Is This Winter?

Life indeed rolls along. Things seem to have settled into their more organized chaos with me. School is picking up and I have plenty of readings to keep me busy. My eye is almost at 100% and getting better every day. My son is healthy, my wife is happy and in less than three weeks we will be basking in the tropical sun on the island of Oahu. Yes, life is wonderful.

Politically, there isn't much on the radar. No one has died of Harper-ism and Canada as we know it continues to exist. I'm looking forward to seeing the new cabinet. In my view, it will give everyone a very good idea about the kind of country that Stephen Harper wants to build. He has a lot of very talented people to work with and I know they'll do some great things for me and for all Canadians.

We continue to enjoy this 'heat wave' in Edmonton. Before I moved up here a few years ago for school I had the expectation that winters would be pretty intense in the City of Champions. My experience has thus far been a warmer winter each year. Temperatures have only recently begun dipping below zero and even then, it isn't by much. I haven't enjoyed a winter simliar to this since my time in northern California where it wasn't a whole lot warmer (maybe between 5 and 10 degrees celsius).

I'm not complaining and I don't pretend to know what's causing it. Global warming? Something in the water? Excessive burrito consumption? Who knows. But it's times like these when I get to thinking that maybe finding the thermometer a bit warmer than usual isn't such a bad things after all.

Street Racing

I just watched a report about a street-race in Ontario that resulted in the death of an innocent man. It really is sad to see stuff like this happen.

My take is this. Firstly, I think it is unfair to say that these kinds of action are the direct result of playing a particular video game. This is the fault of two people who did something extremely stupid. The blame falls squarely on them in my view.

As somewhat of a gamer myself, I consider video games to be a harmless pursuit of enjoyment. A vast majority of people I know have more than enough intelligence to distinguish between what goes on in reality and something they see on the small-screen.

I sincerely hope that these young men get what they deserve. Barring the fact that the victim was about to become a Canadian citizen, it is still a needless tragedy that should not have happened. In my mind, jail time and plenty of it can help to set things right. Maybe I sound a tad harsh but I have very little, if any, patience for those who refuse to accept the consequences of their decisions.

Oh, Ontario

Maybe I'll say this now that I've had the chance to sleep on it.

I'm an Albertan. I love my country and the many great things about it. I love traveling abroad and being able to bask in the warm, glowing, warming, glow that is a profound admiration for Canada. But after carefully observing three federal elections, I don't think I will ever understand Ontario voters.

Despite everything that happened and despite the promise of something with a real potential to provide desired change, you've stuck with the devil you know as opposed to the perceived unknown.

Maybe it's just the Alberta talking but I think that's crazy.

There... I've said it. Now, let's get back to business.

Congratulations, Stephen Harper... Prime Minister of Canada!

What a night to remember! After a long day scrutineering in one of the closest races of Alberta (Edmonton Strathcona) I raced over to join my friends where we watched the election unfold on the big screen. Are the results disappointing? No. Conservatism has been given a real opportunity in this country and I know that Stephen Harper will do a great job as PM.

I have a few thoughts that I will briefly comment on. Firstly, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the parties and their candidates. Campaigns have their moments when emotions rise and tempers can flare. However, running in an election and being willing to put your name on a ballot by standing up for what you believe in takes a lot of guts.

I believe that all of the leaders were gracious and showed true character in their addresses this evening. I respect Paul Martin more at the end of the day than I did at the beginning, and it's not because he said he would resign. I think he showed real class when he acknowledged the will of the voters and was willing to step aside for the benefit of a movement that he feels very strongly in. I do not always agree with Liberal policies but I do not doubt that Mr. Martin is a good man who cares about his country. The same can be said about the other leaders.

A word to NDP supporters, though. Jack Layton was dignified... too many of you were not when you booed Stephen Harper. As far as I can tell, you were the only ones who did so. Other camps politely applauded as a show of support and respect for the vote. In my mind, you do your party a great disservice by acting in such a way. Grow up!

As for Stephen Harper and the Tories, I admit that I am thrilled with the prospect of a Conservative government. I've long felt that it would be much better for the Tories and for Canada to have a minority. Harper will have challenges and making this parliament work will be difficult. I think he can do it, though. I really think he can.

I will continue to blog. To share what insight I can into how I view the political landscape. At times I will agree, and I'm positive that I will see things that I do not support. I'm not simply going to accept everything that this government does just because I happen to support them. Democracy allows for healthy debate and discussion. I would hope that parliamentarians and people take advantage of those chances to participate and share ideas. A willingness to work together and compromise wouldn't hurt either.

