Canadian English Leaders Debate

[Finny61]

Well me and my Duceppe-like personality will sum up my thoughts on the debate bluntly.

Duceppe reminded me of one of those drunk uncles, he slurs his words and changes pitch frequently, I was looking for hidden bottle of scotch, but out of the group came off as the most sincere. I laughed at the crack about him not being PM and same with the other 3.

Layton is a pimple on your dick, annoying and you just want to squeeze it by the head until it pops. He accused everyone of not having a platform but he himself said he sympathizes..with everyone..and that he wants to spend money on them. He sucks, he's Red Green's annoying bald cousin and he's not welcome to the family Christmas dinners.

Dion is Harper's little dorky brother, he's a nice guy, means well but he doesn't have what older brother Harper has and it makes him jealous hence the voice cracks occasionally when he felt personally attacked. A good politician but horrible party leader.

Elizabeth May aka treehugger, she had some valid points but mostly came off as nitpicking the small stuff or flat out having no knowledge about a topic and subsequently looking like an idiot, she is a lawyer, she is a single mom..and it's no wonder. Needs to learn a lot before she'll ever make a dent.

Harper, went for the safe cool classy next door neighbor kind of guy, it's fine, I like the cheap shot he fired back at Layton about the private health clinic and made him stumble his words. He should have been a little more aggressive. I'm not sure but at the beginning Harper didn't seem to get a camera to look at so I don't know if something happened there, I'm sure if he had a camera he could directly look at then maybe he would have?


Harper wins and honorable mention to Duceppe, I agree the guy needs to leave this french separatist ideal because he'd make a damn good leader at times.

[Hack&Lube]

My favorite moment was when Layton accused Harper of trying to censor freedom of expression against his own party. The moderator finally had enough and said: "whoa there, what do you mean by that? give an example" and Layton stumbled and stumbled because it showed what his attacks really were. Empty slandering rhetoric with no basis of evidence.

[calculoso]

Debate being replayed on Shaw Channel 15 (CBC Newsworld)

[Stranger]

Just watched the late replay.

More of a dog pile on Harper than a debate. Other than a couple of jabs between the NDP and Liberals, it was an all out 4 on 1.

Here's my thoughts.

Harper did well considering. I don't think he hit any homeruns, but he stood his ground.

For all the hype on May, she really had nothing to contribute.

Dion was almost invisible. Hard to understand. I can't see him gaing the ground he needs to challenge the Conservatives.

Duceppe did his part to stand up for Quebec, but its hard to take a guy serious when his whole point of being in parliment is to break up the country.

Layton came off the worst in my opinion. He has an answer for everything. And what was with the sweater comments. He leads a party that has never had any real power in Canada and it shows. He throws out solutions knowing full well he will never have to answer to them.

And I would take anyone who works for the CBC with a grain of salt, when it comes to reporting fairly on Canadian politics. There's always a huge left wing slant.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

She is utterly useless, and has no right to be in this debate. The Greens, IMO, don't even have an MP.

But the Greens have a candidate in every riding in the country, unlike a certain other "national" party that has historically been in all of these debates.

[Stranger]

Originally Posted by icarus

But the Greens have a candidate in every riding in the country, unlike a certain other "national" party that has historically been in all of these debates.

I don't think either should be in. Five is too many leaders to have bickering for 2 hours.

The greens may run a candidate in all the ridings, but they never win and don't contribute to the decisions made in parliment.

[metallicat]

Originally Posted by icarus

But the Greens have a candidate in every riding in the country, unlike a certain other "national" party that has historically been in all of these debates.

Yeah, I actually didn't know they had someone running in every riding. I still don't recognize their lone MP though.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

Yeah, I actually didn't know they had someone running in every riding. I still don't recognize their lone MP though.

probably because there has never been a in parliment, just a PR stunt by a shunned liberal right before the election was called. In my eye the greens still have not had a MP and the debate was pretty good evidence they shouldn't.

[Rathji]

Despite my opinion that she is a total tool, May needed to be at that debate. In fact any party that can field a full slate of candidates really deserves that voice. The Green will win a seat(s) in this election, and that isn't a bad thing.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Despite my opinion that she is a total tool, May needed to be at that debate. In fact any party that can field a full slate of candidates really deserves that voice. The Green will win a seat(s) in this election, and that isn't a bad thing.

I think that is BS. When you get the support of the country you can get into the debate. There should be a minimum % of the popular vote or something.

