I realize that Ontario's pending provincial election is likely less than riveting for those living outside the province; however, the fact that a demagogue like PC leader Doug Ford has been leading in the polls until recently should concern all of us.
As Canadians, we like to feel smug vis-à-vis the United States, saddled as it is with its choice of an imbecile for president. However, that smugness needs to be tempered both by the election of populist crack user Rob Ford, who was the mayor of Toronto, and the realization that brother Doug's robotic presentation of himself as "for the people" has yielded him quite a following. To ignore those realities does no one any service.
Last night's debate, featuring the leaders of all three major parties, was a study in contrasts. Both the NDP's Andrea Horwath and (outgoing?) Premier Kathleen Wynne acquitted themselves quite well (although I thought Horwath interrupted too frequently), displaying a poise and a depth of knowledge that one would hope for in a leader. On the other hand, Doug Ford relied on boilerplate promises to lower taxes and find efficiencies, at the same time 'guaranteeing that no one would lose their jobs.
And it got even better, as he
promised a 20-per-cent cut to the second-lowest income-tax bracket, an end to the province’s cap-and-trade system, and a 10-cent-per-litre cut to the gasoline tax.Welcome to Magical Thinking 101.
To compound his amateurish bluster, Ford warned of dire consequences should the NDP form government:
“I travel around, I’ve talked to hundreds and hundreds of companies — they are terrified of the NDP coming in,” Ford told viewers during the raucous 90-minute televised debate.To the thick-headed, this strategy (Hyperbole/Fearmongering 101) would surely strike fear and loathing of those godless socialists. To drive home his point about the perils of an NDP government, repetition being his forte, Ford Added,
“They’ve told me personally, ‘We will pack up and we will go down south in half a second.’ God forbid the NDP ever get in, they will destroy our province,” he said, predicting Horwath “would annihilate the middle class” and “bankrupt this province.”
“They will destroy our province, destroy our economy. That’s a fact..."This has been but a brief reflection by one who has followed politics for many, many years. As a student of human nature, I find all elections fascinating, offering as they do a kind of Rorschach test of one's fellow citizens.
Elections help determine the kind of society we live in. For those who feel strongly (and everyone should) about such matters, their responsibility to cast a vote is undeniable. Otherwise, of course, you are letting someone else impose their vision.
Ah yes, the beauty of democracy.
For those who didn't see the debate and might want to dip into it, here it is in its entirety:
I eagerly await the day when this is over. We had a nail biter of an election but it's hard to imagine where yours is going. How many seats will the Liberals hold after the blood letting? Which candidate with the Globe endorse? Will Kinsella ever get over the fact that the Wynne Liberals didn't hire him to manage their campaign? All these questions. I'm exhausted.
ReplyDeleteThe thinking currently, according to the polls, is that the Liberals could lose official status in the legislature, Mound, but I have been around long enough to be wary of polls. That being said, I have a strong feeling that the NDP is going to form the next government. Whether or not it will be a majority or not remains to be seen.
DeleteAs for the self-proclaimed newspaper of record, they will likely endorse Wynne, since their tattered reputation could not withstand an endorsement of Ford.
There is great hope that the Green Party will make a breakthrough in Guelph, where leader Mike Schreiner is showing strength.
Ford can only repeat talking points, Lorne. And he can't think on his feet. One wonders if he can think at all.
ReplyDeleteExactly, Owen. His deficiencies were obvious in last night's debate.
DeleteNone of the three inspire much confidence in me way out East. Wynne comes over as a public servant policy wonk, Doug is an untutored buffoon as so aptly described by progbloggers, and Horvath hasn't been given much publicity at all out our way, so she doesn't come across as wonderful. We get only federal/corporate approved news coverage anyway, and this for an election in Canada's most populous province by far. Ain't it great?
ReplyDeleteI see similar lack of coverage of Russia, Iran and North Korea. We get only one side, provided by our betters. Can't trust the proles with actual info, they might come to the "wrong" conclusion and NOT hate these "enemies" of the West. Can't have that, now can we?
BM
While I support serious journalism, BM, the limitations in coverage and slant of the MSM is a serious deficiency; it is one of the reasons I read certain bloggers and alternative and online sites such as The Tyee and The National Observer, among others. Otherwise, as you suggest, we are stuck with fairly parochial, biased, corporate coverage at which, for example, The Globe and Mail often excels.
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