164 replies to this topic

[G-Man]

We may want to amend the title to be specific by riding or start seperate threads.

Government fell 5 minutes ago and election likely called tomorrow.

Please do not open candidate specific threads but rather riding threads.

[sebberry]

And we are off Federal Government just fell.

I think the Liberals just shot their feet clean off with this one.

[yodsaker]

This is going to be one of the dirtiest, meanest campaigns in a long time. Good as a spectator sport, less good for the country.

[G-Man]

I'm not a Liberal, Conservative or NDP supporter but from a political POV this was a historic vote for the parliamentary system worldwide. No government has ever fallen in the parliamentary system for contempt of Parliament.

Now that is not say that the Liberals have much morality in this but if I was from the Sasquatch party as an MP I would have supported the motion, you can't have procedures such as this ignored on principle.

Oh well another round of my vote not counting...

[sebberry]

I predict a Harper majority. I think Canadians are getting sick of voting.

[gumgum]

I predict yet another minority of some kind.

[spanky123]

I am no fan of Harper's, but I agree that the Liberals have blown it. Every poll conducted in the past week has shown overwhelmingly that Canadians do not want an election and that the economy and health care are far more important that spending estimates on planes and crime.

I predict that the Conservatives will win a majority and that Ignatief will have fought his last battle as Liberal leader.

[G-Man]

^ Isn't this Ignatief's first battle? I agree if he can't pull something off like at least an increase in Liberal seats he will be over as a leader.

[yodsaker]

^ Isn't this Ignatief's first battle? I agree if he can't pull something off like at least an increase in Liberal seats he will be over as a leader.

He has fought numerous academic memo wars and seminar skirmishes but its his first election as a party leader. Parties give every leader the chance to fight at least one election as leader before quitting or being chopped. Stanfield fought and lost three before he left in 1976 and we got Joe Who?.
In Iggy's case I think it will be one and out. To me its pretty clear that the average voter doesn't really like Iggy same as Dion. Both are remote, not voter-cuddly and come across as cold and excessively academic. Harper is similar but seems to be able to crystallize his message and be quite willing to get into the gutter.

[Bingo]

Where is the Buzz? Or will it be a ZZzzzzzzz...?

[Barra]

He has fought numerous academic memo wars and seminar skirmishes but its his first election as a party leader. Parties give every leader the chance to fight at least one election as leader before quitting or being chopped. Stanfield fought and lost three before he left in 1976 and we got Joe Who?.
In Iggy's case I think it will be one and out. To me its pretty clear that the average voter doesn't really like Iggy same as Dion. Both are remote, not voter-cuddly and come across as cold and excessively academic. Harper is similar but seems to be able to crystallize his message and be quite willing to get into the gutter.

By comparison, Elizabeth May should be able to eat them all for breakfast. This actually has nothing to do with gender (although it is refreshing not to have to look at yet another middle aged white guy) but because she is intelligent, understands the issues, and can get really worked up in a debate.

I just wish all the parties could get rid of the 'hacks' who eat, breath, sleep these issues and think they are smarter than anyone else. They're not. and they're totally out of touch with ordinary regular voters. Especially the ones on this side of the Rockies.

[phx]

It seems Elizabeth May will be excluded from the televised leadership debate.

That's not much of a loss based on her performance last time around.

[sebberry]

It seems Elizabeth May will be excluded from the televised leadership debate.

That's not much of a loss based on her performance last time around.

If she's the leader of a party she shouldn't be excluded.

[G-Man]

With 7 percent of the popular vote she should be there.

[yodsaker]

I'm of two minds about May.
On one hand she has nothing to lose and could add some needed zest to the debates.
On the other she hasn't been elected to anything.
Middle-aged white males is just a convenent cliche.
We have had middle-aged white females leading parties and they did no better nor did they have anything more intelligent to say or offer.
Actually it boggles my mind why anyone intelligent would want these jobs.

[VicHockeyFan]

Should Helena Geurgis be allowed in the debate? She has a seat, and is running.

[G-Man]

Leaders of parties that attract a large percentage of the vote should be allowed. I would say that if your party no matter what its POV that gets over 5% of the popular vote should be allowed to participate. Nearly a million people (937 000) voted for the Green Party across the country. 1.3 million only in Quebec voted for the Bloc and Mr. Duceppe is at the Leaders Debate.

[Bernard]

My thoughts on the issue of May and debate here.

To date no party leader has been allowed into the national debate unless they had a sitting MP, which is why the Greens got in last time.

The Greens have not done very well even though they get millions in government funding to operate the party. In general the party is disarray and is little more than a group trying to elect one MP.

The odds of May getting elected in Saanich Gulf Islands is very slim, her odds are longer than Briony Penn.

Word out there among the party polling is that the Greens and Liberals are tied at a distant second behind Lunn. Also, the Greens seem to have only identified 3500 supporters before the writ was dropped. They need 25,000 to get elected.

Elizabeth May is yesterday's news and a failure as a politician and party leader, the Greens should have dumped her after the fiasco of the last election.

[yodsaker]

Well, Duceppe has to be there. The BQ won 49 seats in the 2008 election which is a few more than the Greens. Where the seats are has nothing to do with it, we are a democracy.
Of course where the line is drawn on participation is an important question.
Do we really want every unrepresented minor party to be in the debates?
There aren't enough lecterns in Canada for this.

But the real question is, should anonymous media suits be allowed to dictate who participates? The answer ought to be a strong NO.
The other leaders have indicated they have no objection to including Ms. May and that should be good enough. If they have any stonez they should tell the networks include her or no debate.

[Bingo]

So far the campaign is boring with little to offer the public. I will be voting for the candidate with a proven track record. I'm not too interested in which party they represent.