"I wonder if there is another team in sports whose fan loyalty is based so much on the conviction that the team with collapse on the field"

Chicago Cubs, beloved stinkers. Almost 100 years since their last World Series win. It is all about the goat.

Can something be really funny <i>and</i> a national tragedy?

If so, I nominate that proposed chain of events.

***

1. I voted for Peter Kent of the Conservatives.
2. Both -- I like Kent; I'm a card-carrying member of the CPC.
3. No. But there's no question of that -- Kent has a shot.
4. Actually, none. It's a platform of half-measures and pandering.
5. Not re-opening the same-sex marriage issue.
6. When are elections ever necessary at one given time, in the cosmic sense? I'll say that I think it was the right thing to do. (Thanks, Jack!)
7. As I said above, I think it would be both. It would also be really fun to watch the consequences play themselves out...
8. No clue. Not gonna go there. My December predictions had the Liberals hanging on by a plurality of 5 seats.

Admission: I know what is meant by plurality but I don't know exactly what it means. Ben, can you define it for me as you use it. Extra points if you do so in the form of a Irish folk song.

Plurality means a majority that isn't -- in other words, a winning minority.

In this usage, I mean to say that my initial prediction was that the Liberals would get 5 more seats than the Conservatives.

It is one of those "character's name in Russian novel" words for me. I recognize it more than know it.

1. NDP
2. 100% pure Jack!
3. No
4. I am happy the NDP are joining in the unanimous call for toughter gun penalties as part of the crime crackdown.
5. I'd like to say the Tory's ice paratroopers as we need to ensure that 1940s tactics are maintained in the Canadian military. But I wish the NDP had the Liberal grasp and reputation of practical budget administration (as opposed to individual Grit slush-funding and sticky-fingery) as that is their main impediment to being taken seriously.
6. It will depend if anything changes. If we get a national Mike Harris regime under a majority it will be a matter of out of the pan and into the fire and worse than unnecessary.
7. I lean towards funny as I don't look to Tories as any sort of saviors given their past history, conveniently ignored.
8. CPC 140, Liberal 90, NDP 40, Bloc 38. This is not so much what I expect but what I pray for.

1. The NDP (countering Ben's vote).
2. A little bit of both.
3. Not this time.
4. Policy? I'm supposed to know policy?
5. See above.
6. Maybe I shouldn't waste everyone's time by posting a reply.
7. Harper gives me the creeps.
8. What Alan said.

1. Who are you voting for?
Keith Fountain - CPC in Ottawa Centre

2. Are you voting for the party or the local candidate?
I'm only allowed to vote for the local candidate. They have different ballots in your riding?

3. Are you voting strategically?
Yes, by voting for for the candidate I like, he stands a better chance of winning.

4. What one policy of the party you are voting for surprised you pleasantly?
Elimination of corporate and union donations to political parties.

5. What policy of another party do you wish your party supported?
Legalization of marijuana - though regulated provincially like alcohol.

6. Was the election necessary?
Yes.

7. In a big picture sense, would a collapse of support for Harper over the last five days due to his chippy nature showing itself, among other things, be really funny or a national tragedy? Do not reference partisan politics in your answer. I am thinking at the more Sharespearian scale here.
I would be a tragedy.

8. Seat prediction please.
My initial prediction was this:
Liberals 94
Conservatives 117
NDP 37
Bloc 60
I'm thinking more:
Liberals 93
Conservatives 127
NDP 27
Bloc 60
Ind 1

1. Vincent Veerasuntharam, Conservative Party

2. Local candidate <i>and</i> federal party.

3. There is no such thing as a strategic vote in my riding. Tom Wappel (Liberal) routinely garners two to three times as many ballots as the next runner-up. As long as he is alive and nominated, Wappel cannot lose.

4. Restructuring the way Canada deal with our shabbily-treated First Nations -- Deconstructing the band/chieftain oligarchy and creating representative legislatures; turning reserves from collectively-owned slums into privately-owned homes.

