Gents' Political Opinion Poll

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

For the gents:

 

I'm curious as to the overall political leanings of Cerbites, so I thought I'd open a poll - "In the Federal Election of 2 May 2011, who do you intend to vote for?" I'm going to leave the poll open for five days. Near the end of the election campaign, I'll open another poll and see if views have changed.

 

Note that I'm setting it up as two separate polls - one poll for ladies and one poll for gents. There are obvious reasons why views might differ between the two. It will be interesting to see.

 

There's plenty of political debate going on, and political views expressed, on other threads.

[ottawaadventurer 5114]

Thanks for doing this. I suspect some people are more likely to vote anonymously than weigh in with their opinion... politics is hard to discuss without making enemies.. :-)

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

bump ......

[bucken 1479]

But good free political discussion is the foundation of freedom. We shouldn't feel afraid to discuss and express our opinions. We are all entitled to our opinions. Variety is what it is all about...

 

Even if everybody else is wrong..... lol just kidding - sorry, couldn't resist.

 

thanks WIT.

[Gentleman11 10508]

It may be worthwhile to add an option for a Coalition in your poll. I sense there is a groundswell of voters open to the idea of "exploring the coalition alternative" - 4 elections in 7 years is a bit much, not to mention at $300K a pop, expensive....

 

Musings for the day....

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

It may be worthwhile to add an option for a Coalition in your poll....

 

It's a poll about how you intend to vote. It's not a poll about how you think the next government should be, or might be, put together after the vote is completed. Since no candidate is running under any coalition banner, no voter will have the option of marking their "x" in favour of a "Coalition" candidate. So until then, it's just the "usual suspects" on the ballot.

 

(p.s. A reminder of the ladies' poll: http://www.cerb.ca/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=48992)

[scribbles 6031]

Argh!

See, this is why I know where my vote is going. The issues are being lost behind the deliberate misdirection about coalitions and election costs. Where do you think that $300million is spent?

In our economy.

 

Consider it a democratically motivated economic stimulus package.

 

I hope the swell turns towards issues that actually matter instead of fictional boogeyman stories of impending coalitions, cost exaggerations and attack ads that quote without context stuff that was said three years ago. It's making a mockery of our political system.

 

In case you haven't noticed, I'll be playing in the poll. ;)

[J Galt 337]

Missed an option.

 

[roamingguy 300291]

Wish I could say I was jumping for joy over my choice, but for me, it's just the less bad of all the bad choices

RG

[stevecurious 42059]

My vote is certainly going to who I consider to be the lesser of MANY evils. Having said, that which ever party is "first past the post" I hope we are not going down this road again in another two years time!

[wellie 652]

Thanks WIT for doing this poll. I am personally very interested in the outcome. I am surprised at the large number of CERB members who intend to vote Conservative. I am sure a continuing Harper government will not have a positive attitude towards sex workers. I personally intend to vote Liberal.

[fred flintstone 334]

i think i should change my name to 'none of the above" and run in the election,,,, than i would win by a landslide

[manitoba 2758]

I live in a rural Manitoba riding where the PC candidate will get at least 70% of the vote. This is one place where the proverbial yellow dog would win with a PC nomination.

 

I always vote Green simply because it sends a message that not everyone here loves the PC party and it will help get green (small g) policies on the platforms of the major parties once they see that Green has support.

[J Galt 337]

Such a shame seeing all those Lib/Con votes slapping democracy in the face. Oh well, we'll be a full blown dictatorship within 10 years anyway.

[roamingguy 300291]

With all the talk of democracy, who the hell made the media consortium the ones who can decide who gets to debate or not

I'm referring to the media banning the Greens from the debate, arguing they have no one in Parliament

Well first, at least they are running candidates ACROSS CANADA unlike the Bloc which only runs in one province and gives a rat's a$$ about the rest of Canada (unless it suits their own political agenda)

Second, democracy is about ideas, and when a corporate enterprise (the media) answerable to shareholders, not taxpayers, can shut those ideas down by barring their discussion, then democracy is doomed

Third, now, justifiably so, the Greens are taking this to court. And that bill is going to be footed by...yup, the taxpayers

Even though I'm not voting Green, maybe a question can be asked in the debates by Elizabeth May which requires accountability on the part of the PM, Opposition Leader etc etc etc.

