I’ve created a page for election stuff where I’ll be posting links to all the blog entries that relate to the upcoming election, as well as additional resources from elsewhere.

If you write any letters, articles or posts on other sites that you think deserve front-page status, you can email them to me I’ll post them up (with full credit of course). Otherwise, paste them in as comments to the blog entry that relates to them, or put them in the comments to the page I just linked to. Also, feel free to send me or post any links to additional resources and I will link to them from that page.

I think letters to candidates and to the editors of major publications are definitely worthwhile. There’s something else that I think would have impact, and is a lot of fun: posting on the websites and blogs of people and organizations who support the people we don’t want elected. Canadian voters are shopping right now in more ways than one, and the online commerce in ideas is growing even faster than the one for Christmas gifts. Few things are so entertaining as co-opting the web space of your opponents to post your own views.

Just like here, many other blogs allow you to supply a link when you post your comments. You can use the link to the page I’ve created, which is http://socialtech.ca/ade/index.php/election-2006/ and anyone who clicks on your name after posting will be brought to that page. Hopefully, they’ll read something that just might change their minds. Just remember that if you intend to persuade, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, “A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gal.”

After 18 months, the debilitated 38th parliament has come to its long-anticipated and tiresome end. What should voting Canadians expect next as they crowd around politically charged and festive dinner tables?

A few of the usual electoral trimmings: a marked increase in front page pie charts, ugly talking-heads to explain the pie charts, nasty campaign rhetoric, empty promises, bad photo-ops, more ugly talking heads to explain the nasty emptiness. It should be a lot like 2004’s election campaign – same leaders, same issues, same support levels.

Should we expect the same outcome? This is the question on everyone’s mind. No one can answer this question yet. At least, I wouldn’t believe anyone who said they could tell you the election’s outcome. They would be lying and probably campaigning. I’ll tell you what I suspect we can expect this election, without claiming the victor. It’s the best anyone can do right now.

1. First off, this is Stephen Harper’s election to lose. The Conservatives have presumably learned from the mistakes they made in the last campaign. They are the only party expected to have a significantly re-tooled campaign message for Canadians. They are they only party who can replace the Liberals as a national government. If Harper can project a positive persona, convincingly and with optimism, it is possible that he is the man to beat.

   Expect to see more of Harper’s wife and kids in this campaign. The Tory strategy is going to be about differentiating Harper, without outright attacking Martin. “Harper as a family man, a hard working, honest, Canadian everyman.” There will be plenty of Liberal corruption rhetoric, but the Tories are less likely than the Liberals to wage personal attacks on the leader, and that may resonate well with Canadians at Christmas time.

2. The Liberal party will not stray far from the successful 2004 election message. Paul “The Deficit Slayer” Martin will be branded as a confident leader, a statesman, the only true Prime Minister. Their Liberal message will be to ask Canadians to reflect on the one poll question that Paul Martin continuously dominates: Which party leader do Canadians trust most to be Prime Minister? It is a simple message that won the 2004 election. With the party brand still in some disrepair, the focus will be on Paul Martin. Liberal campaign signs were re-branded in 2004 with the ‘Team Martin’ logo. Expect to see more of the same.

   Also, similar to 2004, expect a strong fear campaign aimed at Harper and the Conservative ‘hidden agenda.’ American republicanism has not done any favors for Canadian Tories, who (rightly or wrongly) in some minds are a similar political stripe. The Liberals will try to emphasize that Canadians don’t know what to expect from a Harper government. Of course, the flip side to this is that they know exactly what to expect from the Martin government – for better or worse.

3. The NDP, try as they might, are going to have a hard time being heard in this campaign. It’s not that they are unimportant, but rather that this is not an election they are equipped for. This campaign will occur on television, in living rooms, over dinner, while people are on vacation, while Canadians are generally distracted with other pursuits. It is going to be all about compact messaging, visual appeals, negative attacks, and fast, easy-to-digest dialogues about the kind of Canada Canadians want.

   The NDP do not have any fast or easy-to-digest message, nor do they speak well in visual terms. They don’t have a clear enemy, and they aren’t about to attack anyone’s credibility. Although these statements may endear them to some, the NDP are not going to be able to deliver a compact mass-message that influences voters. This is my hunch. I could be wrong. In 1988, under Ed Broadbent, the NDP polled similarly at 19% popularity before the election – they won 43 seats. Who knows? Vote splitting is going to be a factor, and anything is possible.

4. Pollsters are going to drive us all crazy. Pollsters view this election as the biggest Christmas gift ever. It is a tight race, people are busy, and the issues require summary. They are going to poll the shit out of this thing. Look at the front of the Globe this morning. However, the wealth of data will only make the numbers less credible. The simple fact about polls is this: there is no story if the Liberals are doing well. Pollsters will find a way to make the story compelling. Expect an early dip in Liberal poll numbers, maybe even a long-term dip. This will rebound in January. I suspect, if Harper manages to keep an even-keel campaign, that the Jan. 22 numbers will be very, very, very close.

