As we approach election day on March 17th, some people I talk to want to be reassured that their vote is going to go towards a successful party with momentum. Well, it is.
The [federal] Green party, which has never elected an MP, rose to 13 per cent nationally and was actually a point ahead of the NDP in Ontario — 18-17.
This confirms the positive signs we’re witnessing every day, and there’s still two weeks to go. Interesting how Bruce chooses to editorialize:
Bruce Anderson, the president of Harris-Decima, says the Green support may simply reflect voters parking their support in the absence of compelling alternatives.
Or, you know, they’ve decided that we are a compelling alternative. Just maybe. (Also, my campaign manager Jeff points out that “parking” isn’t the best metaphor to use when describing Green voters, though there are admittedly precious few comparable biking or transit-related options.)
I think I see the Greens as the party with the standout entrepreneurs, and most politically active youth. A party like that will only get stronger and larger as the years wear on, especially as environmental disasters continue to pop up everywhere and make more and more of us ill and poor.
Let the parking begin.
People who ask this question can also be shown the results from the provincial election where we are slowly but surely replacing the NDP as the 3rd party and the amazing 35% showing for Jolley in Grey bruce Owen Sound.
The Ontario election shows we can pole and vote with equal strength, The votes are not parked temporarily, but driven up on the lawn and put on blocks for long term residence.
Of course, the Green party advocates permanent parking, of both automobiles and green votes.
I’ve canvassed about five buildings in Toronto Center for this by-election. It’s hard to know how what people say at the door maps onto what they say to pollsters and what they say to the ballot, but many people seem pretty straightforward and honest about their politics. I’ve never had anyone say they’re “parking” their vote, or even give the impression that it was just there until their “real” favourite party pulled up its socks, or anything like that. I don’t know how a pollster would guess that any better than I could, looking at raw data rather than face-to-face responses, so I’m going to go out on a limb and call him “wrong.”. :-)
Could a few too many lies by politicians be upsetting some people?
Democracy Watch’s “Report Card Reveals No Matter Which Party Wins, Ontario Government and Large Corporations Will Remain Largely Unaccountable for Dishonest, Unethical, Secretive, Unrepresentative and Wasteful Activities Because of Key Gaps in Main Provincial Parties’ “Good Government” Platforms
http://www.dwatch.ca/camp/RelsOct0507.html
People need to weigh the chance of wasting their vote on a candidate who has a small chance of winning vs.
lowering the expectations we have of our elected representatives and the political parities who will get hold of the levers of power.
VOTING FOR THE LESSOR OF EVILS ONLY PERPETUATES MORE EVIL.
NO VOTE IS WASTED. SAVE DEMOCRACY. SEND THE MESSAGE. VOTE FOR CHANGE.