RG

[omehgosh 736]

I'm sick of voting. I always feel the need to vote because I constantly hear how irresponsible it is not to.

 

I don't like any of the choices. I haven't for many years.

 

Call me a dreamer, but I'd like a party that has the best interests of Canada in mind, and not just themselves.

 

I'd like a government that quits misspending my tax dollars and increasing what I have to pay when they inevitably don't have enough money.

 

I'd like them to stop privatizing services that I'm paying for with my taxes and forcing me to pay for the service again through a third party.

 

I want a government that will do something about how laws here are made so that I don't feel they are being made for and by individuals with only their own interests at heart.

 

I'd like a government that will figure out a way to loosen the grip of the Unions controlling our Federal employees so that the cream of the crop of the Private sector really are motivated to move into the Public sector, and lazy, unskilled, undeserving individuals are moved to the unemployment line where they belong...

 

I want a government that maintains our Canadian culture and doesn't let a recently arrived minority dictate what Canada is... I want the freedom to say "Merry Christmas"...

 

I want police officers that are bigger than me (like they used to be) so that when I'm in trouble I feel as though they can actually protect me...

 

I'd like a truly "un-incorporated" goverment.

 

Argh...

 

I can only hope that spoiling my ballot sends more of a message than not voting at all.

 

I'll vote, but my vote will be a big "X" and "NONE!" again. (Well, as long as I can still vote with a paper ballot... did I mention "argh"...)

[Apex2006 1071]

This pole shows a minority gov so far!

Wow, we are going to spend $375,000,000 to have the exact same out come.

Here is what I have to say to all politicians!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[scribbles 6031]

Hm.

 

I said Merry Christmas at least a half dozen times this year and was neither lynched or arrested.

 

One problem solved at least. :)

[Phaedrus 209521]

I said Merry Christmas at least a half dozen times this year and was neither lynched or arrested.

I was quite touched last year to see two of my colleagues wish each other a Merry Christmas. I was touched because one's a Muslim, and the other's a Jew. There's still hope while common courtesy can triumph over religious differences.

[moonshine 399]

With all the talk of democracy, who the hell made the media consortium the ones who can decide who gets to debate or not

I'm referring to the media banning the Greens from the debate, arguing they have no one in Parliament

Well first, at least they are running candidates ACROSS CANADA unlike the Bloc which only runs in one province and gives a rat's a$$ about the rest of Canada (unless it suits their own political agenda)

Second, democracy is about ideas, and when a corporate enterprise (the media) answerable to shareholders, not taxpayers, can shut those ideas down by barring their discussion, then democracy is doomed

Third, now, justifiably so, the Greens are taking this to court. And that bill is going to be footed by...yup, the taxpayers

Even though I'm not voting Green, maybe a question can be asked in the debates by Elizabeth May which requires accountability on the part of the PM, Opposition Leader etc etc etc.

RG

 

I hate it when it's assumed 3 guys got together in a back room, had a couple of beers, and randomly decided to ignore something without giving it any thought, then gave self-congratulatory high-fives to each other while giggling about how powerful they are.

 

The media consortium came to a logical conclusion to include only parties with seats in the house. Yes the Green party has people running in all constituencies and they did get some of the popular vote. And personally I think they have enough of a presence to be included in the debate. However, if they set a precedent where the rules are bent, then it's a slippery slope where we'll eventually end up letting in any wingnut that got a vote and having 14 people in the room trying to scream over each other.

[Guest f***2f***]

Personally I don't think the Cons will be too worried about the sex trade. Any party that governs in this country has to govern from the center and the country will not sit still for a party making criminals of sex workers imho.

