal leadership, or do we have an Obama situation here?
Dion, bless his heart, is probably dead meat as party leader. There was a really good blog up on the Macleans website (http://blog.macleans.ca/2008/10/15/the-commons-dream-on/) about how Dion seemed like a decent guy who just wasn't cut out for national politics. For Americans out there, imagine a less inspiring version of John Kerry and you'll get the picture.
(edited by Big Bad on 16.10.08 1325) “How is it that I am a good actor? What I do is I... pretend to be the person I’m portraying. You’re confused. Case in point: in Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson comes to me and says ‘I would like you to be Gandalf the Wizard,’ and I said ‘You are aware that I am not really a wizard?’ and Peter Jackson said ‘I would like you to use your acting skills to portray a wizard for the duration of the show.’ So I said ‘Okay’ and then I said to myself ‘Mmm.. How do I do that?’ And this is what I did: I imagined that I was a wizard, and then I pretended, and acted, in that way on the stage. How did I know what to say? The words were written down for me in a script. How did I know where to stand? People told me where to stand." -- Sir Ian McKellen, Extras
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Wow, apparently this little gimmick worked really well. $4.2 million raised according to AP. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071106/ap_po/paul_fundraising