GT: Federal Election

[Locke]

Originally Posted by jayswin

No, no, no, no nope! We are absolutely not doing this again. Do you know how long it took for those annoying "Thanks, Obama", and "Thanks NDP" posts to go away?

This meme is the worst. The absolute worst.

Oh man? They're responsible for the bad memes too? Thanks Government!

Can Trudeau fight Notley in a cage? I think he can take her, but he might need to wear a helmet so as not to mess up his hairdo...

[Coach]

le sigh.

How can we not get up into the 80% for voter turnout? Is it really that much of an inconvenience for people? It took me all of 20 minutes, and that included going to the wrong polling station 1st.

[Raekwon]

IMO not the type of person or attitude we need in a PC leadership.

Doug Ford running for Conservative party leader.

On Tuesday, Ford was tightlipped about a possible bid for the Conservative leadership.
"I can't answer that now," Ford told the Toronto Sun. "The results weren't what we hoped for but other than that, we'll see how it goes.
"I'll tell you one thing, hold onto your pocketbooks - we've got the threesome ready to dig in there."
Ford said the "threesome" he was referring to was Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory.
"He was excited as anything," he said. "It just makes me sick to be honest with you.
"But anyways, people will wake up. It reminds me back in the U.S. when (President Barack Obama) first got elected and everyone thought the second coming of Jesus was there and then everyone woke up after a few years. They're going to wake up so quickly it is going to make their heads spin."

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MattyC

le sigh.

How can we not get up into the 80% for voter turnout? Is it really that much of an inconvenience for people? It took me all of 20 minutes, and that included going to the wrong polling station 1st.

I dont know, how does that turnout compare to other democratic countries?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

IMO not the type of person or attitude we need in a PC leadership.

Doug Ford running for Conservative party leader.

On Tuesday, Ford was tightlipped about a possible bid for the Conservative leadership.
"I can't answer that now," Ford told the Toronto Sun. "The results weren't what we hoped for but other than that, we'll see how it goes.
"I'll tell you one thing, hold onto your pocketbooks - we've got the threesome ready to dig in there."
Ford said the "threesome" he was referring to was Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory.
"He was excited as anything," he said. "It just makes me sick to be honest with you.
"But anyways, people will wake up. It reminds me back in the U.S. when (President Barack Obama) first got elected and everyone thought the second coming of Jesus was there and then everyone woke up after a few years. They're going to wake up so quickly it is going to make their heads spin."

Doug Ford is hilarious. John Tory is a conservative, albeit a more socially liberal one. In fact, I have heard some conservatives say that they wish he would make a run for it, but I doubt he would.

He just hates him because he led the charge against Rob Ford, but he forgets that up until the scandals, John Tory was a supporter.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by MattyC

le sigh.

How can we not get up into the 80% for voter turnout? Is it really that much of an inconvenience for people? It took me all of 20 minutes, and that included going to the wrong polling station 1st.

Ya, I kinda expected bigger turnout given the long campaign and all the attention. I figured mid 70's. In the 70's and 80's it was up there:
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx...=e&section=ele

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Obviously this poll is lacking women, but just shows it will be a wide open CPC leadership race (lol Oliver)

My obviously right-wing slant on CPC leadership
Being right about the economy doesn't allow you to be wrong about everything else. When the CPC focuses on ridiculous 'social issues' like what somebody chooses to wear and playing on fear rather than on responsible economic policies, they will certainly lose. When any political party plays solely to a faction of their base they have no chance of winning with the general voters. Anyone that believes in a conservative economic action plan needs to make sure the party has learned this lesson and moving forward works towards combining good economic decision making with smart, relevant social understanding/policy. Today's leaders are energetic, positive, accepting, progressive people - exactly the opposite of how the CPC leadership ran this campaign. Whomever it is, I look forward to the day the CPC has leadership whose ideas are worth getting excited about again.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

I dont know, how does that turnout compare to other democratic countries?

A few have fudged numbers for sure (small nations and African nations showing close to 100%, as does North Korea, so you can take those with a grain of salt. Although I don't want to poop on the smaller and African nations as I don't know how legitimate any of them are.)

But there are some notables:

Australia - 93%
Belgium - 89%
Turkey - 86%
Denmark - 85%
Sweden 85%


What's much more sad, the US, the "birthplace of democracy", shows a meager 41%, good for 12th LAST. Brutal.

http://www.idea.int/vt/field.cfm?field=221

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by Raekwon

IMO not the type of person or attitude we need in a PC leadership.

Doug Ford running for Conservative party leader.

On Tuesday, Ford was tightlipped about a possible bid for the Conservative leadership.
"I can't answer that now," Ford told the Toronto Sun. "The results weren't what we hoped for but other than that, we'll see how it goes.
"I'll tell you one thing, hold onto your pocketbooks - we've got the threesome ready to dig in there."
Ford said the "threesome" he was referring to was Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor John Tory.
"He was excited as anything," he said. "It just makes me sick to be honest with you.
"But anyways, people will wake up. It reminds me back in the U.S. when (President Barack Obama) first got elected and everyone thought the second coming of Jesus was there and then everyone woke up after a few years. They're going to wake up so quickly it is going to make their heads spin."

Hahaha wow, is this guy for real?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Obviously this poll is lacking women, but just shows it will be a wide open CPC leadership race (lol Oliver)

The only believable one out of that group to me is Kenney, which would be just awful. Charest is the most charismatic of the bunch, but no way he gets the support of the Reform/Alliance crowd. Oliver and Clement have all of the combined charisma and appeal of a TV dinner.

