So it finally happened here in the Great White North. The writ was dropped! Sounds like the opening minutes of some strange Canadian sporting event, and I suppose one could view it in that manner. No, instead we Canadians like our American brethren,
will be headed to the polls this fall for a federal election. Excited? Enthusiasm? It is seeping from every pore in my body as I type these words. (I certainly hope that you all have learned to recognize my sarcastic tone!!) Personally, I couldn't give a rat's ass about this election. There are numerous reasons for my apathy.
1. I have learned to like the checks and balances of our minority government. Paralysis in government can be a good thing, especially when one fears the party in power.
2. We Canadians do not enjoy the regularity of fixed election dates. We should!! The current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper actually passed legislation when he first came into office guaranteeing us that we wouldn't have to go to the polls until October of 2009! Funny how the juices of political opportunity change when the smell of majority is near. Thus we are voting federally for the third time in six years. This is in addition to the municipal and provincial elections that we have had to endure over the past two years. Truly, I am voted out!!
3. Have you ever seen a more boring slate of candidates. While our cousins to the south are currently engaged in their "election for the ages", we staid and dull Canucks are fielding a group of white, middle aged XYers with nary a funny bone among the lot. The one party leader that possess the XX, is struggling just to get her face on network TV for the debates.
Rather than debate the issues, which will get much air play over the next 35 days, I thought that I would instead, demonstrate the radical differences in the way that Canadians and Americans advertise their parties. You guys have all the pizzazz. We look more like flat diet soda!!!
Here is a really nice John McCain ad!
Shows the GOP candidate in a nice light with his 96 year old mother. Cozy, warm and makes him look younger next to the old girl!
Now try this ad from the Canadian Tories!!
Note the Canadian flag flying high! The height of patriotism. Trouble is we are not generally an overtly patriotic lot. It takes a lot to get us to bleed both red and white. I especially like the image of Mr. Harper in a sweater vest. Who is he trying to be, Mr Rogers? Let's face it! This guy looks like a tight ass in his pressed Levis!! If this is the warmth that they are going for, they better accept the status quo minority that is staring them in the face.
Now from the Stephane Dion Liberals!!
AD!
Sorry for the link, but this is the only ad that the Liberals have so far released and they are so technically backwards, that embedding was impossible!!
Note the Canadian flag flying high! The height of patriotism. Deja vu? The Liberal party is trying to get us to go green!! Way to go, except that their leader is inarticulate in English!! Did any of you understand a word he said at the end of the ad? He could be selling a wonderful environmental policy, or reporting the hockey scores for all we know!! Certainly, not the apex of inspiration.
Finally we have Barack Obama!
What a hoot. Love the music. The images are hysterical and the message is clear. Not only is it smart, it is biting. I want Barack Obama to run for Prime Minister of Canada.
I have never missed a vote since I was legally able to cast the ballot and I don't intend to start now. But, surely these guys had better sharpen their messages, else I will be voting for the XX!! A distinct possibility.
If anything will bring out our old inferiority complex vis-a-vis the behemoth to the south, their presidential race will and should. It's a sad state of affairs when we're more interested in and captivated by an American election than our own. Where, oh where, is this generation's Pierre Trudeau? (Not so sure that Justin's up for the job, but that remains to be seen, and he's not a factor yet.) I remember seeing Trudeau speak at a rally in 1968 and he was absolutely electrifying. He may have made mistakes during his tenure, but he had such a powerful vision for this country. No such leader exists in Canada today, no matter what your political stripe happens to be.
ReplyDeleteA message to the members of the Jewish community who have been taken in by Mr. Harper because of his pro-Israel stance: What do you think of your Prime Minister, now that he has scheduled the election for a Yom Tov -- the first day of Sukkot? Whether or not you would vote on a holiday (and yes, you could certainly vote at an advanced poll), this flagrant disregard of the Jewish community sends a strong message: Mr. Harper doesn't care about our community in particular, and, one could argue that by extension, he doesn't care about any group's religious sensitivities.
As a community with a history of higher than average voter turnout, we have a chance and a responsibility to make some noise about this. Vote at an advance poll, but please, please, make it anyone but Harper and his Conservatives.
Thanks, Dawn, for the space to rant!