Ontario Election thread

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by troutman

He could be painted with a Rebel Media brush.

Go on...

He has appeared on a variety of media outlets across the country.

For a guy who is criticized for not having enough profile, doing public media blitzes is a good idea.

An no, scheer has focused on holding the govt to account and so have his ministers.

Shannon Stubbs has been outstanding in the energy critic role. Rempel has been very strong on immigration. Scheer has been eviscerating Trudeau in question period. Raitt has been strong as well.

This opposition is doing its job this session. Good on them. Trying to paint them with an extreme brush is simply incorrect.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Red Slinger

In addition to that, those that are the hungriest for power are usually the last ones that should have it for a number of reasons. It's a natural consequence of our Western style of democracy that our leaders suck.

Yeah, but the suckage seems to be getting worse. The dull party functionaries who used to dominate politics in this country may not have been inspiring, but I'll take them over the reckless buffoons we seem to be getting more and more today.

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I tend to think that people gravitate towards politics because if they manage to get into a elected position, your opportunity to make very good money is high and your post political career is pretty much set unless you have cranal relations with a cat on youtube.

I don't know if the stats still hold true, but 20 years ago two-thirds of MPs took a pay cut, and for many of those a big pay cut, from what they were doing for work before. Which is unsurprising when you consider that lawyer is still the most common pre-politics career of politicians. There are far easier career paths out there for people who want to make 150k than high-level politics.

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Anyone have an explanation of why we're seeing such bad candidates contesting elections? Are there just not enough regular citizens participating at the nomination level to ensure moderate, reasonably normal candidates win the nomination? How can we inject more mainstream participation into politics at that level?

This is my thought, the squeaky wheels seem to be the ones who make time to attend nomination meetings. Regular folks go about their day and only pay attention at election time.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Go on...

He has appeared on a variety of media outlets across the country.

For a guy who is criticized for not having enough profile, doing public media blitzes is a good idea.

An no, scheer has focused on holding the govt to account and so have his ministers.

Shannon Stubbs has been outstanding in the energy critic role. Rempel has been very strong on immigration. Scheer has been eviscerating Trudeau in question period. Raitt has been strong as well.

This opposition is doing its job this session. Good on them. Trying to paint them with an extreme brush is simply incorrect.

Agree to disagree on Rempel. I think she's been pretty disingenuous at times. Scheer's problem is that he's a social conservative and that doesn't play well with most of the country. I'm a good example of that. If the CPC had nominated Chong, they'd pretty much have my vote locked up for 2019. Instead they went with the dinosaur and it means I'm likely holding my nose and voting Liberal.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Yeah, but the suckage seems to be getting worse. The dull party functionaries who used to dominate politics in this country may not have been inspiring, but I'll take them over the reckless buffoons we seem to be getting more and more today.



I don't know if the stats still hold true, but 20 years ago two-thirds of MPs took a pay cut, and for many of those a big pay cut, from what they were doing for work before. Which is unsurprising when you consider that lawyer is still the most common pre-politics career of politicians. There are far easier career paths out there for people who want to make 150k than high-level politics.

How many are basically college grads and not lawyers outside of maybe a degree in poly sci or humanities though. I mean we had bartenders and yoga instructors basically running for office because of the pay.

[CaptainCrunch]

So if I started a party called the undecided option party, we ran on no platform whatever, we stood for nothing, I promised cushy jobs to a select few members of this board and we ran on a premise, of parking your vote until the next election because you can't vote for any of the parties or their leaders, you'd vote for me.


And if I ran candidates across the country under a plain white party banner that signifies that we the voters for the undecided option party stand for nothing and would likely leave our seats in the house of commons office empty? you would vote for us. Who's with me, who wants to start a political movement?

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

How many are basically college grads and not lawyers outside of maybe a degree in poly sci or humanities though. I mean we had bartenders and yoga instructors basically running for office because of the pay.

Those are a fraction of MLAs and MPs, and even then only because of the anomaly of the NDP doing way better than anyone thought. The bartenders and yoga instructors had easy nominations because nobody thought their party would win the seat.

Spoiler!

This table shows business executives, managers, self-employed businesspeople, company directors as the number one previous occupation of federal MPs; political consultants, advisers and lobbyists as number two; and barristers, solicitors, lawyers, legal officers as number three.

https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliam...#_Toc368474619

If politics was such an easy and lucrative job, a lot more people would run for office.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Those are a fraction of MLAs and MPs, and even then only because of anomaly of the NDP doing way better than anyone thought. The bartenders and yoga instructors had easy nominations because nobody thought their party would win the seat.

Spoiler!

This table shows business executives, managers, self-employed businesspeople, company directors as the number one previous occupation of federal MPs; political consultants, advisers and lobbyists as number two; and barristers, solicitors, lawyers, legal officers as number three.

https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliam...#_Toc368474619

If politics was such an easy and lucrative job, a lot more people would run for office.

I can make a lot more money with a lot less public scrutiny.

Granted, the bribes and kickbacks are difficult to quantify due to their 'lack of being accounted for.'

[zamler]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Anyone have an explanation of why we're seeing such bad candidates contesting elections? Are there just not enough regular citizens participating at the nomination level to ensure moderate, reasonably normal candidates win the nomination? How can we inject more mainstream participation into politics at that level?

I have no idea why anyone would want to wade in the financial mess that is Ontario. It is nearly impossible to fix at this point.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by zamler

I have no idea why anyone would want to wade in the financial mess that is Ontario. It is nearly impossible to fix at this point.

Its effectively a failed state.

[Rubicant]

Don’t worry, nobody is wading in to fix our financial situation... they are all looking to make it far worse.

I voted, but I didn’t see my preferred candidate asteroid on the ballot.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Thank you!

Don't know why they don't have a none of the above option. That way it would maintain my ability to vote in private as opposed to having to declare publicly what I am voting for.

How 'public' is it, though? It sounded to me like you'd have to tell the person that is (or in this case, who would) hand you the ballot that you decline it. They deal with it from there. It's not like they have a little stage set up and you are required to get up in front of everyone there and decline.

[GirlySports]

Polls close at 9? that's really late

[Flamenspiel]

^^It takes 3 hours to drive home in the GTA

[White Out 403]

One of my favourite gambits for conservatives across Canada and the United States is that when the conservatives are really weak they just say that all options are terrible. I think I first came across this premise a while back from an Al Franken book or lecture he did maybe a debate. He talked about how with conservatives they just have to muddy any issue to a draw and vilify the other side. It's incredible how well it works and how easily exploitable people are.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

One of my favourite gambits for conservatives across Canada and the United States is that when the conservatives are really weak they just say that all options are terrible. I think I first came across this premise a while back from an Al Franken book or lecture he did maybe a debate. He talked about how with conservatives they just have to muddy any issue to a draw and vilify the other side. It's incredible how well it works and how easily exploitable people are.

You're right. The NDP and Liberals are just stand out candidates in this election.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I think scheer has done a very good job so far.

I don't think he can be painted with the Ford brush.

I don't think he's what the Conservatives needed either. He's not a refresh, he's a continuation. They had better options in Chong and Bernier.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by Weitz

You're right. The NDP and Liberals are just stand out candidates in this election.

Horwath is a great politician and the most popular leader in the Ontario race. I've met her and heard her speak in person. She's impressive.

[bigtmac19]

My poll isn’t closing until 9:20. There were problems today preventing people from voting or something?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by zzibradleyizz

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-e...-box-1.3962190

Do we have this in Alberta? Can I do this for Federal elections? When it says I have to do it out loud, can I do it really loud? Like with a bullhorn?