Federal Election Thread

[StringerBell]

Nope.

 

I've never read the news in my entire life.

 

This is why I dislike talking about politics. Some dude on a premed forum thinks that I'm uneducated or locked up in a bunker because my view is different than his.

 

Moving on.

 

lol why u mad tho? u can address the facts i brought up or ignore them like most conservatives do.

[kylamonkey]

 

Wasn't too concerned with the results of this election. Having lived in the US, Canadian Conservatives seem pretty mellow to me. I may not agree with them on certain things, but I don't get the same paralyzing fear of the country plunging into the Dark Ages as I do when I hear the words "Republican" and "GOP." I don't think the average Joe is really that affected by who's in power - if something becomes a truly major issue, enough unrest from the people will cause the government to act upon it regardless of which party is in power.

 

I feel this way too. I had no reason to vote for the conservatives so I didn't, but I am hoping they will prove me wrong and listen to the other parties, understanding their mandate is only tenuously supported by Canadians.

 

Any of the Scandinavian countries.

 

I have to say that I feel greater socialism works better in more racially-homogenous countries, unfortunately. Think about it- if know the taxes off your paycheque are supporting people who look like you, you're more likely to be OK with it. that's my take on it, at least.

 

It's a shame he lost his seat. The guy is genuinely very smart. He may not have been great leader material (wasn't aggressive enough, didn't blindly attack other parties positions etc.), but he would have been an asset to any government.

 

The attack ads started 2 yrs ago. It disgusted me. the anti-intellectualism side of the conservative party was really ugly.

 

I'm looking forward to increased corporate influence over the government. I mean, it's working out really well for the US right? RIGHT???????

 

LOL... wait...

[sgt.pepper]

 

 

I have to say that I feel greater socialism works better in more racially-homogenous countries, unfortunately. Think about it- if know the taxes off your paycheque are supporting people who look like you, you're more likely to be OK with it. that's my take on it, at least.

 

.

 

It not that they look like you, its that they have the same beliefs, values and work just as hard as you.

[kylamonkey]

It not that they look like you, its that they have the same beliefs, values and work just as hard as you.

 

A lot of people who don't look like me have the same beliefs, values, etc. It's just easier for me to think they share my values and beliefs when they look like me.

 

please note: the "me" in this quote is not referring to me personally...

[Wayward son]

I'm looking forward to increased corporate influence over the government. I mean, it's working out really well for the US right? RIGHT???????

 

Splendidly I would say.

 

It is worse than just corporate influence though. At the current moment each person who votes essentially designates 2 bucks a year to go from the taxes they pay to the party that they supported. It makes sense and it encourages parties to increase their vote count by attracting moderates and “getting out the vote.”

 

Harper hates this system and says that political parties should not be paid for through tax dollars…which is disingenuous at best. The reason is that at the moment Harper and his team have become a powerhouse through individual donations which sounds great, but has major problems. Let’s say that someone donates $400 to a political party. They get $300 dollars back which means that $300 dollars is paid for the tax payers. Unlike the subsidy where your money is going to the party you supported at the last election, this time it is going to the parties that other people support. Furthermore these donations are almost always by the more extreme supporters in any given party. It gives those who are extreme more power and influence and encourages negative ads against other parties as well as pushing towards a lower voter turnout where again those who are more extreme are likely to hold more influence.

[Wayward son]

I am hoping they will prove me wrong and listen to the other parties, understanding their mandate is only tenuously supported by Canadians.

 

I think there is zero chance of that happening. Back in the fall of 2008 when the Conservatives felt that the lack of a Liberal leader essentially left them with a majority they immediately went on the offensive with a fiscal update that included all kinds of things that 1) they hadn't campaigned on and 2) they knew the opposition parties would never support. Instead the opposition parties stuck together and Harper had to have parliament prorogued to save his butt. Now there is no one to stand in their way. Anyone who thinks that Harper will be sensitive to the fact that most Canadians oppose him should read a biography about him. Although I prefer the one by Lawrence Martin, even the extremely positive one by his long-time friend, mentor and former chief-of-staff Tom Flanagan makes it clear that the second Harper ever got a majority he would stop supressing his extremist views and intentions for this country.

[apache]

lol, i find it so funny that people have commented that the conservatives in canada aren't really that conservative, the only reason they aren't so is because they amalgamated the reform with the pc to stop con vote splitting and chretien majorities, the reform party (harpers' baby) were a bunch of social loonies, i just hope there's enough potential internal dissonance in the cons to suppress his hard right social views.

 

on the topic of chretien, i would love if he came back as leader of the liberal party, although i doubt that's happening.

 

I think there is zero chance of that happening. Back in the fall of 2008 when the Conservatives felt that the lack of a Liberal leader essentially left them with a majority they immediately went on the offensive with a fiscal update that included all kinds of things that 1) they hadn't campaigned on and 2) they knew the opposition parties would never support. Instead the opposition parties stuck together and Harper had to have parliament prorogued to save his butt. Now there is no one to stand in their way. Anyone who thinks that Harper will be sensitive to the fact that most Canadians oppose him should read a biography about him. Although I prefer the one by Lawrence Martin, even the extremely positive one by his long-time friend, mentor and former chief-of-staff Tom Flanagan makes it clear that the second Harper ever got a majority he would stop supressing his extremist views and intentions for this country.

[Cerena]

lol, i find it so funny that people have commented that the conservatives in canada aren't really that conservative, the only reason they aren't so is because they amalgamated the reform with the pc to stop con vote splitting and chretien majorities, the reform party (harpers' baby) were a bunch of social loonies, i just hope there's enough potential internal dissonance in the cons to suppress his hard right social views.

 

on the topic of chretien, i would love if he came back as leader of the liberal party, although i doubt that's happening.

 

+1

10 char

[kylamonkey]

 

on the topic of chretien, i would love if he came back as leader of the liberal party, although i doubt that's happening.

 

They would do well to choose someone who can be a good leader in 10 yrs time, and keep this leader around for 10 yrs. Someone who's committed. Someone who can lead them to victory in 10 yrs, and still have 10 yrs to serve as leader. They need to be thinking about the future, not the 4 yrs in the future, but the far in the future, 10-20 yrs.