“he”/“him” A Canadian Prairie Mennonite from the '70s & '80s, a Preacher’s Kid, slowly recovering from a hemorrhagic stroke. I am not — yet — in a 12-Step Program.
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Friday, January 20, 2006
WP's Canadian Election Predictions Recap
In order of personal significance:
1) Lowest voter turn-out ever.
2) Progressive Conservative minority
3) A very close race, all the way around (addendum: we'll see a few more recounts than we're typically used to).
Darkov, your knowledge of foreign affairs is outstanding! If I may speak without offense, it is folk of your stripe that will ensure America is never truly friendless.
I concur with the writer's predictions. I suspect we will also vote for different parties this time around.
TR, kind words, indeed. This election seems particularly interesting as it truly seems as if the Liberals will be out the door. I'm not taking any sdies, not that it's matter if I did. Down below (just as above) the borderline, Stephen Harper, as you probably well know, is being portrayed as Bush's lap dog in a big way. So, it will seem interesting to see the knee jerk reaction at the polls to that portrayal. I could only hope that however the coalition works itself out afterwards, an independent nature towards the USA prevails. We've only got three more years down here and we're holding our breaths in collective hope.
A positive item that's come up recently is that there are quite a few Iraq War vets coming back home and getting into politics and running as Democrats. Let's see if the Republicans try spreading that same dreck on them that they did in the previous presidential election. I smell a backlash coming......
Wrong on count one: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/23/20060124-turnout.html
I exercised my right not to vote. At one point, I was going to hold my nose and vote for the CPC, but their draconian drug policies forced me to abstain.
It is good to see Paul Martin Jr.'s political career come to an end.
The CPC wins with a very small minority. Passing a budget should be interesting. Will Canadians be heading to the polls again in 2007?
Phil - Curious. That was the one prognostication I felt most confident about.
DV - re: Harper the lapdog, the man clearly recognized that was not going to fly with voters, and made subtle efforts to distance himself (without apologizing for) earlier statements he'd made to give this impression. I've got to admit I'm breathing a sigh of relief this morning: I wondered if he mightn't get a slim majority. This is the kind of "interesting" I don't mind living with.
Me, I'm nearly elated. While many friends are gnashing their teeth over the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, I'm just happy that the Liberals weren't entirely trounced. Sure, they're arrogant and wasteful, Paul Martin was nearly useless and the campaign unbelievably inept, but their overall values are still in tune with the majority of Canadians and the vote reflects that. Plus, the NDP increased their standing by 50% and the Bloc was kept at bay yet again. It's good news all around, really...
Cool, a lapdog, eh? Maybe Harper can be a northern Tony Blair! Maybe the fearsome Canadian navy will wind up paddling their canoes over to Iran to destroy their puny nukes for Master Bush!
The only problem I can see is that we don't yet have a philosopher-poet for a defence minister. So how will we know our known unknowns? How will we reconcile the unknown unkowns; the things which we do not know that we do not know? One hopes the lapdog will learn from its benevolent masters...
As per these results, it is somewaht encouraging news. Well at least at the lower end of the voting.
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada 9,289 (MLPC) Marijuana Party (MP) 9,266 Canadian Action Party 6,201 Communist Party of Canada (CPC) 3,127 Libertarian Party of Canada 3,003 First Peoples National Party of Canada 1,340 Western Block Party 1,094 Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada (AAEVPC)72
1) It's amazing that 9,266 folks actually showed up from the MP. Hell, with 24 more votes htey would have beat the MLPC and come in fifth nationwide of al of the alternative parties. Wonder if a bad case of munchies prevented those 24 from making it to the polls. 2) The CPC? Man, are these folks living in the far, far, distant past! 3)AAEVPC. That is a L O N G name. I would have liked to see how that party's name was located on the ballot. 72 votes. That's 0.0000049 of the total vote. That's five zeros and then 49. Hmmm.?! Was that one extended family, including cats and dogs, pawing the ballot button?
And where's my beloved Rhinoceros Party? They received even fewer votes than the AAEVPC.
..and, yes, I do know the Rhinoceros Party is no longer with us. But, I figured someone would do a write-in vote for the party. In Philly, where they see dead people, they also vote for them. Why not in the Land of the Maple Leaf?
