EnMasse

[DSquared]

Do you dream of a better Canada? Maybe you don't have a family doctor. Maybe you are concerned about homelessness and urban poverty, or the state of affairs on First Nations. Perhaps you are concerned about the decline of family farms and resource industries, which is killing off rural areas. Maybe you are frustrated with the gridlock that is paralyzing your commute while you continue to pay for gas prices that have already jumped well before the typical summer surge. You want to vote your conscience, and yet you are afraid that your vote won't count, that you have to vote for someone else to stop someone you really don't like. Will you ever be able to vote your beliefs?

Now is your chance. For the first time in 23 years, Canadians can vote for something. In a stunning turn of events, the NDP, once thought by pundits to be in danger of losing seats as the Liberals and Conservatives battled for top spot, is now in second place nationally and the Liberals dropping dramatically. The Liberals have long asked people to vote Liberal out of fear of what the right wing would do, only to follow through with many of the same policies. Yet their fear campaign against the Conservatives has fallen apart, and in an unusual twist of events, Harper is poised to win seats around (and possibly in) the liberal/left bastion of Toronto, while at the same time is nearly certain to lose seats in the right-wing bastion of Alberta. How did this come to be?

The seeds of this shift, showing up federally, can be seen in recent municipal elections in the cities of Toronto and Calgary that happened within weeks of each other. There were similar dynamics. A long-serving incumbent mayor had stepped aside. A far-right city councillor challenged for the post. The main challengers were also right-wing, though not to the same degree. The best candidates, according to public opinion polls, were nowhere near contention.

That is where the similarities end. In Toronto, progressives panicked at the thought of Rob Ford being elected mayor, and loudly asked everyone to vote for the unpopular George Smitherman, who's only reason for being in contention was that he apparently could win according to public opinion polls. Pantalone was blamed for splitting the vote, but in the end, retained a strong core support while Ford handily beat Smitherman. Regardless of how scary things seemed to be, too many Pantalone supporters saw no reason to choose between 2 right-wingers. Some things, they argue, are more important than the race for first place.

Calgary was a different scenario. Progressive voters, led by young adults, campaigned relentlessly for Naheed Nenshi and built up a base of support, despite a call for strategic voting by one of the marginal contenders. Their hard work paid off, and Nenshi was elected on a wave of high turnout.

Appealing to people's aspirations proved to be far more effective than trying to scare them away from something bad. The question many progressives had in this election: do I vote strategically or do I vote my conscience?

Both. In 2011, the clear strategic choice is your conscience.
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This is pre-eminently the time, to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself-Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[Searosia]

Good post...


Though I wanted to (kinda) correct something, from the Calgary part

[DSquared]

[Searosia]

[DSquared]

[Searosia]

[TS.]

What is this "scandal" ad of which you speak? The only NDP ad I see here in Toronto is the "together, we can do this" spot. I do see it every 30 seconds though.
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"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson

[DSquared]

[Searosia]

Ya, I remember seeing that one a few times now that I think about it...actually kinda liked that one. I'm a little unsure on it's effectiveness given demographics...most of the louder conservative voices are the ones that care about senate reform and I can't see them actively voting NDP, though maybe a lil disgust with Harper to sit on their hands or cast a green vote?

It's effective though...not really the fraud part to begin that gets me, but the second half with Layton's speech. Great composure and I like the choice to put him in front of the Canadian flag like the Prime Minister should and not the NDP orange opposition colours. The let's clean it up together message at the end is great (Nenshi used a together msg too)...heh, I still think in the ending he's still trying to tell himself that he could be a countries leader. Earlier ad, I think he believes it now.

Incidentally...cons were running an ad that was attacking Iggy as a woman's voice as she's shuffling papers like she's doing taxes. Starting with Harper is lower taxes which is good, but I'm scared of all the lib promises and how they will pay for them...blah blah blah...*hasty edit in* Oh and the NDP, they think money grows on trees * back to our original attack on Iggy as woman's voice continues * oh wait we all already know *and cut to the sound bite of Iggy saying he won't take a tax hike off the table.


It just seems like it was a last minute edit in 'Uh Oh' moment on the conservatives. It's actually incredibly hard to attack the NDP, Jacks pretty clean and they haven't been in power to actually have 'scandals' come up yet.

Anyone know the context Iggy was saying that pretty much famous quote in?

Just saw the won't stop til the job is done ad while reviewing the post for my ever present spelling errors.
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Now is not the time for you Liberal fools, its time for a witch hunt. - Bloc Party

[TS.]

I believe the context was the Liberal leadership race. The quote is from 2008.
_________________
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear." - Thomas Jefferson