It's hard to keep track of it, since it's so boring. And unnecessary; it's going to end with a Conservative Minority... again. Though the best thing for Canada would be to have the Liberals lose half their seats, the NDP and the Bloc pick up half of the seats the Liberals lose, and the Greens get a single seat; Elizabeth May beating Peter MacKay.

That'd be awesome. Harper would be screwed, Dion would be screwed, and we'd have two years before the two major parties could pick up the pieces. Maybe then we'd get some leaders in power who would be decent, instead of waffles and dictators.

Do they not reduce fractions in Canadialand?

It is so spirit-crushing in its boredom, the last time I got a chuckle was 2 months ago, with this pic.

Say hello to our leader:

Because I don't give a crap about anything until the week before the election. Everything they say until then is irrelevant.

well, that's not what the article says, but way to be a huge tool subby

Techhell: It's hard to keep track of it, since it's so boring. And unnecessary; it's going to end with a Conservative Minority... again. Though the best thing for Canada would be to have the Liberals lose half their seats, the NDP and the Bloc pick up half of the seats the Liberals lose, and the Greens get a single seat; Elizabeth May beating Peter MacKay.

That'd be awesome. Harper would be screwed, Dion would be screwed, and we'd have two years before the two major parties could pick up the pieces. Maybe then we'd get some leaders in power who would be decent, instead of waffles and dictators.

Mmmm, dictator waffles...

Agree with the Conservative minority scenario. Dion may be a nice guy, but comes across as utterly inept. This is a direct result of the policy of the Libs to alternate between a Francophone and Anglophone leader; an absurdity that will doom them to guys like Dion or say, John Turner.

The NDP has lost all the real old-time practical socialism of working people like Tommy Douglas, and now is full of professional theorists: the kind of people my grandfather (a train driver in Scotland who used to take up collections in his hat on paydays for those who were sick or injured because there was no sick pay in the 1930s) called "rolls-royce socialists."

The Cons have gone on a power-centralization spree, which makes day-to-day life for civil servants a lot harder. Example: during the election, no one in the gubment can send out a PSA about any event (even if it's an annual car show, or kid's picnic) without having it vetted and approved in advance by the Prime Minister's Office--not the departmental HQ in Ottawa/Hull, but the actual PMO itself. Any guesses at how long the wait time is for being able to promote public events? Thanks for making us so responsive and time-efficient, Stephen. Nice.

Icebacks? That's an interesting racial slur.

I wonder what they call us Americans, fatbacks?

It's because we have Harper or Dion.

I'll be voting for NDP again... or perhaps the Green Party.

I always thought it was frostbacks.

O-Face: Do they not reduce fractions in Canadialand?



They already did. They didn't want to take the trouble of saying "only 4 in 20 Canadians were paying attention."

Geez.

2 in 10 = 1 in 5

Fractions are fun

Me, I'm waiting for the leaders' debate. Not because I'm likely to change my mind--every election, I agonize and dither and end up voting for the same party anyway--but just because I wanna see how Harper and Layton handle May.

When they said, "If she's in, we're out," my first thought was, "Okay, you go right ahead and do that." I guess I've been a mother too long.

"If you give my brother a cookie, I won't eat mine!" "Okay."
"If you let my sister play with that toy, I won't play with anything!" "Okay."
"If you let that woman debate, we won't!" "Okay. Boy, you sure showed me."

It's turning into a budget busting promise-a-thon.
I'm paying attention I'm just not liking what I see.

I would love to see someone campaign on 'No New Spending!'

So that's like... 3 Canadians total?

that's a bit misleading subby. TFA said 2 in 10 were paying MORE attention than they usually did, not that only 2 in 10 were paying any attention

icebacks?? They took our jorbs!!

Supes: So that's like... 3 Canadians total?

After you take the exchange into account, yes.

Helen_Arigby: Supes: So that's like... 3 Canadians total?

After you take the exchange rate into account, yes.

FTFM.

Admittedly I'm far more engrossed in the American presidential election right now. Of course, American politics is far more of a spectacle than Canadian politics, so it doubles as a form of entertainment for me.