Hope you cast that absentee ballot! Have a great trip.
ReplyDeleteDarkov, your knowledge of foreign affairs is outstanding! If I may speak without offense, it is folk of your stripe that will ensure America is never truly friendless.
ReplyDeleteI concur with the writer's predictions. I suspect we will also vote for different parties this time around.
TR, kind words, indeed. This election seems particularly interesting as it truly seems as if the Liberals will be out the door. I'm not taking any sdies, not that it's matter if I did. Down below (just as above) the borderline, Stephen Harper, as you probably well know, is being portrayed as Bush's lap dog in a big way. So, it will seem interesting to see the knee jerk reaction at the polls to that portrayal. I could only hope that however the coalition works itself out afterwards, an independent nature towards the USA prevails.
ReplyDeleteWe've only got three more years down here and we're holding our breaths in collective hope.
A positive item that's come up recently is that there are quite a few Iraq War vets coming back home and getting into politics and running as Democrats. Let's see if the Republicans try spreading that same dreck on them that they did in the previous presidential election. I smell a backlash coming......
Wrong on count one: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/23/20060124-turnout.html
ReplyDeleteI exercised my right not to vote. At one point, I was going to hold my nose and vote for the CPC, but their draconian drug policies forced me to abstain.
It is good to see Paul Martin Jr.'s political career come to an end.
The CPC wins with a very small minority. Passing a budget should be interesting. Will Canadians be heading to the polls again in 2007?
Phil - Curious. That was the one prognostication I felt most confident about.
ReplyDeleteDV - re: Harper the lapdog, the man clearly recognized that was not going to fly with voters, and made subtle efforts to distance himself (without apologizing for) earlier statements he'd made to give this impression. I've got to admit I'm breathing a sigh of relief this morning: I wondered if he mightn't get a slim majority. This is the kind of "interesting" I don't mind living with.
Me, I'm nearly elated. While many friends are gnashing their teeth over the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, I'm just happy that the Liberals weren't entirely trounced. Sure, they're arrogant and wasteful, Paul Martin was nearly useless and the campaign unbelievably inept, but their overall values are still in tune with the majority of Canadians and the vote reflects that. Plus, the NDP increased their standing by 50% and the Bloc was kept at bay yet again. It's good news all around, really...
ReplyDeleteCool, a lapdog, eh? Maybe Harper can be a northern Tony Blair! Maybe the fearsome Canadian navy will wind up paddling their canoes over to Iran to destroy their puny nukes for Master Bush!
ReplyDeleteThe only problem I can see is that we don't yet have a philosopher-poet for a defence minister. So how will we know our known unknowns? How will we reconcile the unknown unkowns; the things which we do not know that we do not know? One hopes the lapdog will learn from its benevolent masters...
As per these results, it is somewaht encouraging news. Well at least at the lower end of the voting.
ReplyDeleteMarxist-Leninist Party of Canada 9,289 (MLPC)
Marijuana Party (MP) 9,266
Canadian Action Party 6,201
Communist Party of Canada (CPC) 3,127
Libertarian Party of Canada 3,003
First Peoples National Party of Canada 1,340
Western Block Party 1,094
Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada (AAEVPC)72
1) It's amazing that 9,266 folks actually showed up from the MP. Hell, with 24 more votes htey would have beat the MLPC and come in fifth nationwide of al of the alternative parties. Wonder if a bad case of munchies prevented those 24 from making it to the polls.
2) The CPC? Man, are these folks living in the far, far, distant past!
3)AAEVPC. That is a L O N G name. I would have liked to see how that party's name was located on the ballot. 72 votes. That's 0.0000049 of the total vote. That's five zeros and then 49. Hmmm.?! Was that one extended family, including cats and dogs, pawing the ballot button?
And where's my beloved Rhinoceros Party? They received even fewer votes than the AAEVPC.
..and, yes, I do know the Rhinoceros Party is no longer with us. But, I figured someone would do a write-in vote for the party.
ReplyDeleteIn Philly, where they see dead people, they also vote for them. Why not in the Land of the Maple Leaf?