Courtesy of Paul Wells

[c9]

... But here's an ad I'd run this weekend, if I was a Grit and seriously worried I was about to lose big:

BLANK BLACK SCREEN

TYPE APPEARS ACROSS SCREEN AS DEEP, URGENT VOICE READS TEXT:

"Foreign Minister Stockwell Day"

SCREEN DARKENS; RELIGHTS ON LIBERAL LOGO; BRIGHT WOMAN'S VOICE READS:

"On January 23, Vote Liberal."

Comments

[ratonil.livejournal.com]

So my question is: Are you voting Liberal?

[c9.livejournal.com]

Almost certainly not. My political views lie somewhere between Liberal and NDP, and part of me really wants Paul Martin and his cronies out. I don't like the idea of a Tory government, but I know it has to happen either this time or next, and at least this time it's a minority. But anyway, I'm almost sure I'll be voting on principle for the party I prefer to hold some sway, the NDP.

[ratonil.livejournal.com]

Interesting. Here I do vote for the ruling coaltion (center-left), even though I think we need a change. They have been in La Moneda for 16 years... but in the other hand, the Conservative alliance is not what I want... specially a billionaire as a president.

[ratonil.livejournal.com]

Yeap, so passé. That's why I'm voting for an agnostic, socialist and single mother.

If people think we'll be richer just because a successful businessman is president... they're so fucking wrong.

[simplisticton.livejournal.com]

I really hope people don't think that way... I mean, George Bush ran every company he ever headed straight into the ground...

OTOH, Paul Martin ran a very successful shipping company, and managed to do good things as Finance Minister (only G8 country running a surplus, that's gotta count for something!)

[-kissyfur-.livejournal.com]

I often vote NDP for the simple reason that I don't want to vote Liberal or Conservative. I think they get many a vote that way and that is very silly of me.

I just wish they (the NDP) would stop focussing so damn much on Star Wars and the Environment. If I hear Jack Layton try to talk fancy talk about interstellar missiles and global satellite systems one more time! And honestly, yes the environment is an extremely important platform, but the reality it's not winning anyone any elections these days. The general populous just doesn't care about that any more. Where's their tax breaks or refunds in an environmental platform? That's the shit that gets you people's votes, unfortunately.

Jack Layton really needs to focus the NDP on some more current, pertinent issues if he wants to be taken more seriously as a potential Prime Minister.

Granted, he is good at commenting on everyone else's views on the economy, government, etc. But what politician isn't?

I never talk about politics that much, nor read political posts...but for some reason today, I felt the urge.

Bring on the Nat hating/3 page post on the NDP platform! :)

[jdhorner.livejournal.com]

can you explain this joke to an american?

[joecdn.livejournal.com]

I personally think that the NDP needs to start targetting the Conservative Party and their policies more, instead of letting Canadians know why the Liberals are such a bad choice. At least with a Liberal Minority they can get things done. However, with a Conservative Government - they're so far opposite from the NDP that the party will pretty much have no voice in the government - cause there's no way a Conservative government is going to adopt Socialist policy, or really even consider it.

In other words, electing the Conservatives will push the NDP even further into oblivion....

[c9.livejournal.com]

True -- PM made a really good Finance Minister. Too bad he wanted a different job.

[c9.livejournal.com]

If I hear Jack Layton try to talk fancy talk about interstellar missiles and global satellite systems one more time!

I don't think I've heard him say anything about this since 2004... maybe I just missed it. Personlly, I find his topics this time around incredibly relevant, and surprisingly realistic. The NDP have a history of pie-in-the-sky wishes, but since the late 90s they seem to recognize the need for tradeoffs.

[c9.livejournal.com]

There are four possible outcomes to this election:
- Conservative majority
- Conservative minority
- Liberal minority
- Liberal majority

In a majority, the NDP have no power whatsoever. In a minority, *any* minority, they have some power in that the party in power wants their votes. As Stephen Harper said yesterdayish, he's sure they could find common ground on certain issues, such as corruption and reforming Parliament's patronage system.

if Jack attacks the Liberals, people are less likely to vote Liberal. If Jack attacks the Conservatives, people *might* think "oh god, we better keep them out, and only the Liberals can do that" and they'll head for the Liberals like last time. It's a tricky game he's stuck playing.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Sure thing!

The more right-wing predecessor to the Conservatives was the Canadian Alliance. Their leader was Stockwell Day, a born-again Christian who believes in Creationism, etc. He bounced between "really scary to most Canadians" and "really ridiculous." He's now the Foreign Affairs critic in the opposition's Shadow Cabinet, meaning he'd likely be Foreign Affairs Minister in a Conservative government.

Hope that helps a bit.

[jdhorner.livejournal.com]

Hope that helps a bit.

:: nod ::

[c9.livejournal.com]

More Stockwell Day trivia: one of the big planks in the CA platform was a willingness to allow voter-sponsored ballot initiatives, like in the US. He said (paraphrased) "if 3% of Canadians sign a petition, we'll hold a binding referendum on the subject." First, that's hugely scary -- re-open abortion? (Canada has no abortion laws, pro or con) Re-open capital punishment? We're all about the "don't offend and don't argue" on huge huge issues, most of the time, so that idea bothered a lot of people.

Secondly, Rick Mercer (comedian you'd probably seen on CBC) started a website petition to force Stockwell Day to change his first name to Doris. Within about 72 hours he had enough signatures to meet the 3% requirement. After a month or so, there were almost two million, if I recall correctly.

http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2000/11/17/bc_dorisday001116

[ex-halfwitte432.livejournal.com]

Brilliant. Why *don't* they remind people how much the Conservatives are just plain idiots?

[c9.livejournal.com]

I don't think a list entitled "idiots in politics" has an end.

[ratonil.livejournal.com]

Secondly, Rick Mercer (comedian you'd probably seen on CBC) started a website petition to force Stockwell Day to change his first name to Doris. Within about 72 hours he had enough signatures to meet the 3% requirement. After a month or so, there were almost two million, if I recall correctly.

THAT WAS BRILLIANT!

[c9.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah!

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

I always wondered what Paul Martin's tenure as PM would have been like had Chretien not left him with the pile of dog sh*t that is the sponsorship scandal.

[c9.livejournal.com]

I think if Martin had been willing to just sit down, shut up, and wait for the never-defeated Chrétien to retire on his own terms, sponsorship would have pushed him out instead of tarring Martin. A great "what if" for history.

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

It's a fun game once you start playing it:

Canadian Heritage Minister Myron Thompson.

Or how about:

Justice Minister Cheryl Gallant.


*shivers*

[c9.livejournal.com]

Gah! Thank you, that one is also scary.

[nihilicious.livejournal.com]

You forgot to mention the Sea-Doo and the "Doris" incident.

[nihilicious.livejournal.com]

Ah. And by forgot, I meant "half-forgot".

[c9.livejournal.com]

Both appear later.

[ratonil.livejournal.com]

Here Mr Piñera (pr: pignera) owns a TV Station, Chile's main airlines, has stocks in some pension and insurance companies... and owns a lot of land in the south of the country.

Scary.

[jamincan.livejournal.com]

Also, I think Martin completely lacks the leadership ability of Jean Chretien. Despite all his flaws, I'm almost entirely convinced that he would have managed the scandal far better than Martin has.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Oh totally. His appearance at the Gomery commission alone proved that to me.