Techhell: It's hard to keep track of it, since it's so boring. And unnecessary; it's going to end with a Conservative Minority... again. Though the best thing for Canada would be to have the Liberals lose half their seats, the NDP and the Bloc pick up half of the seats the Liberals lose, and the Greens get a single seat; Elizabeth May beating Peter MacKay.

That'd be awesome. Harper would be screwed, Dion would be screwed, and we'd have two years before the two major parties could pick up the pieces. Maybe then we'd get some leaders in power who would be decent, instead of waffles and dictators.

I'm in Southern Ontario and down here it looks like the silence in public is because we have a Conservative landslide coming. mention how they shut down daycare, homeless shelters, gutted education and the environment, and want to gut health, and people just whistle and look shifty. Alberta and Ontario are going to elect Harper to an epic majority.

hyperspacemonkey
I'm in Southern Ontario and down here it looks like the silence in public is because we have a Conservative landslide coming. mention how they shut down daycare, homeless shelters, gutted education and the environment, and want to gut health, and people just whistle and look shifty. Alberta and Ontario are going to elect Harper to an epic majority.

I kinda like Dion even if he is a bit of a Milquetoast. That being said Harper seems like more of a leader and he has some real pitbulls behind him. He has also moderated his party in an effort to grab the middle, both in word and in deed. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

hyperspacemonkey: Techhell: It's hard to keep track of it, since it's so boring. And unnecessary; it's going to end with a Conservative Minority... again. Though the best thing for Canada would be to have the Liberals lose half their seats, the NDP and the Bloc pick up half of the seats the Liberals lose, and the Greens get a single seat; Elizabeth May beating Peter MacKay.

That'd be awesome. Harper would be screwed, Dion would be screwed, and we'd have two years before the two major parties could pick up the pieces. Maybe then we'd get some leaders in power who would be decent, instead of waffles and dictators.

I'm in Southern Ontario and down here it looks like the silence in public is because we have a Conservative landslide coming. mention how they shut down daycare, homeless shelters, gutted education and the environment, and want to gut health, and people just whistle and look shifty. Alberta and Ontario are going to elect Harper to an epic majority.

I'm here in Southern Ontario and I'm noticing the same effects. Conservatives resonate with the elderly, the well-off, and the baby-boomers and this region is heavy with all of these.

If Harper steam-rolls the GTA and southern Ontario, along with Alberta, that gives him a lot of breathing room and margin for error. It doesn't matter if he loses every single seat in the four maritime provinces if he can secure the vote-dense regions of Ontario.

But yeah, this election is pretty dead. Reminds me of the 90s Harris victories for more than one reason.

JasonOfOrillia:
I kinda like Dion even if he is a bit of a Milquetoast. That being said Harper seems like more of a leader and he has some real pitbulls behind him. He has also moderated his party in an effort to grab the middle, both in word and in deed. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Of course he had to move to the middle, he had a minority government, and we have something called a 'vote of no-confidence' up in Canada.

Dion has no backbone whatsoever. And the Liberals need to stop putting the francophones on the top of the party. It's not working for the rest of Canada.

moralpanic: Dion has no backbone whatsoever. And the Liberals need to stop putting the francophones on the top of the party. It's not working for the rest of Canada.

I disagree. Look at Chretien. Even if you hated the guy, you can't argue with the fact that he was one of the most successful politicians in Canadian history.

The Liberals (and the NDP) really need to take a hard, hard look in the mirror and seriously re-evaluate their platforms and personnel instead of pretending everything is fine. I had hoped this would have happened after the last election but as evidence by how easily Harper has been coasting and the failure of every opposition party (except the Greens) to make serious headway in this campaign, it really hasn't.

Demon of the Fall: moralpanic: Dion has no backbone whatsoever. And the Liberals need to stop putting the francophones on the top of the party. It's not working for the rest of Canada.

I disagree. Look at Chretien. Even if you hated the guy, you can't argue with the fact that he was one of the most successful politicians in Canadian history.

He was. I'm not saying francophones just suck, i'm just saying that the rest of Canada don't relate as well to them. And Chretien stayed a few years too late, he should have handed the party to Martin after 8 years, and the Liberals would probably still be in power.

