Federal Election Called for Oct 19, 2015

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by FlameOn

So what I'm seeing here is the Conservative's policies are so out of wack that most people would not be voting for them. Either that or there are a lot of left leaning voters on this board.

Left leaning? half the posters are NDP campaigners and they're the moderates.

[flamefan74]

One of the questions caught me by surprise. The question was whether I agree or not that pensions for retired people should be taxed. The results showed that the Liberals were in favor of not taxing pensions at retirement. If this is true, then why all the complaining from the left that they need to get rid of the TFSA, as that would not be taxed either. Other than the fact that its a Conservative plan.

Anyways, my numbers.

Liberal 79%
NDP 78%
Green 72%
Conservative 69%

Much like 4x4, there's no way I vote NDP. Which leaves me Liberal or Conservative. I have voted PC/Reform/Con in every federal election I could vote in, but this might be the year I make a change.

[driveway]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I did not know that I was so left winged. No matter what an online test says, there's no way I'm 87% aligned with the federal NDP. I might be able to hold my nose and vote for "Just Not Ready" , but there's no chance Mulcair gets my vote.

What a crappy election. This feels like the provincial election, but with more potential consequences. There needs to be a shake up, but just enough to scare our politicians straight. Not an NDP majority, please.

I find this interesting. This test seems at least somewhat reasonable, so while you may not be 87% aligned with the NDP, there's a good chance you're at least 80% aligned with their policies.

Likewise, the NDP have never held federal power, there is no evidence showing they would be disastrous for the country, yet you're already dead-set against voting for them. Why?

[FlameOn]

Originally Posted by 4X4

I did not know that I was so left winged. No matter what an online test says, there's no way I'm 87% aligned with the federal NDP. I might be able to hold my nose and vote for "Just Not Ready" , but there's no chance Mulcair gets my vote.

What a crappy election. This feels like the provincial election, but with more potential consequences. There needs to be a shake up, but just enough to scare our politicians straight. Not an NDP majority, please.

I feel the same way... on one hand I know the Cons left the quiet pragmatism they started off with and have become so rotten to the core that they need to be razed and rebuilt from the ground up. On the other hand I'm not sure I can stomach voting for the Trudeau...

[JohnnyB]

I come out strongly liberal, with only 27% conservative.

In truth, even though I think the Harper government is terrible for Canada I'm surprised I didn't come out with more support for their political platform. I mean, it's not just the policies in their platform that make me not want to vote for them. Many of the things I really dislike about them aren't things that go in a political platform.

Nobody campaigns on curtailing civil liberties, centralising power and making the political system less transparent and democratic, but those are things that the conservative party has shown that they actually do. I would have thought if all these sorts of things that don't form a part of a platform but cause me to really dislike the Harper government were taken out of the equation, and the poll was just based on what they say they will do rather than what they really have shown they will do, I would have been more aligned with them.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Left leaning? half the posters are NDP campaigners and they're the moderates.

See, my gut tells me that the median poster on CP will be likelier to vote CPC than the median Canadian voter--but that is just my gut, based on nothing at all.

Maybe as the election gets closer, we could add a poll? Not sure how people would feel about that, but maybe it would give a little bit of context as to the cross-section of voters who are using this board? If your theory is right (and I'm not saying it isn't) that would suggest that CP users are more liberal as a whole than Calgarians, which would be interesting, if a bit hard to explain.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by flamefan74

One of the questions caught me by surprise. The question was whether I agree or not that pensions for retired people should be taxed. The results showed that the Liberals were in favor of not taxing pensions at retirement. If this is true, then why all the complaining from the left that they need to get rid of the TFSA, as that would not be taxed either. Other than the fact that its a Conservative plan.

For one thing, retired people drawing a pension are more likely to be vulnerable and actually need the tax break. It is therefore, at least plausibly, more efficiently targeted than the Conservative's TFSA. My take anyway.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Left leaning? half the posters are NDP campaigners and they're the moderates.

For whatever it's worth, my impression has always been that Calgarypuck was a very conservative forum. Two caveats: (1) I generally identify as a socially democratic person; (2) I have noticed the forum (and Calgary in general) becoming increasingly liberal in recent years.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

See, my gut tells me that the median poster on CP will be likelier to vote CPC than the median Canadian voter--but that is just my gut, based on nothing at all.

Maybe as the election gets closer, we could add a poll? Not sure how people would feel about that, but maybe it would give a little bit of context as to the cross-section of voters who are using this board? If your theory is right (and I'm not saying it isn't) that would suggest that CP users are more liberal as a whole than Calgarians, which would be interesting, if a bit hard to explain.

Honestly I hadn't thought about it on that grand a scale. I was only laughing at the last few pages where first a few were trying to equate elected governments to ISIL, and then then they all started comparing the size of their ...enthusiasm...for the NDP.

