Commentary: Things got interesting and not ‘better’ in terms of current leadership. It WAS TIME for new leadership it really was. We will have it next time. 

It was a weird election period for me because I had just returned from a month-long road trip to California so my care level was minimal until about 4 days before the election when I got back. So many people were finally talking about it which I think is healthy but we still had a fairly weak voter turnout. Weak, and why? The ‘why’ is important as it captures a good part of the bigger picture.

Because of the intensity of current, world and local issues I think a lot of people didn’t want to be involved at all. I know that’s how I DID feel. But at the same time there was intense enough of a dislike of the current leading party to make an effort for change. It felt like a sad, pathetic reason to vote - - but that’s okay dislike is an OKAY reason to vote if not a top one.  

I was encouraged by friends and family to vote and so I did. It was difficult to decide because I so badly didn’t want to support the hate politics that of course are so rampant here and everywhere. In the end that didn’t scare me and I had at least 3 reasons to vote for a change for a turnover. 

Now I feel dishonoured as do many peers because things may actually look worse if you’re a democrat the way most Canadians are. If you’re an NDP voter as I was there was a good show of power but still a loss. Who is voting Conservative? Sometimes I wonder if there’s a large group of self-haters that hide in amongst the social democrats who will vote Cons and then watch their friends squirm and frown at the injustice all the while feeling smirky in a sick humorous way.

So it’s them, and then the people who are really voting Cons which apparently is enough to win a majority. If you get 40% of Canada’s votes, folks, you are a super champion. Or all opposing parties must form a coalition and perhaps move for a revote after some specified time and action. 

I have some thinking to do but if they give me enough time to think I’ll be overwhelmed all over again. In the meantime, CBC, please fill my vacant mind with more hockey. 

good:

Canada’s federal election this spring was a wild ride. As of last night our prime minister, Stephen Harper, has his first Conservative majority in the House of Commons—but our far-left social democrats, the New Democratic Party, more than doubled in number. Two parties all but disappeared, and the Green Party won its first seat ever. 

The Tech Election: Canadians Experiment with Online Vote-Swapping - Politics - GOOD