Federal Election Called for Oct 19, 2015

[Slava]

Poor Stephen Harper: http://www.canada.com/news/national/...315/story.html

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by fulham

^Its true she's not being held to the standard that a typical 21 year old would be held too, But she's running against adults as a MP.

If she was a 50 year old white guy who said similar negative things about muslims in his youth he would be toast.

She's been photographed holding a Hamas flag at a anti Israeli Rally at UofC, which she hasn't answered for.

It really sucks that she is the best the Libs could offer us hill folk out here in Calgary. Thanks JT.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

It really sucks that she is the best the Libs could offer us hill folk out here in Calgary. Thanks JT.

Considering there was a -100% chance of a Liberal win in that riding, they should have ran an inanimate carbon rod. Probably has a better chance.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

In the future, the only politicians will be children of politicians. Look at Harper's kids. Totally shielded from social media. NO one knows anything about them. In 10 years, they are going to be the only ones with no dirt to dig up because they have been so sheltered.

Harper's son had that 18th birthday party at the house.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Considering there was a -100% chance of a Liberal win in that riding, they should have ran an inanimate carbon rod. Probably has a better chance.

It would still be nice if they took us vaguely seriously.

[Hevishot]

Meanwhile in classy Edmonton

http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/08/19...-in-car-window

[Slava]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

It would still be nice if they took us vaguely seriously.

How do you figure they aren't? I mean sure, the former candidate made some terrible comments three years ago, but that doesn't mean that they aren't taking things seriously. The Liberals in general have campaigned hard in Alberta over the past few years. Trudeau has been in Calgary a number of times and spoken directly to Calgarians about the issues we face here. Where is Harper? Where is Mulcair? If you want to talk about a campaign not taking Calgary seriously have a look at the NDP. Have they even nominated candidates yet? How badly do those candidates want to be MPs when they haven't even begun working for it yet?

Its crazy to me to suggest that they aren't trying because a teenager said some bad things. The opinions and thoughts of the world I had as a teenager would be both embarrassing and stupid today. While I know that politically a number of people disagree with me here, I turned out to be an upstanding member of society. The least we could do is give this girl a break and let her fade away to obscurity.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

You realize most politicians are quite wealthy? Thus if this is the criteria, almost none of them can claim to be champions of the middle class

Yeah, when you look at most high level politicians in Canada, they usually come from well-to-do families. Most fairly well off if not downright rich.

It's not like Trudeau just sat on his trust fund and played shuffle board on a yacht somewhere. He became a teacher and devoted himself to public service and charity. He certainly isn't the playboy his father was at least. The whole birth status thing does bother me a little, but I think it can only carry someone so far before they have to stand on their own.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Slava

How do you figure they aren't? I mean sure, the former candidate made some terrible comments three years ago, but that doesn't mean that they aren't taking things seriously. The Liberals in general have campaigned hard in Alberta over the past few years. Trudeau has been in Calgary a number of times and spoken directly to Calgarians about the issues we face here. Where is Harper? Where is Mulcair? If you want to talk about a campaign not taking Calgary seriously have a look at the NDP. Have they even nominated candidates yet? How badly do those candidates want to be MPs when they haven't even begun working for it yet?

Its crazy to me to suggest that they aren't trying because a teenager said some bad things. The opinions and thoughts of the world I had as a teenager would be both embarrassing and stupid today. While I know that politically a number of people disagree with me here, I turned out to be an upstanding member of society. The least we could do is give this girl a break and let her fade away to obscurity.

Yes, it does mean they aren't taking us seriously. Having no candidate would be a million times better than a 21 year old bigot whose one political concern lies 10,000 kms away from here. I understand that most Lib/NDP candidates here are canon fodder. But it's a serious insult when the party that may run the country puts this much effort into hiring potential representatives.

And also finding this insulting doesn't mean I can't also find it annoying and troubling that the NDP's only have about a dozen candidates chosen so far. However I'm willing to wait and see who get sent to the front of the line before judging.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by fulham

^Its true she's not being held to the standard that a typical 21 year old would be held too, But she's running against adults as a MP.

If she was a 50 year old white guy who said similar negative things about muslims in his youth he would be toast.

She's been photographed holding a Hamas flag at a anti Israeli Rally at UofC, which she hasn't answered for.

She was photographed beside somebody holding a Hamas flag

[Slava]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Yes, it does mean they aren't taking us seriously. Having no candidate would be a million times better than a 21 year old bigot whose one political concern lies 10,000 kms away from here. I understand that most Lib/NDP candidates here are canon fodder. But it's a serious insult when the party that may run the country puts this much effort into hiring potential representatives.

And also finding this insulting doesn't mean I can't also find it annoying and troubling that the NDP's only have about a dozen candidates chosen so far. However I'm willing to wait and see who get sent to the front of the line before judging.

I think that the parties are in a no win when it comes to poor local candidates. They can't appoint candidates because there will be too much uproar; they can't run no one because they'll be chided for not being a national party; they can't say "sorry, you're not qualified enough, or not what we want" because its democracy. In most cases the party is taking who they can and if they win the nomination, they get to run. I'm not sure how that is an insult to you as a voter. Did you support someone else for that nomination? Do you have someone in mind who is better qualified and wants to put in that work, time and resources into what is likely a losing cause?

