I agree pretty much top to bottom, Bownesian. My point was just that it isn't a Calgary West problem, and I think we agree.
At the same time, it's silly to pretend that party platform isn't a very reasonable basis on which voters should make a choice. After all, party discipline is very tight in Canadian politics. But I do think that the systemic problems you point out lead overall to a "talent deficit" in our politics. Canadians may not care about ousting Rob Anders, but my guess is that if asked, Canadians care about how mediocre our politicians are as a general rule.
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