Tuesday, September 5, 2006

on partizanship.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The more involved I get in partisan politics, the more I dislike political parties.

I've thought about going to the Federal Liberal leadership convention in Montreal in November, but I just can't find the interest (and the money of course, how ridiculous is it that it will cost over $1000 to attend as a party delegate). Though I like Gerard Kennedy, and think he would be a better leader for the fedlibs than most of the other options, I'm just not really excited about Federal politics in Canada. Harper is boring (and a Conservative). Layton has a talented caucus, but he seems like a flash-in-the-pan. The only real excitement seems to be coming from Elizabeth May's election as leader of the Greens.

I still enjoy provincial politics in Alberta and municipal politics in Edmonton though.

I'm just not to hot on the partisaness anymore.

Maybe something will change.

On another note, this is fun.

7 comments:

  1. That office clip is truely one of the most colorful allusions to the power of the great man theory of history. that even dwight could lead the crowd!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, dear. When you can get more hopeful about Alberta provincial politics than you can get about federal politics, that's saying something.

    I'm telling you, though, it's Canada. We have a toxic political culture in which all the parties are constantly at each other's throats instead of looking for common ground and attempting to work together. Most other countries aren't like this, so it's not a requirement for political partisanship. Hell, most other countries manage to form *governments* with more than one party in them.

    I just wish there were a quick fix, because it sure gets to me, too.

    ReplyDelete
  3. the quick fix is to keep electing minority governments until they realize that maybe the Canadian public is sending them a message.

    ReplyDelete
  4. c-lo,

    Heh. That sounds more like a sloooooow fix to me! But you're right, it's probably the only way to go. Proportional representation would speed things up a bit, as the parties would *have* to learn to work together, but even that wouldn't really solve things overnight.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like the Greens...not their chances at powerbut at serious influence for sure. The "feel" of the party and moving beyond a single issue platform - not that the environment is not a critically important issue..into a full fledged political party. Good on them. We did some video interviews with the two leading Green candidates during their campaign. Check them out at www.policychannel.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I share you dismay over party politics. Stephen Lewis in theGlobe and Mail today reaffirms the potentil seing a "renaissance" amongst youth interest without cynicism. the we have the CPC Party rejecting a challenge to Myron Thompson's seat in the same edition. Sad state of affairs.
    Stay engaged - go to the convention and keep commentig on these things - it is the only way to change them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Political parties are ass. Welcome to my world.

    ReplyDelete