The Liberals (and the NDP) really need to take a hard, hard look in the mirror and seriously re-evaluate their platforms and personnel instead of pretending everything is fine. I had hoped this would have happened after the last election but as evidence by how easily Harper has been coasting and the failure of every opposition party (except the Greens) to make serious headway in this campaign, it really hasn't.

Yep, i can't argue with you here. Which is why this may be the first time i'll be voting for the Green Party (i get sooo much party paraphernalia already because i've registered with so many parties).

One of the more recent polls I saw had the Tories within 5 seats of a majority. :/

Kendaric: One of the more recent polls I saw had the Tories within 5 seats of a majority. :/

*crosses fingers*

HappyHarryHardOn: It is so spirit-crushing in its boredom, the last time I got a chuckle was 2 months ago, with this pic.

Wow, did you find that in a time capsule? That thing has been around since before the last election, probably from 2004.

Also, I thought every Leafs fan dressed like that anyway.

Maybe if Parliament would control all the heckling that occurs during question period I might actually be able to listen the boring topics at hand. I can't even stand listening to the snippets it's so ridiculous.

sat1va: Maybe if Parliament would control all the heckling that occurs during question period I might actually be able to listen the boring topics at hand. I can't even stand listening to the snippets it's so ridiculous.

I don't like the fact that the Senate is appointed as well. I understand the theory behind it, but it's been well over a hundred years, and elections are far different today than they were back then. We don't need an 'elite' select few to moderate the House of Commons now.

That also reminds me, we need to get rid of the green and red that adorn those houses. And the furniture. It's so 1800s. They may as well wear wigs again.

In an Aug. 10 posting, Reid opined of the bus tragedy: "This is where socialism as (sic) gotten us folks, a castrated effeminate population." Source (new window)

You see...we can be intolerant idiots in Canada too.


Personally, i think going away from an agenda to represent all elements of a society equally in favour of maintaining the dominant lopsided power struggle displays interest in removing power from certain elements of society itself.

I've been paying attention; already sent in my vote last week.

Yeah, Jack Layton's no Tommy Douglas but living in the US has lowered my expectation so much that just having a left-wing party to vote for makes me mildly giddy.

Mostly, I just hope that the Conservatives don't get a majority and that the NDP takes a bunch of seats away from the Liberals. With the BQ, the NDP, and Liberals aligned against them, the CPC shouldn't be able to push their nutjob neo-conservative agenda, and yet they have been because the Liberals have totally failed as the opposition.

A Dark Evil Omen:

If you didn't want a conservative majority I'm not sure NDP was the best choice. I guess that depends on how people in your area vote, however.

sat1va: Maybe if Parliament would control all the heckling that occurs during question period I might actually be able to listen the boring topics at hand. I can't even stand listening to the snippets it's so ridiculous.

I love QP, but the whole thing is staged. I'm not sure why anyone would watch it actually expecting to take away anything they didn't already know. If you're really looking to pay attention to the issues in the House, watching Commons debates would be far better.

For the love of pete, vote green...

That way, the Cons will get either a minority, or better, a majority. Then they will have exactly as much rope as needed to royally hang themselves, since they cannot seem to have a simple conference call without scandal. I have rarely seen such incompetence (the Liberals here in NB come close tho).

The Libs will need to elect as new leader, hopefully Frank McKenna or Ignatieff, and actually win next time. Plus the if the greens do well, the parties will have to adopt a greener platform.

We would just have to endure the pain of the Cons for 4 years max. Hopefully a lot less if they have a minority.

uh, the poll didn't say only 2 out of 10 are paying attention, only 2 out of 10 are paying MORE attention this time than previous elections:

"Only two in 10 Canadians are paying more attention to this election than those in the past. The majority, about 65 per cent, say they're giving the election about the same amount of attention as others. And 14 per cent say they're paying even less attention than in previous elections."

I'd be more concerned by the 14% tuning out than the 65% that are paying just as much attention as previously, and a fairly impressive 25% that are actually paying more attention than last time.

It also doesn't answer the question of were they paying any attention previously? What amount of attention was actually given to the last elections which would give context to these numbers?

I have nightmares about Stephen Harper with a majority... Ugh... Please Jebus no.

