… and I’ll try to keep it positive.
Maybe…
But whatever you do, please don’t take this as an endorsement (or non-endorsement) for any of the candidates; these are just some idle thoughts that are absolutely not reflective of the opinions of the E-B.
I think it’s still too close to call for Monday, in spite of yesterday morning’s impressive show of Conservative support for Kellie Leitch. Does she have the momentum? Or do all Conservative candidates across the country have “momentum” right now, which is something that was hurtling around the Twitterverse the other day.
No, in this case, I think it’s true – Leitch does have momentum going into the final weekend, and it may be enough to give her a three-or-four-point edge on Monday night. On the other hand, yesterday’s ‘show of support’ could also backfire, galvanizing non-Conservative voters to line up behind the person most likely to overtake her, incumbent Helena Guergis.
Leitch can claim the high ground in this campaign, and she has kept it positive — in spite of the little slip-up at the Alliston debate when she took a poke at Guergis for taking eight weeks of leave during her pregnancy (Leitch’s new slogan: I want to help a million Canadian children… but not Helena’s…). There is no doubt she put a few noses out of joint with her sudden appearance at the Simcoe-Grey Conservative AGM last spring, and while she is highly intelligent, her assertiveness and drive through the Conservative nomination campaign turned off a number of people.
Yes, she is driven, but then again, people who win Orders of Ontario don’t do so sitting on their back deck, pontificating about local politics and drinking beer (Note to Order of Ontario selection committee: please lower the standards down to my level). In any meeting I’ve had with her, she has always impressed me with her intelligence and compassion.
But she’s also a Conservative, which tends to be a dirty word around my family; she could turn out to be the greatest Member of Parliament, ever, but that Stephen Harper guy hangs like an albatross around her neck as far as I’m concerned (The Star has done a pretty good job summing up my feelings on the subject).
While Leitch has always had my greatest respect, my respect for Guergis has grown by leaps and bounds in the last 12 months. I was moderately impressed with Guergis during her days as an opposition MP, but as soon as she got on the government side, the whole Ottawa scene seemed to go to her head, what with the allure of sitting just over the shoulder of Dear Leader, and any esteem I had for her went down the tubes. Sitting as an Independent MP, running this race the way she has without the backing of a big machine — she has obviously grown as an individual. Her answer on maternal health at the Collingwood all-candidate’s meeting absolutely blew me away with it’s thoughtfulness and compassion:”I am pro-life when it comes to myself, I could not do it (an abortion), but I wouldn’t dream of telling another woman what to do.”
There was also my question to her on what it was about her character that would inspire me to vote for her: “There’s no doubt you could say that over the last year, I’ve taken a good kickin’. I don’t profess to be perfect, but I know I have not done anything to deserve the disastrous treatment that I have… I stood strong, I’m much stronger than I was a year ago, I’m much wiser.”
Alex Smardenka may be a nice guy, but he has not impressed. His slogan the last couple of times I’ve listened, of electing a “common man” to the House of Commons, rings a little hollow when he subtly slips in references to his restaurants and the how the cover price of his golf magazine in Canada compares to its cover price in the States. Has he contributed to the community through his restaurants? Absolutely. Should it be a barometer for how you should vote? No.
I also haven’t been terribly impressed with Katy Austin in this campaign. I’ve voted for Katy, twice now (federally and provincially), because I thought she was an excellent candidate. This time, not so sure…
Green Party candidate Jace Metheral has been a breath of fresh air to the campaign, bringing a youthful exuberance to the debates – but he’s also been thoughtful and pragmatic. The party itself, also, has matured, and its policies are very reflective of my personal beliefs.
I’ve always been impressed with Peter Vander Zaag, and I often regard him as the smartest guy in the room. The Christian Heritage Party has some very valid points (hiking consumption taxes while lowering personal income taxes, for one, which any economist worth his or her salt will tell you is the way to go)… however, I always hit a block when God comes into the picture and the talk goes to abortion and banning same sex marriage…
Gord Cochrane is well-spoken, but I just haven’t delved deep enough into the Canadian Action Party’s plans to appropriately assess them. At the same time, everyone in Simcoe-Grey — intending it as a protest vote — could cast a ballot in Gord’s favour. Which means I would have to completely change my plan for the Wednesday’s front page…
Rip away, Underground Nation. And if you’re reading this on Friday, be sure to stop by Huron Club in the afternoon to personally tear me a new one…
