Family and Politics

[Barrister]

He's probably more of a party man than you, though.  I don't remember if or where they still have this option, but he was proud to have voted in every election by just pulling the 'Republican' lever and walking out of the booth.

I try to avoid voting a straight GOP ticket if I can.  Occasionally I find a Democrat candidate I like for some local election.  More often than that, though, I may do a protest vote for a Libertarian-- particularly when the race isn't very close.

I vote straight small-c-conservative (and I very much regret the one time I voted Libertarian), but of course federally has meant I've voted Reform-Canadian Alliance-Conservative, and provincially have voted Progressive Conservative-Yukon Party-Wildrose Alliance.

Canadian party politics are so much more interesting than southof the border... 

[Beenherebefore]

That former defence secretary going on about aliens seems particularly interesting. Same with the mayor of Toronto.

[Barrister]

That former defence secretary going on about aliens seems particularly interesting. Same with the mayor of Toronto.

Who, Paul Hellyer?  He was Defence Minister 50 years ago.  Meh.

I'll give you Rob Ford though.

[Neil]

I couldn't bring myself to vote for the Wildrose last election.  I think I'm a little too conservative for them.

[Beenherebefore]

That former defence secretary going on about aliens seems particularly interesting. Same with the mayor of Toronto.

Who, Paul Hellyer?  He was Defence Minister 50 years ago.  Meh.

I'll give you Rob Ford though.

Ford's on another level than most. Exactly what level is hard to say.

Hellyer I suppose is just old. Or dead? Made the rounds on some Facebook group I sometimes visit today again with the alien interview. That's the sole reason I remembered him.

[Barrister]

I couldn't bring myself to vote for the Wildrose last election.  I think I'm a little too conservative for them.

And how are you feeling about that decision now?

[Caliga]

My mother is a liberal Democrat and my dad is a hardcore Republican, though he likes to pretend he's more of a moderate than he really is (he is extremely homophobic for example and so is opposed to gay rights of any kind).

[Valmy]

A Liberal Democrat?

Oh wait...a liberal Democrat 

[Savonarola]

In Michigan the Democrat party is a coalition between the unions (dominated by the United Auto Workers) and the cities (dominated by Detroit.)  (There's a real lesson in this, if organized crime and ordinary criminals can get along why can't the rest of us?)  Since we're not from Detroit and my family isn't a blue collar one everyone in my family is Republican leaning (especially at the state level.)  My parents and my youngest brother are significantly more socially conservative than I am. 

Here in Florida things are different.  I'm tempted to vote Libertarian as the laws we have aren't stopping anyone or even slowing anyone down. 

[Neil]

I couldn't bring myself to vote for the Wildrose last election.  I think I'm a little too conservative for them.

And how are you feeling about that decision now?

I'm still alright.  I definitely didn't vote for the PCs either.  In fact, I had to spoil my ballot by writing 'none of the above' on it.  The Wildrose leaves me unconvinced and wary, but I'm delighting in the meltdown of the Redford government.  Her union supporters have cooled on her, and her mishandling of all the constant expense scandals has turned most people against her.  The problem is that there really isn't a credible opposition, so even if there was an election right away, she'd win by default.

[Barrister]

I couldn't bring myself to vote for the Wildrose last election.  I think I'm a little too conservative for them.

And how are you feeling about that decision now?

I'm still alright.  I definitely didn't vote for the PCs either.  In fact, I had to spoil my ballot by writing 'none of the above' on it.  The Wildrose leaves me unconvinced and wary, but I'm delighting in the meltdown of the Redford government.  Her union supporters have cooled on her, and her mishandling of all the constant expense scandals has turned most people against her.  The problem is that there really isn't a credible opposition, so even if there was an election right away, she'd win by default.

I dunno.  I felt uneasy voting Wildrose last time, but I'm feeling much better about it now.  Smith has seemed like a solid opposition leader, and the party hasn't gotten into any self-induced wounds by stupid behaviour.

[Neil]

They have done a good job of ducking and covering, implying that they learned well from their election strategy of 'every kook in the party shoot your mouth off about social conservatism'.  They haven't earned my trust yet though.  Sitting around and letting Redford hang herself works up to a point, but they need to do some talking to convince people that they're not just right-wing populists.

[Barrister]

They have done a good job of ducking and covering, implying that they learned well from their election strategy of 'every kook in the party shoot your mouth off about social conservatism'.  They haven't earned my trust yet though.  Sitting around and letting Redford hang herself works up to a point, but they need to do some talking to convince people that they're not just right-wing populists.

I'm okay with "just right wing populists".

[Neil]

They have done a good job of ducking and covering, implying that they learned well from their election strategy of 'every kook in the party shoot your mouth off about social conservatism'.  They haven't earned my trust yet though.  Sitting around and letting Redford hang herself works up to a point, but they need to do some talking to convince people that they're not just right-wing populists.

I'm okay with "just right wing populists".

I'm a little less so, since I live in the city and do not own property.

[Capetan Mihali]

I didn't know Archie Bunker came in the Jew flavor. 

My granddad would definitely not be mistaken for a Jew.   I'm a mischling anyhow.