I’m a little disappointed. I was expecting to get a much higher percentage of the vote, and at least to beat the Canadian Alliance guy (the yogic flyers beat them here last time).
But at least I increased the percentage from last election. And look at the turnout: 40% just stayed home. I’m sure if I’d had a bit more experience I’d have been able to get a fair number of those to the polls for me. Plus the campaign was only five weeks long.
Moreover, we up here knew the results of our elections the same night.
Nationally, I’m just glad the NDP kept official party status, got a seat in Ontario, and beat a cabinet minister, and also that Alexa and Svend and a bunch of other really good MPs (like Libby Davies, Dick Proctor, and Bill Blaikie) kept their seats. But we did lose six seats. I think it was probably half fear-of-the-alliance and half apathy-and-cynicism.
Bouquets and contributions to our scandalously restricted budget (75% tax deductible!) cheerfully accepted.
I already hit you up in the “elections coming to a climax” thread but since I’m the first to reply here I couldn’t pass up the chance to say it all again.
Congrats on giving the NDP its best showing in your riding since '88. I’m indeed sorry you didn’t win or even place better, 'cos it is my humble opinion that Parliament (or the Estates or the Diet or the Supreme Soviet, whatever the hell you call it) could use as many hippie pinko f*ggots as it can get.
So now that it’s all over, what do you think? Was it worth it?
We used to know the election results the same night as well for many years (the Chicago Tribune in 1948 notwithstanding). That got boring. This new method seems so much more entertaining.
Good showing Matt. We didn’t win here in Calgary Centre either (pout), but at least the Alliance didn’t (and no, I wasn’t one of those people who voted “strategically” - I voted for the party.) If there is anything good to be said about Joe Clark’s victory it has to be that that rabid homophobe Eric Lowther is going to have to look for a new day job.
Good shot, matt. If it’s any consolation, I voted for your party. Unfortunately, I did so in southern Alberta, so it was pretty much like pissing into the wind.
Do you really think it’s voters being deprived of choice or is it more due to general apathy?
It’s my feeling that many voters don’t vote simply because of - la plus ca change, la plus ca rest comme meme.
It’s not that voters don’t feel they have power to change things, it’s that everything and everyone has become so centrist that it really makes very little difference with respect to who is in power. It occures to me, that any ruling party has to take a very conservative approach to leadership so as not to upset the delicate economic balance of the country. Generating upheaval and unrest among the populace is probably the worst thing for the economy and the party’s chances for re-election.
New Democratic Party. They are essencially the most socialist of the current seat holding parties in the Canadian political scene. The have the good fortune of being blessed with very smart, charismatic but (IMHO) overly idealistic members.
I would love to see the end of the partisanship that we suffer from here and see all the parties work together rather than work in opposition. We have an east vs west, Alliance vs Liberal situation here. This has gone on for a long time and will probably go on a lot longer.
If health care was the biggest issue in this election I wonder why more people didn’t cast their vote for the NDP candidates in their ridings, they are the party that is most supportive of our health care system while the Liberals are the one’s who stripped it in the first place. The NDP should have gained seats. The Liberals will likely hold themselves up as the saviours of our health care system but some of us know better. Our memories are not that short.
Oh well… we’ll see what happens in the next election.
Coldfire may be the only one to get this, but DAMN YOU Olent…now I have the Rush song “Circumstances” stuck in my head. And I don’t know all the words. Grrrrr.
Tough luck Matt. Next time you run, just get some compromising pictures of your opponents…never mind If it is any consolation I would have voted for you if I lived in that riding.