The site as a whole? I'd guess a bit left if only due to age, but even that's a reach.

[GGG]

In the provincial election and the mayoral races we have been within the margin of error of typical polling with a little more support thrown at non traditional parties.

I would suspect we would reflect the Alberta vote quite accurately with a little too much green support.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by driveway

I find this interesting. This test seems at least somewhat reasonable, so while you may not be 87% aligned with the NDP, there's a good chance you're at least 80% aligned with their policies.

Likewise, the NDP have never held federal power, there is no evidence showing they would be disastrous for the country, yet you're already dead-set against voting for them. Why?

A lot of it is Mulcair himself. Don't get me wrong, Jack Layton never got my vote either, but he'd have been a lot more likely to in an election like this, where I'm sick of Harper, and wanting to protest vote.

Ah, who am I kidding. Layton never would have gotten my vote.

The NDP just doesn't add up. They seem to want the coffee shop owner and the coffe shop employees to take home the same amount of money, after taxes of course. And somehow, they also want the patrons to get their coffee subsidized. That's the long, long time impression I've gotten from them. Every election cycle. Though I will admit that Notley has yet to live up to this bogeyman impression. It's still early in her term, however. No chance I trust the federal NDP when they have yet to prove themselves provincially anywhere, ever.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Makarov

For whatever it's worth, my impression has always been that Calgarypuck was a very conservative forum. Two caveats: (1) I generally identify as a socially democratic person; (2) I have noticed the forum (and Calgary in general) becoming increasingly liberal in recent years.

I feel the same way. I've always felt like one of the few left leaning people until the past 3-4 years. Probably a function of demographics. Younger people tend to be more left.

[flamefan74]

Originally Posted by Makarov

For one thing, retired people drawing a pension are more likely to be vulnerable and actually need the tax break. It is therefore, at least plausibly, more efficiently targeted than the Conservative's TFSA. My take anyway.

I agree that some retirees would be more vulnerable. I was reading it as any pension, which would include company, federal government, etc. So pretty much everybody. It didn't specify, it just said retired people receiving pension. Or maybe I'm just tired and misunderstanding.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by 4X4

No chance I trust the federal NDP when they have yet to prove themselves provincially anywhere, ever.

I just don't get this attitude. How is a proven awful government (even many CPC supporters would admit this, but simply won't vote for the other "team" due to blind partisanship) preferable to a government that might be awful?

Honestly, how could the last nine years have been worse?

The only good the CPC has "done" - and what they never stop gloating about - is their shepherding of the country's economy through the recession. Of course anyone who follows politics knows that the CPC had nothing to do with that; it was Paul Martin and the Liberals! Never mind the fact they didn't even want any stimulus, and only agreed to it with a gun to their head.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by evman150

I just don't get this attitude. How is a proven awful government (even many CPC supporters would admit this, but simply won't vote for the other "team" due to blind partisanship) preferable to a government that might be awful?

Honestly, how could the last nine years have been worse?

The only good the CPC has "done" - and what they never stop gloating about - is their shepherding of the country's economy through the recession. Of course anyone who follows politics knows that the CPC had nothing to do with that; it was Paul Martin and the Liberals! Never mind the fact they didn't even want any stimulus, and only agreed to it with a gun to their head.

I've clearly said that I'm looking and willing to vote against the CPC. The Liberals may have a weak leader, but they've proven themselves provincially and federally (as disconnected cousins). The NDP has not. This is not "blind partisanship". This is "you've f'd up every little chance you've had, ever"ship.

Try again, bud.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by evman150

I just don't get this attitude. How is a proven awful government (even many CPC supporters would admit this, but simply won't vote for the other "team" due to blind partisanship) preferable to a government that might be awful?

Honestly, how could the last nine years have been worse?

The only good the CPC has "done" - and what they never stop gloating about - is their shepherding of the country's economy through the recession. Of course anyone who follows politics knows that the CPC had nothing to do with that; it was Paul Martin and the Liberals! Never mind the fact they didn't even want any stimulus, and only agreed to it with a gun to their head.

For me i read their platform and it stinks. How about that?

[4X4]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

For me i read their platform and it stinks. How about that?

But but but, they've never been given the chance to enact it, so how do you know it stinks?

[MelBridgeman]

there has been plenty if "NDP leaning" governments at the provincial level, all failures.

[evman150]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

there has been plenty if "NDP leaning" governments at the provincial level, all failures.

Even if that were true, guess what happened after they stunk up the joint? They got voted out. The Neo-cons have been stinking up Canada domestically and internationally for 9.5 years. Enough's enough.

Unfortunately so many people just can't see past their paycheques and the boogeyman. It's very sad.

[MelBridgeman]

Originally Posted by evman150

The Neo-cons have been stinking up Canada domestically and internationally for 9.5 years. Enough's enough.
.

#firstworldproblems