There's Something Amazing About That Blue
So the election is coming up in a week and I have been thinking a lot about voting strategy. Which of the three major parties do I want to form our government? NONE!...and also...WRONG QUESTION! Bill Blaikie, an NDP candidate for somewhere in Winnipeg made a good point the other day on a panel discussion on the CBC Local News. He said that when Canadians vote, we don't simply vote for the party that we want to be in charge. Rather, as a whole we vote for a particular melange of people, from the various parties, that will make up our government. Thus, the question I should be asking myself when thinking about how to vote is not "Who do I want to win?" so much as "What mix of people do I want in our parliament?"
Thinking in this way allows me the possibility of voting against my conscience without feeling bad. I'll explain. Suppose the NDP were poised to win a landslide victory. I might then vote Conservative - if they had a chance of winning my riding - simply to put a dissenting opinion in parliament even though under normal circumstances I would rather die, be reincarnated, and then die 4 times at once, than vote Conservative.
However, since the above scenario is probably the exact opposite of what is going to happen, I will likely vote NDP. First, because they are the only party (besides Green) that doesn't have a short-sighted, knee-jerk "tough on crime" policy. Second, I just discovered that I live in the second poorest riding in all of Canada. Thirdly, based on an extensive study of my impression of the number of signs in front yards in this area, the NDP are going to win anyway. Finally, though the NDP are reputedly the least fiscally responsible party, I don't believe the Conservatives (or the Liberals, obviously) to be any better. Their plan of attatching ourselves, mollusk-like, to the sinking ship that is the US of A is faulty. If they were the shrewd business people they claim to be, they would choose a Chinese party leader and make Mandarin our third official language. Plus Stephen Harper looks creepy. Here's a picture I took:
Let's get tough on crime.
Thinking in this way allows me the possibility of voting against my conscience without feeling bad. I'll explain. Suppose the NDP were poised to win a landslide victory. I might then vote Conservative - if they had a chance of winning my riding - simply to put a dissenting opinion in parliament even though under normal circumstances I would rather die, be reincarnated, and then die 4 times at once, than vote Conservative.
However, since the above scenario is probably the exact opposite of what is going to happen, I will likely vote NDP. First, because they are the only party (besides Green) that doesn't have a short-sighted, knee-jerk "tough on crime" policy. Second, I just discovered that I live in the second poorest riding in all of Canada. Thirdly, based on an extensive study of my impression of the number of signs in front yards in this area, the NDP are going to win anyway. Finally, though the NDP are reputedly the least fiscally responsible party, I don't believe the Conservatives (or the Liberals, obviously) to be any better. Their plan of attatching ourselves, mollusk-like, to the sinking ship that is the US of A is faulty. If they were the shrewd business people they claim to be, they would choose a Chinese party leader and make Mandarin our third official language. Plus Stephen Harper looks creepy. Here's a picture I took:
Let's get tough on crime.
posted by brendo at 5:46 PM
4 Comments:
that photo is so newsworthy. i agree with your political comments. i'm going to vote green this time around, because i'm pretty sure they get money for my vote even if they don't win. i watched jim harris give a speech and i was impressed. that's my bit.
I'm glad I found your blog Brendan!
Personally, I'm voting Conservative for a few reasons. I like our current MP, and I have serious problems with the current governing party. They are arrogant beyond belief. I don't know what they've done, if anything, to justify that arrogance over the last few years.
I predict a Conservative government (probably a minority) and that we'll be back at the polls in a year or so.
I'm glad to hear that people are thinking about voting Green. They need to get a higher percentage of the popular vote and a MP or two in order to be invited to the televised debates. They deserve to be there more than the Bloc Quebecois does. I also picked them to win their first ever seat in the department pool!
Where did you find it? Interesting read towing jeep liberty association of tennis professionals Peugeot scooter usa deprenyl effexor Seroquel starting dosage Discussion boardprotonix Metformin pregnancy clomid phoenix chair Paintballing in the west midlands Index.php term best call centers Polaris rmk seat cover
Excellent, love it! » »
Post a Comment
<< Home