The problem and best part of democracy is that we get what we deserve.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Slava

I think that the parties are in a no win when it comes to poor local candidates. They can't appoint candidates because there will be too much uproar; they can't run no one because they'll be chided for not being a national party; they can't say "sorry, you're not qualified enough, or not what we want" because its democracy. In most cases the party is taking who they can and if they win the nomination, they get to run. I'm not sure how that is an insult to you as a voter. Did you support someone else for that nomination? Do you have someone in mind who is better qualified and wants to put in that work, time and resources into what is likely a losing cause?

The problem and best part of democracy is that we get what we deserve.

What a fantastic excuse. There a millions of people in western Canada. And they can't find one single legit person for that riding? They can't even make sure the one they do find is vetted properly? I'm not sure how I deserve that lame of an excuse. At least this one knew where her riding was unlike the NDP's legion of child soldiers.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

What a fantastic excuse. There a millions of people in western Canada. And they can't find one single legit person for that riding? They can't even make sure the one they do find is vetted properly? I'm not sure how I deserve that lame of an excuse. At least this one knew where her riding was unlike the NDP's legion of child soldiers.

Did you put your name forward?

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by Slava

Did you put your name forward?

No. I refuse to wear pants a good lot of the time and apparently this is an issue. Also, I thought that because I voted in 2010 I had a right to complain. I actually have to get nominated now? This is getting ridiculous.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Just stumbled across this scathing opinion piece in the New York Times that is particularly relevant to the current discussion:

Response in The Atlantic. Sadly it's David Frum, but in the interest of fairness here you go:

http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...ection/401753/

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Response in The Atlantic. Sadly it's David Frum, but in the interest of fairness here you go:

http://www.theatlantic.com/internati...ection/401753/

I wonder at some point if the prospect of an NDP-Liberal coalition appears possible, if he'll bust out a new "Axis of Evil".

[Weitz]

Can someone explain to me what this whole Mike Duffy problem really is?

To me it seems like a guy had dumb expenses, was ordered to pay it back, and someone paid it back with personal money to the Government. Whats the big deal?

[FLAMESRULE]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Can someone explain to me what this whole Mike Duffy problem really is?

To me it seems like a guy had dumb expenses, was ordered to pay it back, and someone paid it back with personal money to the Government. Whats the big deal?

"Consider what we have learned about the Duffy affair. More to the point, consider what he has learned. Wholly without his knowledge, several of his closest advisers, including his chief of staff, his principal secretary, and his legal counsel, together with his Senate house leader, the chairman of the Conservative party fundraising arm and the party lawyer, conspired over a period of several months to pay Duffy for his improperly claimed living expenses, then to pretend to the public that he had repaid them out of his own pocket, then to attempt to block, shut down, or rewrite a confidential audit, then finally to rewrite a Senate committee report so as to absolve Duffy of any fault.

But it did not end there. Not content with deceiving the prime minister about this complex plan, with the enormous risks — legal, political, personal — it entailed, they stood by and let him make a series of (unwittingly!) false statements to Parliament and the public about it"

From the link above: http://www.canada.com/news/national/...315/story.html

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Slava

Poor Stephen Harper: http://www.canada.com/news/national/...315/story.html

I feel like this is where some clickbaity website would use the term "eviscerate."

Imagine the sense of betrayal he must have felt — the vertigo, the nausea — as it slowly dawned on him that everything he had been led to believe about the whole affair was a lie: that in fact, everyone knew. Everyone, that is, but him. Imagine the humiliation, to have been played for a patsy in this way — him, Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada — and what is more, for the whole world to know it. He is a proud man, but not immune to feelings of self-doubt. Would anyone respect him now? Could he carry on as leader, if he were not master even of his own office?

It must have felt like the room was spinning, like the earth was opening up in front of him. Inevitably, there must have been a certain amount of self-recrimination. How could he have been so blind? Why had he not suspected? Little things that seemed innocent before — the way everyone suddenly shut up when he entered the room, that time Nigel borrowed his BlackBerry without asking — must have suddenly taken on a darker hue.

And yet, this good man, deceived, humiliated, betrayed on all sides, found it in his heart to forgive them. You or I, had we found ourselves in the same position, might have taken the most foul sort of revenge: fired the lot, paraded them in front of the media, forced them to answer for what they had done. But that is not, we can see now, Harper’s way: this supposedly ruthless autocrat, this cold, vindictive brute of caricature, responded to this monumental breach of trust with comprehensive mercy. No one was fired, though some were allowed to leave. Some are even travelling with him on his campaign. He was even going to forgive Wright, and would have, had it tested better.

But now the braying jackals in the press gallery are demanding he fire Ray Novak, Wright’s replacement as chief of staff, after evidence was presented at Duffy’s trial that he, too, knew that Wright had paid off Duffy, contrary to every statement he or Harper or anyone in his office had made until, well, this very week. In the name of all that’s decent: can’t they at least let the man grieve a little? For God’s sake, this is Ray Novak we’re talking about, the closest of his closest advisers, the one commonly described as being “like a son” to him — his eyes and ears, the guy he depended on to tell him things. And now he finds out that even Novak was lying to him? The press complain Harper won’t answer their questions. Frankly, I’m amazed he can even stand upright.

[John Doe]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Can someone explain to me what this whole Mike Duffy problem really is?

To me it seems like a guy had dumb expenses, was ordered to pay it back, and someone paid it back with personal money to the Government. Whats the big deal?

Politically, the problem is the cover-up. Conservatives got caught "misleading the public", have since denied any wrong doing and keep getting caught with conflicting accounts of what actually happened. If they had dealt with it out in the open from the beginning it would have largely been forgotten by now.