I've said it before and I'll say it again
Weak, Canada. Just weak.
Every time I go to vote, I become sharply aware of the fact that our entire democratic system is perched on the edge of the abyss over which we find only chaos. I have never voted in a riding in which I've been registered, except the very first time - I'm an unsettled 30something, I change postal codes like iPhone buyers change email addresses, i.e. frequently and to great concern among the populace. So every time I have to go and vote I need to register at the polling station I'm in, and every single time, I am simply stunned that any dimwit with half an ounce of ambition wouldn't be able to throw this entire electoral system over with a couple pieces of construction paper and some scotch tape.
Yesterday, when I went to register, my voter card was taken by a blind guy. I mean, he was probably a volunteer and god bless him for coming out to help with the process, but he was fucking blind, and his job was to read voter cards. He asked me to read my voter card to him. My card could have said that I was Batman, here to arrest the Penguin, and he still would have assigned me to booth 63.
Well anyways, you get what you pay for. A couple more years of this and we'll get some whackshit Tory splinter parties to split the vote on the right the way it's been split on the left. Until then, the cat-eating space robot rules us like a king. Admit it: you had a look at the markets this morning and were the tiniest bit guilty-glad, weren't you?
Comments
I'm not sure I agree with the weakness sentiment.
When the entire purpose of this election is to win a majority as opposed to say . . . policy, can you blame people for not being interested?
Experts called it the Seinfeld election until the economy collapsed and then all the parties were united in not doing anything substantial about it.
Then, we have the Conservatives almost taking control of parliament with about a third of the popular vote, re-enforcing the idea that your vote counts for nothing.
And I find the Harper/Space robot comparison highly offensive! Space robots are fuckin awesome.
Posted by: D- | October 15, 2008 1:05 PM
Debate along similar lines continues over on blogTO...
blogto.com/city/2008/10/morning_brew_october_15th_2008
I will reiterate one of my comments from that post, however, saying:
"Voter apathy is the way of life nowadays. I'm pretty serious about the democratic process but when I know for an ascertainable fact that my candidate isn't even in the ballpark of a win for my riding (Toronto Central), it's pretty difficult to come home from a long day at work and still think my single vote matters.
"But I've got Craig Ferguson barking "If you don't vote you're a moron" in my ear in his delightful brogue, and it's enough to get me out to withstand the indignities of the process.
"Still, though, it does seem like we know too much about the value of our votes before we even cast them. If I was in a contested riding I'd probably perk up, but in a stronghold riding it's a lot harder to find the enthusiasm."
Posted by: tederick | October 15, 2008 1:12 PM
I will also reiterate my other comment, which is that I sincerely hope and believe that Jack and Olivia have a roaring sex life.
Posted by: tederick | October 15, 2008 1:13 PM
I'm in a contested riding so it made it easier to get out there.
In the past though, I've also shown up to vote to intentionally spoil my ballot due to crappy options. But its not like they report those sorts of things.
I wonder what would happen if they started including a "none of the above" option?
Posted by: D- | October 15, 2008 1:20 PM
The same thing that happens when people put their religion as "Jedi" on the census: mass fucking hysteria.
Posted by: tederick | October 15, 2008 1:29 PM