It warms my heart to see the Conservative's candidate's blue-and-white signs standing next to the highway in a sea of treason red, limousine leftist-orange and wackjob green.

On a misty morning, with the fog of an Ontario morning burning off as I drive to work in one of my Escalades, I sometimes think they stand for freedom.

Massa Damnata: A Dark Evil Omen:

If you didn't want a conservative majority I'm not sure NDP was the best choice. I guess that depends on how people in your area vote, however.

The Yukon has a strong history of NDP support, and with the Liberals as weak as they are, I feel quite good about voting NDP.

reincarnation_mutation: The Libs will need to elect as new leader, hopefully Frank McKenna or Ignatieff, and actually win next time

This. I can't believe how so many Liberals took up an "Anyone but Ignatieff", mindset and rallied behind Dion in the last days of the leadership race. He was completely the wrong choice for a leader. He's a policy guy, not a leader, you want him in the background. Hopefully after this election the Liberals will make the right choice for a new leader and pick Iggy to take the top spot or at least someone else who fits the job. Unfortunately though if Harper gets a majority it may be too late. He's moving to the centre now because he has a minority, if he get's a majority his party will unleash so many far-right policies it will make our heads spin.

Caesar1313: if he get's a majority his party will unleash so many far-right policies it will make our heads spin.

Like I said, give them just enough rope to hang themselves with. Be patient, they will go away eventually.

I would LOOOOVE Ignatieff to be the new leader.

I've made two political donations so far. I hope to make another two donations before long. Here's how I do that:

I take the list of the closest political races in the last election. I look for information which tells me which will be close this election and which are winnable by a non-Conservative. I pick candidates that seem to be worth supporting and have a chance to defeat a Tory. I donate.

I would be tickled pink if my modest donations were to swing one or more tight races.

I am tempted, however, to donate to all four opposition parties just because I can, but I can't find a Green candidate who's likely to defeat a Conservative, and I think there are too many political parties any way. That's why the Conservative Reform Alliance Party is in danger of winning a plurality and possibly a whooping big majority they don't deserve and should never have.

Speaking of paying attention, did you know that the Minister of Health, Tony Clement was at the Democratic National Convention while the tainted meat crisis was going on. He blubbered something about setting up a committee, but he refused to come home. That's some idea of leadership you have there, Bubba. His joke about "death by a thousand cold cuts" didn't go over well either in some quarters.

And how about "Loose lips" Cannon?

Then there's the Minister of Agriculture, Gerry "Putting on the" Ritz, who put his foot in it, causing one wit to quip that at least we were able to find out who was Minister of Agriculture.

Ironic that the "New" Government of Canada has practically shut down the federal government--bureaucrats are not only not being allowed to talk to NGOs and other outsiders but they are not being allowed to travel or talk to anybody anywhere any how (including some in camera meetings). Not much going to get done during the five weeks of the Election or several weeks thereafter--at least until the New New Government of Canada is sworn in.

There goes October and November.

Mittens-on-a-string Kitten Boy seems to be clinically paranoid. But as the psychanalyst Jacques Lacan would say, the repressed always springs up somewhere--although the bureaucratss, government scientists, backbenchers and Ministers have all been gagged for the duration, now that the Election is on there seems to be a scandel a day as some Minister or PCO aide puts their feet in their mouth and their tongues in the deep doo-doo. An awkward position even for contortionists.

The less people talk to the press, the more the press has to pay attention to the embarassing lapsus linguae of the politicos who are holding the chains.

If they fire one aide and one Minister a day, they can clear house by October 14, when the Brothers of Light, or whatever the heck that video clip on the other thread is about, arrive in their super-sized spaceship, presumably named "New Jerusalem".

brantgoose: Speaking of paying attention, did you know that the Minister of Health, Tony Clement was at the Democratic National Convention while the tainted meat crisis was going on. He blubbered something about setting up a committee, but he refused to come home. That's some idea of leadership you have there, Bubba. His joke about "death by a thousand cold cuts" didn't go over well either in some quarters.

And how about "Loose lips" Cannon?

Then there's the Minister of Agriculture, Gerry "Putting on the" Ritz, who put his foot in it, causing one wit to quip that at least we were able to find out who was Minister of Agriculture.