5. Letting the same-sex marriage sleeping dogs lie.

6. Absolutely necessary. There is never a good time for systemic federal corruption.

7. Tragedy. Harper's failure would of course mean his departure from the national stage, but more importantly it would mean that fiscal and representational imbalances in this country would go unaddressed for the foreseeable future. Regional factionalism would grow and serious fissures in the Canadian federation would become far more evident.

8. No seat prediction, but I will predict a very small Liberal minority. I believe the CPC has unerring instincts when it comes to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

1. Not sure yet. But let's say NDP. If it looks like they will take it in a walk I will give my buck-seventy-five to the Greens.

2. Local candidate: Olivia Chow. Her constituency office if frightenly well run.

3. No. There is no risk of a Conservative win in my riding so I do not have to.

4. I was pleased to see Jack Layton had to at least pretend to take a hard line on minimum sentencing. More Tony Blair, please.

5. I would like to see support for Canadian participation in enforcing the United Nations mandate in Iraq. No Canadian party currently supports this position so I have nobody to point to. That said, I gather Stephen Harper (sort of) (used to) (maybe) did so at one time but clearly not enough to demonstrate spine, strength of character or a sense of duty.

6. The opposition obviously thought so. Or rather, they did once they found out they could not coerce the government into the election they thought was absolutely necessary about six weeks' from now.

7. "This was the noblest Roman of them all.
All the conspirators save only he
Did that they did in envy of great Caesar;
He, only in a general honest thought
And common good to all, made one of them."

Antony was mistaken, of course. Good riddance to Brutus and the horse he rode in on.

8. I don't practice witchcraft (except for cash money).

peter kent - the news guy?

Yup. It's the eyebrows.

This is where I show just how Canadian I am - disinterested, disconnected, and feeling guilty about both.

1. Voting for: Haven't decided.

2. Party or the local candidate: Haven't decided. The Liberal candidate was the PC candidate for three elections in a row. And the former president of the PC Party of Canada. Really lends credence to the "they're all the same, does it really matter?" line of thinking.

3. Voting strategically: it's hard not to think that way, but I hope not.

4. Policy of the party you are voting for surprised you pleasantly: see above. I like the tuition credit, but I also like the thought that I could get credit all those Little League fees.

5. Policy of another party: see above.

6. Was the election necessary: Not sure. Inevitable though.

7. In a big picture sense: the whole campaign lacks an entertainment quality, really.

8. Seat prediction:
Wouldn't it be a hoot if the Green Party gained offical party status and the NDP lost it?

I'm not allowed to vote.

3. Sometimes when I hear left wing types talk about strategic voters it seems to be a kind of moral thing. Is this because, for the right, or a certain segment of it, strategy is good in the sense that successful people are good people (and strategic self interest is central to a kind of Adam Smith free marketeering)? Who knows, eh? In any case, on the left you sometimes get the sense that virtue must somehow exclude strategy. So whenever I or someone else suggests a little strategy to left wing voters, they seem to react as though we were suggesting something Machiavellian. To be honest, I can understand why the NDP or the Conservatives are urging this stick-to-it-iveness: the NDP wants votes, the Conservatives want to split the vote, but I don’t think it’s in our interests as left wingers. It’s certainly not in the left’s interests to be split when the Cons are united. In fact, one of the things that has separated Canada from the US has been our pragmatism at election time. I think it’s been a useful quality. It’s why we have gay marriages and the US doesn’t.

Prediction: Conservative Majority. If there are prizes I will specify seat numbers.

For prizes, we are thinking more of something in a nice table centerpiece this year.

Really? What kind of centerpiece?

A cavalcade of cheeses surrounding a rather large ham was one thought.

There will not be a CPC majority, unless something really wacky happens in BC and Quebec.