I will long remember this night. I have waited for it for some time. I'm excited for the possibilities that this government can make happen for me and for Canadians.

I look forward to seeing this new chapter unfold.

Happy Ballot Day

Today is the day that many of us have been waiting for for a long time. Get out to vote and sit back and watch as history is made in this great country!

Boo!!

I got a kick out of this recent post on the Liberal Party website. Out of curiosity, what kind of images are conjured in your mind when you first see the words "Under the cover of darkness..."

Are you scared yet?

Some Nearly Final Thoughts

There are a few issues that continue to play over in my mind. The campaing is going right down to the wire and in less than 48 hours we will more or less have a pretty good idea about the direction that our country will be heading.

Mr. Martin continues to accuse Stephen Harper and other Conservatives of harboring some secret, ultra right-wing agenda. He proudly proclaims that it is only the Liberals who will defend progressive, Canadian values from an extremist Conservative regime. Mr. Martin says that those who oppose such things as same-sex marriage, and have reservations on issues such as abortion (including myself) just don't get it. I don't consider myself an extremist... in fact, I would count myself as a pretty laid-back and easy-going guy. That Mr. Martin can continue to discriminate against those people who for whatever reason oppose such social issues, shows just how sad of an excuse of a leader he can really be.

As for the Conservatives being somewhat cautious during the past little while and heading into the final days, I don't think there is anything wrong with that. As we have seen time and time again, we have people in the media, and very often a Prime Minister who will stop at nothing to attack anything they can in order to maintain their lead. I don't think the Conservatives are worried that some of their candidates will 'spill the beans' on their alleged hidden agenda. Rather, the Tories are worried that too many people like Paul Martin will twist the truth in an attempt to portray them as something they aren't. You wanna know what the Tories are all about, go read their policy platform. Don't listen to the regurgitated vomit that freely spews from spin-meisters and an increasingly irate (and soon to be out of power) PM.

That the Liberals are apparently 'surging' in the polls and have earned the endorsement of people like Jason Cherniak, means little in the long run. Most Canadians want real change... something that the Libs are incapable of delivering. Don't take my word on it though. I think they'll see for themselves come election day.

The Gap Narrows

It seems the Libs have finally got into their groove. I will hand it to Martin, he has looked much more rejuvenated as of late. The only thing that would make him look even better was if he started talking about policy instead of of that "don't vote for anything else but me" garbage. Yes, it's an election and yes, you try to earn support. It's an insult to the intelligence and integrity of Canadians when the best you can do is scare people into not voting for your opponents.

Am I worried? No. Polls are snapshots and tells a brief story into this election. Yes they show that Martin is gaining some ground, albeit for the first time in weeks. However, it's embarassing that the leader of our country enjoys much of his success spreading lies and throwing crap at the fan.

He reminds me sometimes of Grand Moff Tarkin in Episode IV of Star Wars. Yes... Grand Moff Martin with his "Fear will keep the local [people] in line" schtick.

If this is really the best that he can do, if this is really how desperate he is to be Prime Minister for just a while longer, I only hope he gets what he deserves: a swift electoral boot to the rear!

How the Tables Have Turned

Just read a little bit on how the mighty Liberals, defenders of the budgetary surplus, have posted a $3 Billion dollar deficit for the month of November. Pretty rich coming from a party that equates the very idea of a deficit with everything that is evil in this world.

Check out the article at: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/story.html?id=1c878ef2-eda2-488f-b2cc-b11be5a04f9a.

Their man, Buzz

You know, I have to say that the more I hear Buzz Hargrove 'get political' and wade into this election, the more I question his credibility. I've never known a president of a union to be so heavily involved before now and I don't think he's really helped the Martin camp all that much.

What is he thinking when he says that it would be better for Quebecers to vote for the Bloc in order to stop the Tories and put the Libs back in power? His suggestion is ludicrous and seems to have made for some pretty awkward Martin moments from what it looked like. In my opinion, if he has any shred of intelligence he'll keep his mouth shut until after election day.

There's a good deal of talk about whether the Tories have peaked. I think that the Liberals apocalyptic forecasts have had somewhat of an effect. Howver, I'm trying not to be overly concerned about this. I think Canadians are smart enough not to fall for Liberal desperation again. If anything, the variance among different polls shows that this will be an exciting race. What's more exciting for me is that fact that the Conservatives are maintaining their lead. I think that confirms what many people have been saying: the mood for change is real and it will very likely make a difference come election day.