Ironic that the "New" Government of Canada has practically shut down the federal government--bureaucrats are not only not being allowed to talk to NGOs and other outsiders but they are not being allowed to travel or talk to anybody anywhere any how (including some in camera meetings). Not much going to get done during the five weeks of the Election or several weeks thereafter--at least until the New New Government of Canada is sworn in.

There goes October and November.

Mittens-on-a-string Kitten Boy seems to be clinically paranoid. But as the psychanalyst Jacques Lacan would say, the repressed always springs up somewhere--although the bureaucratss, government scientists, backbenchers and Ministers have all been gagged for the duration, now that the Election is on there seems to be a scandel a day as some Minister or PCO aide puts their feet in their mouth and their tongues in the deep doo-doo. An awkward position even for contortionists.

The less people talk to the press, the more the press has to pay attention to the embarassing lapsus linguae of the politicos who are holding the chains.

If they fire one aide and one Minister a day, they can clear house by October 14, when the Brothers of Light, or whatever the heck that video clip on the other thread is about, arrive in their super-sized spaceship, presumably named "New Jerusalem".

I'm horrified at just how arrogant the conservatives have become with their minority government, as demonstrated by the actions of their Ministers.

But I can't say I'd rather vote for the Liberals. I mean, what the hell would I be voting for? I'll be casting my vote, for the third time in the three federal elections, for the Green Party. Even though they don't stand a chance of winning in my riding (I'm in North Toronto, where Liberal MP Joe Volpe has a huge base, even though he's a) corrupt b) an idiot and c) a race baiter. When he was investigated for said corruption, he actually had the balls to blame the investigation on anti-Italian racism. I mean, WTF?) Can't say I support all the Green Party's positions, but I see the Conservatives, NDP and Liberals all as more of exactly the same thing we've had for... my entire life.

Of all the leaders in the race, I'd take Elizabeth May to lead the country by a few lengths over Harper. After that? Dion is consistently uninspriing, and for a "policy guy" his policies seem to just follow the polls, rather than lead them. And Jack Layton's an idiot. I know that's offensive, and NDPers will spit nails over it. But it's true. When Harper forced the election, they had Layton on TV. He could have taken a thousand different attacks. "The Conservatives are manipulating the election process for their benefit, against the interests of Canadians, and against their express promises, and in contravention of the law which they passed. Canada needs to move away from this Bush style disregard for the rule of law." That would have been great. Variations on that were possible.

So what did Jack Layton do? He said "Well, this shows that Stephen Harper is a quitter. He's quitting." Idiotic. Even a moron could tell that Harper wasn't quitting, he was attempting to solidify his power. Hell, Harper briefly used quitting due to the impossibility to get the agenda passed as a (lame) pre-text for calling the election. And Jack Layton decides to call Harper a quitter, as if that was a great jab, or even made sense. The NDP need to be destroyed, and their members fed into the Greens. Because right now, they're useless.

I can only urge My Fellow Canadians to pick up and read Frank magazine. It is childish, scurrilous, gossipy and mean-spirited. You'll love it (and I would guesstimate that about 75% of its scandal reportage is fairly accurate--although 40below might have a better read on that).

Rusty Shackleford: I can only urge My Fellow Canadians to pick up and read Frank magazine. It is childish, scurrilous, gossipy and mean-spirited. You'll love it (and I would guesstimate that about 75% of its scandal reportage is fairly accurate--although 40below might have a better read on that).

I haven't seen a Frank outside of Ottawa, but I likee when I see it.

I'm hardcore Liberal but I would not vote for a ticket with Igggy on top. That guy is an academic tool.

Dion's ok, he just has no charisma. He'd probably be ok for the short while he was in power.

Harper's ok, as long as he's held in check by the other parties.

The Bloc can go fark themselves.

Jack of the NDP is again a social theorist, but I don't see any governing power there. Plus the mustache looks ridiculous.

reincarnation_mutation: For the love of pete, vote green...

I don't support the Green party platform. They want out of Afghanistan ASAP and, while they want to cut emissions and move towards a greener economy they don't support Nuclear Power, which is pretty stupid in my opinion. Their Tax plans look pretty good on paper to me though but that is of a lesser concern to me at the moment.