Voting

[malleefarmer]

We have compulsory voting in Australia.
I always thought it leads to labour govt getting in which is equivalent to dems in the usa and I presume libs in Canada lots of free money, look after the workers and tax business.
The average voter looks for the money know with no real thought process, but I thought non compulsory voting only those who really care about economy and issues vote hence may lead to more conservative govt being elected but I was wrong when look at your results.

PS most of the headlines here today about Canadian election are "Canada has the best looking PM in the world" hmmm maybe best look deficiet as well in a few years? Presume he will rack up govt and spend like a bull in a china shop or am I wrong

[FarmRanger]

There was a big push to get people out to vote in this election. The Conservatives who just lost didn’t actually drop very many total votes, but we had a large voter turnout, with almost all increase votes going to the Liberals. The problem with making people vote, or encouraging the politically and economically ignorant to vote, is it is very difficult to get anything other than a government from a party with the best looking leader with the best sound bite. We have a complicit media industry in this process, and unfortunately one that’s heavily populated with journalists who lean to the left.

I could give you multiple examples of media bias, but the most recent is a post from one of our TV networks saying 58% of Canadians are in favour of a Liberal majority based on a survey they did, rather than the election results of 39.5% that actually voted Liberal. I strongly suspect this was released the day after the election to distract from the exact opposite rhetoric that we saw after the last election. When Harper’s Conservatives won with about the same percentage in 2011, there was a huge outcry, amplified by the media that our first past the post system had given the Conservatives a majority when over 60% of the nation voted against them. The same thing just happened last night, but it went the “media party’s” way this time, and their previous concern about first past the post has evaporated. Our newly elected PM had actually campaigned against this system, saying he would change it to “proportional representation” within 18 months of being elected, but I’ll give you odds that you won’t hear a peep ever again about it from any of our media watchdogs. I’m not holding my breath for them to hold our new Liberal government accountable to this promise or any other for that matter (except maybe the one where he promised $150 billion to the national broadcaster, CBC.)

As a matter of fact, I fully expect that we will have a 4 year hiatus from the media witchhunt for government scandal…all we’ll hear is cheerleading, and it has already started. No wonder left wing governments get elected; with blatant bias in political news reporting, the low information disengaged voters will favour whoever the media wants to win, and this will be amplified if they ever become legally compelled to vote. If the only information that you have has been spoonfed to you by a blatantly biased journalism industry, it is not surprising in the least that elections turn out in favour of whoever the media decides will get the best soundbites and coverage played to their audiences.

Our media is slowly morphing into Orwell’s “Ministry of Truth”, and in Canada, their guy just gained power.

[freewheat]

Drives me crazy when there is a big push to vote, especially among the youth who want free education and have never yet contributed taxes to society.

To vote, it is important you have a clue about the issues. Unfortunately, I think at least 25% of Canadians truly have no clue about the issues. They SAY they hate harper, and that we need a change in government, but have not the faintest clue as to why.

[foragefarmer]

Why not put blame where it belongs, Harper ran a very poor campaign. He lost it himself, his tactics didn't fool voters this go around. As for media they, all backed Harper in 2011. Works both ways!

Voting is every bodies democratic right, I don't think anybody should label people making the effort to do so. Rob Ford gets to vote! Just saying Farmranger, I see it different than you do, I don't think there anything wrong with that.

[freewheat]

So buses driven out to the reserves by the liberals and NDP, free turkeys for a vote? That is the natives putting in effort? WOW. Just one example.

The media ran the liberal campaign. You see La flemme interviewing Wall and Lloyd Roberston? Nope, no media bias there!lol

[agstar77]

Boo Hoo the media cost us the election, its the economy and leadership that cost you the election. The media only reports the bad news.

[Jay-mo]

Agstar, the only thing worse then a sore loser is a loudmouth winner....

ForageF, I agree with you that Harper ran a bad campaign.
Prior to the election they were running those ads of Justin parading around with underwear on his head or whatever, just being a clown. Then they switched to the "he's just not ready" tactic.
Shoulda kept the pedal to the metal, showing Justin being less the dignified.
The "not ready" ads almost seemed complementary, hinting that he may at some point be ready to be PM.

[freewheat]

So agstar, you brought up the economy. What is the plan under the millionaire doofus?

His comment about growing the economy from the heart is good nuff for you? Cuz it aint good enough for me. AT ALL.

[mustardman]

Lots of Progessive conservatives voted liberal. Even past Mulroney cabinet ministers, Pat Carney didn't vote for this Reform party.
Lots more too. Harpers type of Con gov't does not represent Canada.
Strong arm politics are not us

You didn't lose because of the media
You lost because your leader was an asshole

[foragefarmer]

Every party picks up people to vote for them, it's nothing new. You got four years before the next election so I suggest you to get a bus and raise some turkeys.

Stop your bitching it hasn't even been 24 hours.

[perfecho]

https://www.taxpayer.com/media/CoverStory24-27WEB.pdf

This link gives a good, quick map of debt and the PM's...wished I had seen this before the election. It shows that really, the only ones concerned with future generations were Martin and Chretien....obviously Mulroney wasn't...

Harper lowered GST, personal tax and corp taxes...to what avail, to put more debt on the future. The media had touted him as an economist...yet he was trying to buy votes and only paying the minimum on the credit card...and we know how that goes.
During his resignation speech, he sounded relieved...relieved because I believe he knew it wasn't working...it now it didn't rest on his shoulders.
Let's just all suck it up and make the best of it. We are going to have to pay more to live in this country...and it is worth it!

[greybeard]

I've always been impressed with Harper when he gave impromptu interviews or responded to questions in a non-scripted
situation.
But I will agree his campaign went way off the rails. Way to heavy on American style smear and fear.
The Lib's appeared to be running an Obama type "hope and change" campaign steamrolled the republicans in 2008.

The CBC was definitely on the Justin bandwagon.
Justin's daddy was very good to the mother corp. But it was nothing like what is there today. All there is left is a bunch of over-paid 9 to 5 government employees.
I'll bet they survey at less than 20% market share.
Most important,I think "familiarity breeds contempt".
Who can honestly say they liked the top group of Harper's main guys.

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I am so insulted by election signs that only have a name and a party. Evidently they must assume that most voters will vote by name recognition, policies are irrelevant? I think it is safe to say that most voters know almost nothing about the issues or the policies of the candidates. So why not have a skill testing question about the candidate you are voting for, and the parties policies. If you get it right, your vote counts, if wrong, the vote is void. And ideally, allow the competition write the questions.

That way, I could still vote for someone just because he has nice hair, and I've heard his name in the media a lot, but when I can't answer how he plans to pay for all of the promises, my vote doesn't count.

[burnt]

AlbertaFarmer5 - A brilliant summation of the process! I've often had similar thoughts - what, exactly, is the purpose of poking a thousand signs into the ground on a busy intersection or open country mile? Wow, are we so intelligent that we might be influenced and who has the biggest of most signs?

The only problem with your proposal is that it would disenfranchise a lot of low-information voters. You know, the ones who help elect to one who makes the biggest, emptiest promises.

Oh wait...

[AlbertaFarmer5]

Perhaps there is an election law forbidding any useful information on a sign?