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

My obviously right-wing slant on CPC leadership
Being right about the economy doesn't allow you to be wrong about everything else. When the CPC focuses on ridiculous 'social issues' like what somebody chooses to wear and playing on fear rather than on responsible economic policies, they will certainly lose. When any political party plays solely to a faction of their base they have no chance of winning with the general voters. Anyone that believes in a conservative economic action plan needs to make sure the party has learned this lesson and moving forward works towards combining good economic decision making with smart, relevant social understanding/policy. Today's leaders are energetic, positive, accepting, progressive people - exactly the opposite of how the CPC leadership ran this campaign. Whomever it is, I look forward to the day the CPC has leadership whose ideas are worth getting excited about again.

Yup. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating: I would very strongly consider supporting the federal Conservative Party if they had a leader like Peter Lougheed. There's no way I will EVER vote for the band of neo fascists who are currently running the show, though. The recipe for the CPC to return to government is to get a new leader, purge the party of the Reform old guard, and reach out to all the moderate red Tories and blue Liberals who were completely alienated by Harper.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by rubecube

The only believable one out of that group to me is Kenney, which would be just awful. Charest is the most charismatic of the bunch, but no way he gets the support of the Reform/Alliance crowd. Oliver and Clement have all of the combined charisma and appeal of a TV dinner.

Harper would probably fire back up the Reform Party if they picked Charest.

[flamesfan6]

Originally Posted by MattyC

A few have fudged numbers for sure (small nations and African nations showing close to 100%, as does North Korea, so you can take those with a grain of salt. Although I don't want to poop on the smaller and African nations as I don't know how legitimate any of them are.)

But there are some notables:

Australia - 93%
Belgium - 89%
Turkey - 86%
Denmark - 85%
Sweden 85%


What's much more sad, the US, the "birthplace of democracy", shows a meager 41%, good for 12th LAST. Brutal.

http://www.idea.int/vt/field.cfm?field=221

Not sure about the others, but the * about australia is they have mandatory voting, $175 fine if you don't vote.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

My obviously right-wing slant on CPC leadership
Being right about the economy doesn't allow you to be wrong about everything else. When the CPC focuses on ridiculous 'social issues' like what somebody chooses to wear and playing on fear rather than on responsible economic policies, they will certainly lose. When any political party plays solely to a faction of their base they have no chance of winning with the general voters. Anyone that believes in a conservative economic action plan needs to make sure the party has learned this lesson and moving forward works towards combining good economic decision making with smart, relevant social understanding/policy. Today's leaders are energetic, positive, accepting, progressive people - exactly the opposite of how the CPC leadership ran this campaign. Whomever it is, I look forward to the day the CPC has leadership whose ideas are worth getting excited about again.

I think the way Harper ran his campaigns was really short-sighted and may end up hampering the Conservatives for the next little while. He did a really good job of setting them up with a high floor, but their ceiling is limited and their potential for growth has been completely stunted because they did absolutely nothing to appeal to young voters, especially those with a university degree. So any new leader is going to have an uphill climb, as you basically have a whole generation of voters who've been ignored by the Conservatives.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by flamesfan6

Not sure about the others, but the * about australia is they have mandatory voting, $175 fine if you don't vote.

Seems like it works...

[Locke]

Originally Posted by MattyC

A few have fudged numbers for sure (small nations and African nations showing close to 100%, as does North Korea, so you can take those with a grain of salt. Although I don't want to poop on the smaller and African nations as I don't know how legitimate any of them are.)

But there are some notables:

Australia - 93%
Belgium - 89%
Turkey - 86%
Denmark - 85%
Sweden 85%


What's much more sad, the US, the "birthplace of democracy", shows a meager 41%, good for 12th LAST. Brutal.

http://www.idea.int/vt/field.cfm?field=221

I think the 'birthplace' of democracy is technically Greece. The word itself is Greek. But I catch your drift.

If I were to give anyone a free pass on voter turnout it would be the US, that place is rapidly becoming the Dystopian Detroit from Robocop. The original not the crappy remake with Micheal Keaton.

Originally Posted by flamesfan6

Not sure about the others, but the * about australia is they have mandatory voting, $175 fine if you don't vote.

That is brilliant. I like that.

Those Aussies dont screw around.

[dammage79]

Charest would counter the Lib ontario seats and QC seats pretty strongly. I can definitely see him as a top candidate for the conservatives. They guy even thorhg some rough years as Premiere is a man of the people in QC. Thats big if you're not into Trudeau.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Locke

I think the 'birthplace' of democracy is technically Greece. The word itself is Greek. But I catch your drift.

Anyone who took school outside the US knows this...

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Locke

I think the 'birthplace' of democracy is technically Greece. The word itself is Greek. But I catch your drift.

If I were to give anyone a free pass on voter turnout it would be the US, that place is rapidly becoming the Dystopian Detroit from Robocop. The original not the crappy remake with Micheal Keaton.



That is brilliant. I like that.

Those Aussies dont screw around.

If I was American, I wouldn't vote either.

It is literally meaningless.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I think the way Harper ran his campaigns was really short-sighted and may end up hampering the Conservatives for the next little while. He did a really good job of setting them up with a high floor, but their ceiling is limited and their potential for growth has been completely stunted because they did absolutely nothing to appeal to young voters, especially those with a university degree. So any new leader is going to have an uphill climb, as you basically have a whole generation of voters who've been ignored by the Conservatives.

I dunno - maybe. But, they lost my vote this time and will not get it in the future either without abandoning the archaic rhetoric and bull#### backwardly 50 year old social agenda - and I had never not voted conservative in my life.
I think the LPC success this time around showed that the voting base is prepared to make significant swings, depending on the message and the policy.
I think if they elect new leadership with new direction, coming out as conservative fiscally and liberal socially, there is a huge voter base there.
I'm just not sure the CPC is prepared to take that step.