I am growing more and more interested in the fluidity of the Federal election. In the news, polls and blogs I am reading - especially, Jim Elve's e-Blog, whose political blog index page is the best visual presentation of a list of blogs in the history of blog listing - it is clear that there are few certainties and that many are evaluating their vote more carefully than ever. Right now the Election Prediction Project is calling 100 of 308 ridings too close to call! Most remarkably, this is happening in a time of relative economic stability when you would have thought that the incumbant would have a leg up. Apparently, that leg has been up too long.
I am working throught the processes of dissecting Green from NDP, reading tea leaves to determine how much progressive is left in the Tories and also thinking of that emergency rip-cord of voting Liberal to keep the Albertans at bay. Beyond that there are the local realities I have yet to really consider. I live in the riding of the Speaker of the House of Commons, a strong Liberal bastion. He does not campaign in the same way others do. We also have - I think - the strongest Green presence in Ontario.
Too-wit, too-woo. Where is Mr Dress-Up's Wise Owl when you need him?
Comments
Alan - May 27, 2004 1:38 pm
Interesting to see that Paul Wells thinks Harper is going stale already.
Ben - May 27, 2004 3:55 pm
My riding (Ottawa-Vanier) hasn't elected a non-Liberal since 1925. If there's any place in Canada where one vote won't make a difference, this is it. The Conservative candidate is a new, young candidate from the insurance business. Not exactly a star candidate.
Alan - May 27, 2004 4:07 pm
Someone ought to have a list of the not star candidates, the folks taking one on the chin for the cause. Regardless of the outcomes or even my political beliefs, I often find these folks the semi-heroes of this democratic process.
Ben - May 27, 2004 4:19 pm
With little else on my plate over the next 2 weeks I may give his office a call and see if he needs any help. Nothing like volunteering in the great cause of defeating the Liberals just before I move to another country.
Alan - May 27, 2004 4:32 pm
Then you can volunteer to defeat the incumbant <i>uber</i>-conservatives down there just to even it all out.
Ben - May 27, 2004 4:41 pm
I heard for the first time this week that there are rumblings of Kerry choosing McCain as his running mate. That could make things really interesting down there- I love McCain and he could steal a lot of moderate and left-leaning Republicans.
marcia - May 27, 2004 6:37 pm
Whereas I am not considering the Conservative and live in a riding where I don't believe the NDP have ever gotten a seat, I am debating whether to waste my vote on the NDP candidate (who I haven't heard anything about.)!
RUSTY - May 28, 2004 9:23 am
WOW. I CAN'T IMAGINE KERRY ACTUALLY GOING THRU WITH THAT, BUT A KERRY-MCCAIN DUO WOULD BE AWESOME.
SayNay? - May 28, 2004 3:38 pm
Maybe the Kerry-McCain ticket is something that Kerry's speechwriters made up and not something that Kerry would support, well he might support it if he had said it, but if he says that he would support it that doesn't mean he actually supports it, at least not today, but maybe tomorrow, well maybe he would have supported it emphatically last week, but that would not "stake" his position on this issue today, but that might change tomorrow....See: http://www.suntimes.com/output/steyn/cst-edt-steyn09.html