I suppose it is a bit of a catch 22 though. How are they supposed to get that support without being in the debate. What if the Canadian Communist Party was able to get a candidate in each riding? Should they be allowed in the debate? Although I suppose the NDP are pretty much that party anyways...

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

Well I still think he should have just wheeled her out. Either that, or get Dion to help pick her up and drop her outside of the hall.

Now that is the kind if bipartisan cooperation this country needs!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

CBC pundits are all saying May won the debate in being the most presenatable and gaining the most traction and showing that she belongs there. For those that follow the green party, I don't know what that means.

Who would've guessed... a left wing media outlet praising the left and criticizing the right.

And I would place a wager that the greens win no seats, yet again. I don't think they were even close to winning a seat last time around, and May has done nothing to earn any real support for her party that I can see.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Who would've guessed... a left wing media outlet praising the left and criticizing the right.

And I would place a wager that the greens win no seats, yet again. I don't think they were even close to winning a seat last time around, and May has done nothing to earn any real support for her party that I can see.

:grumble:

It's the same story as in the States, conservative minded people will think Harper one the debate, liberals will think Dion presented well, and the NDP will some how believe that Layton not only won, but didn't embarrass the party.

As an uncommitted voter, I'd argue that May was indeed the strongest. The only mis-step for me was her opening statements about how we need to devalue Canadian currency and encourage the export of Canadian resources (something I hold as fundamentally wrong). Other then that, her ideas on the economy, medical support and other issues sounded fresh, "real", and promissing.

The thing that may have won my vote was her statement about the electoral system.

Dion just looked like an idiot continually spelling doom and gloom for our economy (yeah, way to spread FUD...). Harper is bang on in how to deal with the economic "crisis", and Layton kept getting a hard-on everytime he said "ExxonMobil".

Duceppe was the most entertaining. He doens't give a crap about anything outside of Quebec's interests so he was free to make comments all night long. His quip about how three of the leaders at the table would not have a chance at being Prime Minister was the defining moment of the night for me.

[Ozy_Flame]

How the BQ keeps getting on these national televised debates and the Greens do not has always been a head-scratcher to me. That's like saying if the Wildrose Party was national, they have more of a right to be there, which is horrendously wrong. No regional parties should ever take part in this debate. EVER.

I hated Margaret Day with a passion last night, but it doesn't mean she shouldn't be on TV. Her party is far more federal than the BQ, and therefore has more legitimacy IMO.

[corporatejay]

The highlight of my night was when the guy building his shed asked "what is going to be the first thing you do as prime minister".

Gilles Duceppe said.."I know I won't be prime minister, and there are three other people at this table who know they won't be prime minister they just haven't acknowledged it yet".

He then went on to talk about what he's going to hold the government accountable for. I wish he wasn't a seperatist because I think he has the "charisma" to be a decent PM.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

The highlight of my night was when the guy building his shed asked "what is going to be the first thing you do as prime minister".

Gilles Duceppe said.."I know I won't be prime minister, and there are three other people at this table who know they won't be prime minister they just haven't acknowledged it yet".

He then went on to talk about what he's going to hold the government accountable for. I wish he wasn't a seperatist because I think he has the "charisma" to be a decent PM.

I agree. I remember the last election debates and thinking that of all the leaders who I'd like to vote in as Prime Minister, Duceppe is the best choice outside of his affiliation.

[mykalberta]

What is with the bush league style of Canadian debates - lets all sit in some sharing circle and eat vegetarian hot dogs.

For the French one I didnt really care cause I only caught the highlights on CPAC but do we really need that dodgy format for the English debate.

Its a joke that a party that hasnt elected an MP yet is in the debates - I know its been beaten to death like a Michael Vick dog but it needs to be said again. I saw a few CBC clips about how May proved she belongs, that is pure BS.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Finny61

Harper, went for the safe cool classy next door neighbor kind of guy

Admittedly I haven't seen one iota of Canadian debates this year, but Harper cool and classy? Man, maybe he's changed, but i've always thought of him as a very stiff politician with very little personality, and no sense of style.

[MarchHare]

How the BQ keeps getting on these national televised debates and the Greens do not has always been a head-scratcher to me. That's like saying if the Wildrose Party was national, they have more of a right to be there, which is horrendously wrong. No regional parties should ever take part in this debate. EVER.

So you're saying that the Reform Party shouldn't have been included in the 1993 debates?

[CaptainCrunch]

Maybe in the next election the debate format can change to them all sitting around in bean bag chairs, eating ice cream and talking about their relationship problems.