Holiday election may offend religious groups: PM

[Jay]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...17/martin_election_051117/20051117?hub=Canada



"BUSAN, South Korea — Prime Minister Paul Martin warned the three opposition leaders today that they could offend religious and ethic groups by forcing an election over the holiday season...."


8O :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Holiday election may

It's a very real factor, Jay...don't discount it. It may not be as major as Martin is playing it to be, but it is there. The biggest thing about an x-mas election is that it makes it harder for the parties to get volunteers. That will hit the Conservatives hardest because of heir constituency.

What will hit them harder is putting Tom Flanagan in charge of their advertising campaign. The Conservatives already have Alberta, after all...they need votes elsewhere and Flanagan is highly unlikely to be able to get those. Native issues are also likely to play a decent part in this campaign...Flanagan has made racist statements against natives.

So religion will play a part, but the political ineptitude of the Conservatives will play a much larger part.

 

[TenPenny]

The only people afraid of a holiday election are the reporters and the candidates. I think the religion thing is total BS. Martin is looking for excuses, and someone dreamed this one up.

 

[Jay]

Exactly. BS from the BS factory.

Surely we can shut down the BS factory for not being environmentally friendly. It's polluting the air waves and the minds of the impressionable.

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Holiday election may

No, it is a real factor...that's why everybody is trying to blame somebody else. It doesn't affect voters much...the fact that this election will about nothing and the cynical understanding that the Conservatives will commence tryin to force another election about nothing as soon as this one ends affects the average voter a lot more.

It does affect volunteers though, and that's what political campaigns run on. Volunteers don't have as much time around x-mas or, as Martin was careful to point out, other ethnic holidays.

That will affect the Conservatives who have a large Christian base. It will also affect the Liberals, especially in Quebec where they depend on a largely Catholic base.

The NDP and the BQ rely much less on religious bases, so they will be less affected.

Still, the ineptitude of the Conservatives will play a much larger role.

 

[PoisonPete2]

Hopefully, in Canada religious groups don't vote, but individuals do. We are though, slowly sinking to the level of American politicing.

I have a huge raised lawn, fronting on a very busy road which services a very affluent neighbourhood. I have two large panels and lots of paint.

I would wish to make some impactful statements. Perhaps something to sway a vote toward more responsible government, but I feel at a loss, as though nothing I say will effect outcome. I equate the new Right with a very mean-spirited fascist mindset, and I see the Liberals driven by cronyism and corruption. With the Liberals leaning so far right, there is a great vaccuum to the Centre and Left that the NDP seem to lax to fill. They are without energy or ideas ( or don't have the political aplomb to be heard).

Any suggestions of something pithy as signage to shake people out of their lethargy in the cold, dark of the upcoming election???

PS - I loved that bumper stick out of Alberta when the National Energy debate raged 'let the bastards freeze in the dark'.

 

[manda]

I agree, there are a lot of groups who will be offended by having to perform a civic duty during a highly religious time of year.

For my part, I am offended that I have to listen to campaign crap shoved down my throat at a time of year when I want to concentrate on happiness and spend time with my family

 

[Reverend Blair]

RE: Holiday election may

See, I can use the election to avoid my in-laws, so I think we should do this every year.

Pete...why not put up Broadbent's anti-corruption plan. Don't say who it's from, just put it up in big letters.

 

[PoisonPete2]

Re: RE: Holiday election may

See, I can use the election to avoid my in-laws, so I think we should do this every year.

Pete...why not put up Broadbent's anti-corruption plan. Don't say who it's from, just put it up in big letters.

Answer - can you site that for me Rev?? Thanks

 

[Reverend Blair]

Seven Point Plan

Careful, it's a PDF file.

 

[Doryman]

Re: RE: Holiday election may

The NDP and the BQ rely much less on religious bases, so they will be less affected.

True, but I think the Conservatives will take it this year. We all know that the Liberals only held on last year because many people who would have voted NDP ( young people, Left-wingers, hippies really..) got frightened of Harper (who wouldn't) and jumped onto the SS Liberal at the last minute. However, that may not happen this time, they may not vote at all. The NDP's constituency is made up of a lot of young students, and young people in between semesters are LAAAAAAzZZZZZYYYYYYY. What young person is going to get up with a hangover after their fourth christmas bash and stumble through a snowstorm to vote in a federal election. Most don't vote at all!

I believe that even though the religious right will be peeved at the thought of a Christmas election, they will show up and vote, angrily perhaps, but vote they will. Young people prying themselves away from festivities to engage in a process many of them ignore at the best of times.. I don't know...

 

[missile]

The youth vote could be a factor ,if they decide to go to the polls for once! There hasn't been much evidence of youth ever going voting in large numbers.

 

[Reverend Blair]

We all know that the Liberals only held on last year because many people who would have voted NDP ( young people, Left-wingers, hippies really..) got frightened of Harper (who wouldn't) and jumped onto the SS Liberal at the last minute.

That was definitely a factor in the number of seats that the NDP got, but in several ridings the Conservatives won the seats because the NDP and the Liberals split the left-leaning vote. If it plays out the other way this time, the Conservatives will lose seats to the NDP in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and BC.

However, that may not happen this time, they may not vote at all. The NDP's constituency is made up of a lot of young students, and young people in between semesters are LAAAAAAzZZZZZYYYYYYY.

The NDP's constituency is also made up of a lot of people my age and older. Once the youth factor is removed, the NDP have a better record of getting their core out to vote than the other parties.

What young person is going to get up with a hangover after their fourth christmas bash and stumble through a snowstorm to vote in a federal election.

If I can manage it at my advanced age, then so can the kids. :wink:

 

[no1important]

RE: Holiday election may

I always thought the NDP was the better of the parties to get their vote out?

 

[TenPenny]

? You're still expecting people to be hung over on the 23rd?

Wow. That's a holiday.

 

[no1important]

RE: Holiday election may

Well the Chinese New Year is Jan 29 and they and I celebrate for 15 days beforehand and I get drunk myself each and everyone of those 15 "New Years eve's". So I am hung over a lot in January :wink:

btw: year of the Dog 2006. I can't seem to find out when the next year "of the neocon" is. :twisted:

 

[TenPenny]

Well, 2007 is the year of the pig, but 2013 will be year of the snake. I'd say either of those would be appropriate.

 

[Ocean Breeze]

Re: RE: Holiday election may offend religious groups: PM

Well, 2007 is the year of the pig, but 2013 will be year of the snake. I'd say either of those would be appropriate.

:wink: :thumbleft: :thumbright:

 

[Reverend Blair]

I always thought the NDP was the better of the parties to get their vote out?

They are. Sometimes members even get phone calls asking them to go drive somebody else to the polls. Usually just after you get back from voting and settle in front of the TV with a beer and the dogs. Then you have to go pick up a stranger and the stranger has an oxygen tank so you can't smoke in your own car. Or maybe that's just me. ;-)

The youth demographic is always a tough one though. The NDP have a better record than other parties of getting the youth vote out, but as group young people don't vote much.

 

[DasFX]

"BUSAN, South Korea — Prime Minister Paul Martin warned the three opposition leaders today that they could offend religious and ethic groups by forcing an election over the holiday season...."

Canadian are expected to fulfill their civic duties at anytime of the year, not only when it is convenient or when they have nothing else to do. I mean how hard is it to stay informed? How hard is it to walk a few blocks, take the bus or subway or drive to a polling station and mark an X beside your candidate's name and put it in a box?