I just had a lengthy chat with a SES/CPAC connected person. Polling has been remarkable stable for the last week, with the CPC looking to pick up several seats (5ish) in Atlantic Canada. Rural Ontario and 905, with a few notable and obvious exceptions, is going Blue. No traction for the CPC in Toronto (though plenty for the NDP). Alberta +2 CPC. Sask is Blue. MB no change. The unknowns are QC and BC. There's a reasonable but not certain chance of the CPC electing members in QC. BC is the true wildcard, quote "if you thing you know what's going to happen in BC, you have no idea what you're talking about". NDP is polling strong in BC but it's not known if will translate into seats.

I'm voting CPC, which is not such a foregone conclusions as many of you may think (I generally spoil my ballot, as I believe I should get out and vote).

No cheese but some advice: white/sweet onions at 4(/10) heat in olive oil, butter, sea salt and cracked pepper for 15 minutes in a wok. Add one or two hamburgers, 4 minutes, flip, 4 minutes finished. Throw away the hamburgers, or reserve for eating. Increase temp to 7 for one minute to crisp up the onions. Eat and be in heaven.

The change in the Globe and Mail polling numbers in the last week was due to a change in the methodology used by their pollster (Gregg?) when they realized their numbers didn't make sense.

I make that but I wear rubber boots filled with yogurt when I do. I don't know why it makes the onions nicer yet it does. Try it.

If I win, how will you get it to me?

David, I hope I am not stating the blindingly obvious here but you do not have to spoil your ballot to make a point. You can go to the polling station and refuse your ballot at which point it is counted rather than simply tallied with the people who marked an X on the wrong side or me the time I voted Elvis as an improvised write-in.

Goddamnit. Another chapter in my wasted life :-)

1. NDP. I mean, come on. Seriously. Of course.
2. ... My vote is a vote for the NDP, not the local candidate or even dear old Jack, although Jack is super. He looks like a pirate!
3. No, not this time.
4. There were no surprises: I'm a Believer.
5. More extreme environmental regulation, but not like the Greens see it; tax reform, but not like the CPCs see it.
6. Christ, no.
7. Really funny. He's so puffed up and I'll bet all that not-talking has him bursting at the seams. I predict a tantrum if he loses. A loud one. With kicking.
8. Small conservative majority. Ugh.

Marian, may I ask, why can't you vote?
Re: cheese platter-I will make it for you Alan. It will feature a wee piggy on the side. Pigs feeding at the trough, an election statement!

Oooh - that would be rather good. Can you paint the piggies dark blue, red, orange, light blue and green? Gary has a way with a pig, you know.<p>It is important to note that only I have given the actually seat prediction...only I...bwa-ha-ha-ha! OK, me and Don. But he gave two. That's confusing. That's not right.

GR: I live in Hungary. I've been living here for slightly over five years. I'm actually on the cusp, well, just over the cusp of eligibility. You have to be a resident of Canada to vote. By the way, it was nice of you to offer me nachos the other day. It would be hard to get them to me, but it's a good thought.

I would have voted NDP or possibly Liberal depending on how the wind was blowing in my riding.

Seat Prediction:
CPC 158
Liberal 80
NDP 21
Bloc 48

Heck, they won't let ME vote either. What an outrage! Of course, as an American citizen, I guess I can see the point. My dream is to open a tofu pup stand in Ottawa and learn that excellent Canadian accent.
My best friend of many years came down from Quebec yesterday, and ate Marian's nachos and beer. He deserved them. I wish he had a chance to weigh in here. He defends French Canadas' culture and the feeling that Quebec is an island surrounded by an English sea. He does not think seperatists are realistic though, and as a progressive: what is he to do? This observer can see that the boring two party US system is much less fun than the multi-tentacled octupus that is Canadas' politics.

For those of you who are thinking of voting strategically, here is a list of ridings compiled by the NDP where it is 'safe-ish' to vote strategically for the Liberals.

Sandwich factory news. Love the name.