cfyves.com - Politics

Rick Mercer on the Parlimentry turmoil

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:20:00 -0300

Rick Mercer.

Love it.

My 2 cents on Harper on the prorogued parliment

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:54:00 -0300

I've been watching all the rucuss that's been going on in Canadian politics in the last couple of weeks.

So today, Stephen Harper has successfully prorogued parliment and basically shut it down until january... admidst the economic turmoil.

Basically avoiding having a confidence vote come against him.

In my opinion, it is each politician's responsibility to WORK in the position that the previous electoral process has put them.

It is up to THEM (all of the parties involved) to get it right, work together, pass budgets.... while of course hamering it out in debates for the interest of Canadians.

It is also within Parliment's right to vote against the Prime Minister if they do feel as though they have lost confidence in him.

Mr Harper. You DO NOT have a mandate to run the government.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/mandate

You have a minority government... where you had %38 of the canadian vote for you and %62 of the vote against you.

I would have to say to you and to all politicians of all political stripe..... to stop wasting time and money.... iron out whatever differences you have to better serve us.

The people have already spoken, and let's not forget at huge expense (not cheap to have an election) and the results were tallied.

If you parlimentarians do not want to govern this country in proper fashion then please move over and let others in on the job.

We, who work in various circles cannot prorogue our employers because we don't get along with co-workers or don't see eye to eye with how certain tasks should be done.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/democracy

Mr Harper, Mr Dion, Mr Layton, Mr Duceppe....

If we are truely a democratic country the actions displayed in parliment not only in the last couple of weeks but prior to the election certainly do not reflect it.

It is YOUR JOB to work in parliment according to the vote of canadians and to accept what the people have decided.

USA has president elect Obama

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:58:00 -0300

It was a historic night last night for sure in a couple of different ways.

History was made as the USA dropped some of it's historical baggage by electing the first african-american president.

History was also made in the the democrats victory was quite large... winning over some traditional "red" states.

The consensus in the voting results last night seem to indicate that the greater population wanted a resounding change.... the message should be heard by the republicans as such I would think.

I didn't get to watch Obama's speech.... as I feel asleep on my couch (it was late!!!)... but I did catch McCain's speech.

I thought McCain was well spoken and very respectful.... last night during his speech I found myself really liking him more then I had during this election season. I really thought he spoke well of Obama, of putting their (parties, partisans) differences aside and getting to work on fixing their problems (economy, jobs....etc).

Some of the class that McCain showed wasn't shared by some of his crowd who would start to boo as he talked of supporting his new president. But every time they started, he shushed them...

After all was said and done, I think the change they voted for last night was an important one. If I had been american, I would have likely voted for Obama myself. Regardless, I was very happy to see that McCain was totally classy in his final speech and his expressions of unity are the expression much needed in the tough times at hand and near.

Both of these men (Obama and McCain) deserve respect, as I believe that as all the campaign dust has settled, both seemed to really have an honest desire to serve their country.

Congrats to Obama as the new president elect and also congrats to McCain for the fine example of the continual service he's shown towards his country no matter the outcome.

American presidential debate almost on

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:11:00 -0300

Even though I'm sitting here on PEI.... in Canada. I follow international news and since the presidential process has been roaring for about a year and a half in the states (guess they really really really can't wait to say bye bye to Bush) I've been following all the rucuss.

I guess maybe I watch CNN a bit too much (ok, there I admitted it).

All the details can be found over here on CNN's website.

One thing I wonder about tonight's extravaganza is just how much question jumping..... or avoiding...... or answering a question with another subject they have on the agenda will happen.

That's something that always tires me out when listening to some of these debates.... in that some polititians are just so good at giving a totally oblivious sounding blurb to the subject of the question that was asked of them.

But I suppose like so many... I'll be watching.

Let it begin!

Political campains much like selling toys

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 23:25:00 -0300

I've watched a variety of political debates, interviews, tv commercials....etc..

Being Canadian, I'm certainly following our federal election with interest. And also, being so close to the US, I'm following their presidential elections also.

There are certainly common threads in campaings across borders..... there are also similarities.

Something that bugs me is that the bulk of the messages that I see are designed to sell you the party... I suppose actually speaking or creating commercials about a parties platform might become un-entertaining, because you would hear the same thing over and over.... and well, as we do here the same things over and over.... focusing on party platforms would just lack all the cheapshots and crap that people (or maybe media) react upon the most.

All the signs.... a tool to sell you the candidate, just like a hotel room or a cup of coffee. The commercials, sometimes filled with sound bytes to make the oposition look bad whatever the context the byte was taken from..... and taking parts of the oposition's platform and only highliting something to put their platform in bad light while ignoring facts that may actually contradict whatever point is trying to be made (saw examples in both Canadian and US elections)....

Basically, I find much of what is said amounts to dribble. Amounts to the sound of stong winds blasting wind chimes.... or maybe the sound of a traffic jam.

I find the campains and some messages about the same as Tonka trying to sell their toy trucks to kids on Saturday morning.... flash a few things that will really awaken them (your audience) in a short time..... and then play it again....

This one, I found entertaining.
Palin hits Obama for 'terrorist' connection

All I can say, is that I don' t believe you can be rigorously honest and be involved in the political machine. I once heard the story of a priest who ran in politics for a short time and then quit because he said you couldn't be honest in that rat race.

My only advice to any politician for my vote would be.... talk to me about YOUR platform. If you trash the other guy... you're telling something about YOUR character..... and likely won't get my vote.