I do think that the Libs are out of touch with the fiscal realities and that the Cons are better suited to handle that. The NDP are just totally out to lunch with how economics work in the real world. Greens, Bloc meh.

[Guest s******ecan****]

With all the talk of democracy, who the hell made the media consortium the ones who can decide who gets to debate or not

 

Its their party so they get to invite the guests.

 

Having said that I don't see any harm in inviting the Greens. How the hell are they going to get support if they can never get exposure?

 

 

In the end though I think the debates are nothing more than the theatre of the absurd. The last one I watched was 1988 when Mulrooney slammed Turner and turned the election on its head. Since then they've all tried to repeat that moment; the result the worst kind of pissing contest you can imagine.

 

I say try something novel and not have debates this time. There is nothing useful to be learned from them.

 

The best way to get informed is to read and view multiple diversified media sources, I follow the Post, the Star, the G&M, the Citizen, The Calgary Herald, and the Vancouver Sun. Get my local stuff through the local paper, local talk radio, etc. I don't have time to read them all every day but I check their online sites when I have the chance.

 

The worst thing is to rely on TV especially to only view one channel (ie CBC).

[roamingguy 300291]

I hate it when it's assumed 3 guys got together in a back room, had a couple of beers, and randomly decided to ignore something without giving it any thought, then gave self-congratulatory high-fives to each other while giggling about how powerful they are.

 

The media consortium came to a logical conclusion to include only parties with seats in the house. Yes the Green party has people running in all constituencies and they did get some of the popular vote. And personally I think they have enough of a presence to be included in the debate. However, if they set a precedent where the rules are bent, then it's a slippery slope where we'll eventually end up letting in any wingnut that got a vote and having 14 people in the room trying to scream over each other.

 

I'd agree with your reasoning, but then to follow it to logical conclusion, really only two parties should be represented in the debate, Conservatives and Liberals, since the choice is between them who gets into power

No one outside Quebec cares about the Bloc, and the Bloc doesn't care about outside Quebec, so why should they even be heard on a Canadian national debate

NDP, a waste of seats...after Bob Rae's NDP's screwed Ontario, they just don't stand a chance.

But then, if media fortune telling determines who gets to come to the debate, why not just let the media pick the winner and loser for each election, and to hell with elections totally.

RG

[Kubrickfan 12836]

With all the talk of democracy, who the hell made the media consortium the ones who can decide who gets to debate or not

I'm referring to the media banning the Greens from the debate, arguing they have no one in Parliament

Well first, at least they are running candidates ACROSS CANADA unlike the Bloc which only runs in one province and gives a rat's a$$ about the rest of Canada (unless it suits their own political agenda)

Second, democracy is about ideas, and when a corporate enterprise (the media) answerable to shareholders, not taxpayers, can shut those ideas down by barring their discussion, then democracy is doomed

Third, now, justifiably so, the Greens are taking this to court. And that bill is going to be footed by...yup, the taxpayers

Even though I'm not voting Green, maybe a question can be asked in the debates by Elizabeth May which requires accountability on the part of the PM, Opposition Leader etc etc etc.

RG

 

 

Not disagreeing about the Green issue, and as a reminder I live in the states (so I obviously wont be voting in Canada). In the US, there is usually a cutoff if a party doesn't poll with a certain percent of the popular vote. this isn't an effort to cut anyone off as much as it is an effort to given the voters a chance to hear from the candidates that have a reasonable chance of winning. Also, as to the media, I definitely wouldn't want it run by the government.

[scribbles 6031]

As much as I don't like his politics, I give the best moment of the last debate to Duceppe. When he came out and said that the reason he would honestly answer questions and the difference between him and the other two guys was that he KNEW he'd never be prime minister, I laughed harder than I've ever laughed at politics.

 

I think it's too bad May won't be there this year. She had the most logical and informed answers to offer last year. I truly think she'd be the smartest of the bunch there this year. And I'm not even voting Green!