For Canadians...why should I even bother voting in the soon-to-be election?

[GL]

I usually vote Liberal because the NDP play out like a bunch of naive idealists, and the PC/Reform/Canadian Alliance can't even figure out what they're going to call themselves let alone dare move a centimetre from their right-wing stance on everything. The Liberals aren't that much better. And you all know how effective independents and obscure party members are in a parliamentary system!

Anyhow, where the hell's the leadership in Canada? Jean Cretien is a madman whom is somehow puppeteered by the Liberal party into some semblance of a coherent party leader. Stockwell Day seems more fit to be on some cheap Canadian remake of Beverly Hills 90210, although I'm sure he'd be too offended by his character's actions to actually take up the job. Alexa McDonough...well...that's the problem, I don't even know her and she's supposed to be a leader. Joe Clark reminds me of Principle Skinner on the Simpsons.

Where's the next Trudeau? Where can I find a Prime Minister that can kick a football at a CFL game and not trip over his left foot, or a Prime Minister that has the guts to tell off the Bloc Quebecois and end up not offending Quebecers? At the very least, I could ask for a Prime Minister that actually seems to be leading instead of reacting to each and every survey put out by a major Canadian publication.

I think I might squander my vote this time around...vote for an independent...try and crash the new touch-screen voting terminals...do something that won't make me yawn as another election comes up!

-GL

 

[Soulflare]

I'm pretty certain that I'll be voting liberal, but I would
definitely like to see a change in leadership at the top,
preferably someone with balls. You know, someone who
would declare an area a safe haven and actually defend it.
At least we should all be glad that Preston Manning will
never be the Prime Minister, I'd probably be so embarassed
that I'd move to the States.

Joe Clark comes across as overweight and stupid, sort of the
Pillsbury Doughboy of Canadian politics... he'll never get
elected.

 

[dennilfloss]

"At least we should all be glad that Preston Manning will
never be the Prime Minister, I'd probably be so embarassed
that I'd move to the States."

If Stockwell Day gets elected I'll be very embarassed because it will be like having an American Republican running the country! Right-wing values and all. :|

I will vote liberal as I have since the mid-seventies. It's too bad that I don't have the strength to canvass for them anymore. As for people putting down Jean Chretien and calling him a madman, where is there any evidence of that? He may not be the most charismatic leader in the world because of the sequel from a childhood disease but he does a very good job and upholds the Liberal agenda very well. He keeps the country on the proper track in my opinion. I think that Paul Martin stands a little too much to the right of the Liberal Party.

And Soulflare, Joe Clark comes across as anything but stupid. I may not agree with his ideology but I respect his intelligence, his politeness, his tolerance and, above all, his respect of the rules and traditions of the Canadian Parliamentary system. You shouldn't show so much disrespect towards a former Prime Minister.

Stockwell Day, however, makes Pat Buchanan look socialist and he is definitely fair game.

Goodnight Saigon (Billy Joel)

 

[GL]

Oh boy Dennil! I'll dig up some good evidence for you. My brother is in the film industry and writes a lot...I think he was doing some research into leaders and started reading about Cretien. Now, admittedly you can take what you read with a grain of salt, but some of the author's names that my brother was throwing around seemed pretty credible...Adrian Clarke's husband...can't remember his name right now, well he was one of them. He is SO evil my brother said. He's apparently a genius that makes everybody think he's stupid so that he can screw up all the time. I never got into a more detailed conversation with my brother about this, but I'll try and dig up some info for you. On the other hand, my sister-in-law (brother's wife) worked on that Trudeau-documentary that won a few awards this past year. Apparently he lives up to the hype, even today

-GL

 

[Toxin]

i'd like to see Paul Martin as PM.. but.. that ain't gonna happen anytime soon

 

[desy]

I for one won't be voting Liberal. Historically and presently they do very little if any thing for Western Canada. I do understand why, when Ont an Quebec make upt 2/3 s of the population of Canada they do get mired down in Centrist politics and don't meet the needs of our geographically distinct economies.
You wonder why Stockwell day gets so much western support? Cause he addresses these issues that Ottawa seems to be blind too. I won't vote for that party either as 90% of their policies are unproven.
NDP, goods hearts, expensive big gov't.
I'd vote Libertarian if we had that choice or something closer to it, so like you I feel stuck as how to vote.

 

[sandorski]

I'll be voting Alliance, unless Joe can convince me otherwise. I voted PC last election, because of issues I had with Reform and the fact that I just wanted a conservative(right of centre)government. All in all though, I never get upset when Liberals are in power. The Liberals are a conundrum, by their name one instantly thinks they are Left of centre, but usually they are just willing to flow with the times being Leftist or Rightist depending on the momentum of various third parties. Post WWII saw the rise of the CCF/NDP which moved Liberals to the Left. The 90's saw the rise of Reform which moved Liberals to the Right, truly the Liberals are the true populist/centrist party in Canada.

 

[dennilfloss]

I definitely would not vote for him but Mr. Day gained respect from me with his speech on Mr. Trudeau's death.