[Canadian Election Results] Harper vs Iggy vs the 'stache

[Jacob]

Well, it ain't quite over yet... many of the mps that are "elected" aren't quite.  15 minutes ago they had a Conservative down as having won my local riding which was pretty weird in spite of him leading (with 40 out of 245 polls counted). Don Davis is a pretty strong incumbent, and this is Emerson's old riding; a Conservative win would be quite surprising.

And sure enough, now with 55 polls counted Don Davis is "elected". We may see a few switches, back and forth in the next couple of hours.

[Malthus]

I thought Iggy's speech quite dignified.

As was the rest of his campaign, I thought. Even more so when compared to Harper's.

That's the thing about this whole campaign - the Cons ran a campaign filled with gaffes and scandals; the Libs ran what I thought was a good clean campaign ... but there was no reason to vote for them, because they did not stand for anything. Any votes they shook loose, went to the NDP.

People held their noses and voted Con, if they did not want the economic activism of the NDP; they held their noses and voted NDP, if they did not want the social activism and dictatorial manner of the cons - but nobody held their noses and voted Lib, it seems. 

[Neil]

I thought Iggy's speech quite dignified.

As was the rest of his campaign, I thought. Even more so when compared to Harper's.

He didn't seem like a bad guy.  The problem is that he seemed like an opportunistic empty suit.  Layton had plans, and drive, and desire, as did Harper.  Looking only at their TV ads, Layton and Harper really looked better than Ignatieff, who seemed passive.

[Malthus]

The Bloc wins all the seats? Good for sovereignty. The Bloc wins no seats? Good for sovereignty. The Cons win a majority? Good for sovereignty ...

Not quite. Some of it is quite probably wishful thinking. I do not, for instance, equate a strong Cons. government with something being good for sovereignty. I did not say that the Bloc's debacle was something good for sovereignty. What I did write was that one should not automatically track the fate of sovereignty as a political option with the fate of the BQ or the PQ. That is apparently something which is quite hard to fathom in the Rest of Canada, because we always hear, right on cue, on each defeat of the PQ, or - formerly, on each variation of the BQ's vote - "this time, sovereignty is really done for, right?". There are many more variables at play here.

You may not have, but both sentiments have been expressed in this thread - one might almost say "right on cue".

[Neil]

That's the thing about this whole campaign - the Cons ran a campaign filled with gaffes and scandals; the Libs ran what I thought was a good clean campaign ... but there was no reason to vote for them, because they did not stand for anything. Any votes they shook loose, went to the NDP.

Yep.

[crazy canuck]

A Conservative majority, eh? I guess we'll see what Harper's all about now.

Yep.

And if does well for some time in the future.

[Grallon]

Duceppe - who lost his riding - is about to speak.




G.

[Malthus]

A Conservative majority, eh? I guess we'll see what Harper's all about now.

Yep.

And if does well for some time in the future.

The fate of Canadian political parties with majorities seems to be to become mired in complacency and corruption.

[crazy canuck]

A Conservative majority, eh? I guess we'll see what Harper's all about now.

Yep.

And if does well for some time in the future.

The fate of Canadian political parties with majorities seems to be to become mired in complacency and corruption.

Agreed.  But one can always hope - particularly now that the NPD is the alternative.

[Jacob]

Agreed.  But one can always hope.

I'm sure the mire the Conservatives will find themselves in at some point, will be of a different consistency and odour than the previous mires

[Neil]

Duceppe has the best speech of the night so far.  As much as I disagree with him, I always respected him.

[Grallon]

He's leaving.... Good good!




G.

[Barrister]

Even if you dislike the NDP, It seems Quebec has finally woke up & join the Confederation.

I dislike the NDP an awful lot, but I'd much rather have NDP MPs from Quebec than Bloc MPs.  Oh Canada!

[Barrister]

Duceppe has the best speech of the night so far.  As much as I disagree with him, I always respected him.

I thought Iggy's speech was fine.  Nothing about Duceppe's speech has impressed (other than his resignation ).

[Barrister]

as for the actual overall result.