Enjoy this holiday election Canada. With voter non-participation rising above 40%, you’ve earned it.

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This article was written by alevo

Canadians Breathe Sigh of Irritation, Indifference

Warren Kinsella:

“Thus the Liberal Party of Canada, circa 2005 A.D. Dispirited, disliked and divided in much of the country – and spared the loss of power only by the fact that their principal adversaries are (for now) distrusted by many female voters. Too many Liberals confuse the Conservatives’ continuing inability to win an election with enthusiasm for the alternative. One day – and one day soon, I believe – the Conservative Party will attract the support of enough Canadians, and Liberals will bitterly rue the day they forsook renewal.”

Marijuana Smokers Outraged as Layton Turns His Back on Key Constituency

Bill C-17, which would have decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana, died on the order paper when the government was defeated. Across the country, millions of dope smokers who had been holding their breath while they waited for the bill to pass – and to ensure they got a good hit – finally exhaled, disappointed.

SPCA: A Vote for Harper is a Vote for Kitten-Torturers

Along with Bill C-17, an animal cruelty bill also died with yesterday’s overthrow of the Liberals, clearly showing that whatever Harper believes in, being nice to puppies is not one of them. Conservative strategists are reportedly worried about the damage this will do to his quest for a “kinder, gentler” image. Look for Harper to toss a few small furry animals into his baby- and hamburger-juggling repertoire this holiday season.

Democracy Now has this remarkable interview with William Sampson, the Canadian who was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2001 and accused of terrorism and spying for the UK. While in prison he was beaten, tortured and raped.

Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade calls relations between Canada and Saudi Arabia “cordial” on it’s website. It goes on to say:

Saudi Arabia is currently Canada’s largest trading partner in the Arabian Peninsula. With a population of 23 million and an estimated Gross Domestic Product of US$211 billion, trade and economic interests continue to be at the forefront of our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia. Two-way trade with Saudi Arabia reached $1.4 billion in 2003 with the balance of trade in Saudi Arabia’s favour in each of the last five years. Canada’s imports (mainly oil) from Saudi Arabia in 2003 were valued at $919 million and Canadian exports (primarily value-added manufactures) reached $465 million.

With the recent conclusion of several bilateral agreements with, among others, the European Union, China and Canada, Saudi Arabia is progressing towards accession to the World Trade Organization. Its accession would result in changes to tariffs and regulations restricting entry of some Canadian exports.

Mr. Sampson’s compelling account of the brutal treatment he received at the hands of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence service is shocking and outrageous. Why is Canada helping a country that beats, tortures and sodomizes Canadian citizens join the World Trade Organization? Why has there been no high-level government inquiry into the treatment of Mr. Sampson?

Could it be because an inquiry wouldn’t just expose the hypocrisy of maintaining good relations with torturers, it would also expose the ineptitude of the Canadian government in working for Mr. Sampsons release? In the interview, he’s asked what the Canadian government did for him. He replies:

Told me that I was guilty to my face. That’s about all that they did for me. And they also told my father the same thing. That was the full extent of it. And yet, I know that the Canadian government has never been provided with any forensic evidence that would confirm my guilt. They have never been given a sight of the confessions I signed.

As Canada continues to pursue closer relations with countries that have appalling human rights records (China is the most glaring example of many), it’s increasingly obvious we are willing to sacrifice what we call our “values” as long as there’s money to be made. As our Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade admits, “trade and economic interests continue to be at the forefront of our bilateral relations with Saudi Arabia”.

You’d think the fact Saudi Arabia imprisoned a Canadian on absurdly trumped-up charges and then raped, beat and tortured him would at least get an honourary mention.

Images have an undeniable power. Since the dawn of mankind people have struggled to capture their own likenesses and those of the animals and things around them. The story of art was a steady progression towards more and more perfect images until the 16th century, when they were finally perfected by the great Renaissance painters.

This power is well-understood by practitioners of religion and magic. The Old Testament forbade the creation of images in the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth”, which didn’t really stop anybody, least of all the people who build churches. (Contrast the huge number of images in a Catholic church compared to their total absence in a mosque.)

The practice of sympathetic magic is also ancient, which involves “the use of physical objects which resemble the object or objects one hopes to influence” (1). The best-known example is the voodoo doll, of New Orleans voodoo fame, although the use of poppets comes from European traditions.

Rooted in these beliefs of the power of images is the legendary story of the “native” who refuses to allow his picture to be taken. He feels that by allowing his perfect replication in an image, he is giving up control over himself in some way. With the power of digital technology to alter images, perhaps he is right.

Now that we’re stuck with the possibility of a holiday election, we will soon be seeing a lot more of our national leaders than any of us really want. I think it’s time to remind them that no matter how important they think they are, we’re still the ones in control. Especially if we own a copy of Photoshop. I’ll go first with Andre Boisclair, the PQ’s new leader:

“Ehhhh Canada, say ‘ello to my little friend!”

                  Sent in by tim

Send ’em in via email and I’ll post them up!