Quote:
Originally Posted by NBC
I can't remember any of the first wave of western Reformers that were as seemingly unprepared for life on the Hill as some of Layton's 'little dippers'. Sure there were a few wing-nuts but this barmaid has to take top spot. A candidate parachuted into a riding, unable to converse with 80% of her constituents, having never been to the area and with some questions (though spurious) regarding the validity of her candidacy? Nope, I can't remember anything like that, though I could be wrong. Some of the ones I recall had little to no political experience (not a prerequisite in Canada) and they may have had regular jobs; taxi driver, farmer, radio station manager, ex-police, but my recollection is that - to an individual - they lived and/or worked in the constituency they were to represent and didn't have the language problems this girl from Ottawa has.
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I think the difference is that the Reformers were elected in ridings where they were at least expected to contend. I imagine some of the candidates in left-leaning eastern ridings were probably not overly qualified, but since they weren't elected no one ever heard about them. The NDP didn't expect to have a chance in these ridings, and so threw in whoever they could find as a token candidate.