Fundamental Flop

Today has been a bit of a challenging day for me. I will say that the surgery went well and that there were no complications. My left eye is very, very tender and I 've had to learn how to go about my daily activities without such things as depth perception. It's a funny thing that depth perception... we don't realize how difficult things can be without it.

I just watched an interview with Paul Martin by CTV anchor, Lloyd Robertson. What a farce! There were about three phrases you could count on hearing him say, regardless of the given topic: fundamental(ly), values, and "I've gotta tell ya." In fact, you could probably apply these simple phrases to the entire Liberal platform and, that's right, talk like the Prime Minister. For example: "Now, I've gotta tell ya that fundamentally what we have got to do about (insert important election issue) as Canadians is fundamentally make a dinstinction about values." You get the idea.

I'm sure Paul Martin is a nice guy personally, but he's got to rely on more than just the play button in order to make a point. Fundamentally.

The Home Stretch

Things continue to look good for the Tories. New polls show that the Conservatives have increased their lead since the releast of the Liberal attack ads. With a lead of 13 points (40 to the Libs 27) it would appear that change is coming, and coming quite quickly from what I can tell.

My wife and I have enjoyed delivering flyers around the area. We also had the privilege of scrutineering for advance polls open last night. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to enjoy anything where I have to take an oath of secrecy before I begin.

On an entirely non-political note, tomorrow I head to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for corrective eye-surgery. I had been diagnosed with cranial nerve IV palsy, a condition which gave my eyes the uncanny ability to look in different directions when I glanced to my right. We figured that before this messed with my mind too much, I would go ahead and get it fixed. At this point I still have a few questions but I'm only a little nervous about tomorrow. That's right, just a little.

Tory Platform

The Conservatives (finally) unleashed their platform today. I glanced through the document and there are a lot of things I'm happy about such as the Accountability Act, increased defence spending, etc. I have to admit that it's been a tad surprising to see just how much spending there actually is. I'm no expert on fiscal policy but this is my own humble take on the situation.

I've skimmed through some of the other blogs and seen a variety of responses to the platform. Some have stated that it appears as if there's little to differentiate between Liberal and Tory policy. I tend to think that it's a bit more complicated.

Government looks like it just might remain somewhat large for the time being. However, I believe the Tories will make efforts to slowly reduce the size of the bureaucracy. The kinds of changes expected by the more conservative element within Tory supporters will take some time to implement. Canadians as a whole like big government... we like to know that we have a system in place to take care of our needs.

This is where politics comes in. Think of the outcry if Harper were to all of a sudden go on a slashing spree, cutting here and cutting there. In this country, it probably wouldn't fare too well among the general population, even though I happen to think that program cuts are not always a bad idea.

I'm not saying that the Conservative Party of Canada needs to sell-out to the socialist masses just to secure and maintain power. Let's just keep in mind that 13 years of rule by the Liberals have created certain expectations across the country. I say give the Tories some time to distance themselves from the previous regime. Before we start picking apart their platform, let's see what they can do about implementing it.

I Almost Feel Sorry

Today was very busy on the campaign. This was probably the most true in the Liberal camp. With a full day of photo-ops and interviews, I'm sure Paul Martin hoped that he would be able to turn things around. He couldn't. The Conservatives went up in the polls to widen the lead to 12 points, and the 'Apocalypse Canada' ad dominated the agenda.

I also find it interesting that big Liberal events are not as well attended these days. And as for those who are there, well, they don't look too happy or enthusiastic. It's a pretty sharp contrast from the Liberal Party we saw back in November, almost rejoicing during the non-confidence motion.

Paul Martin is looking tired, and I think he's starting to face the facts that he will lost this campaign. In my view, it would take nothing short of a miracle to halt the Tory momentum and return Mr. Martin to power. There are still 10 days in this campaign, yes, but I just don't see how the Libs can do it this time.

I almost feel sorry... but I don't.

Our PM is a Moron

The more I hear Paul Martin talk these days, the more I often have the urge to hit myself with blunt objects in the hopes that while unconscious none of his'intelligent' arguments will find their way into my fragile mind. Numerous blogs have talked now about how Mr. Martin personally approved each and every one of their new ads. By now, you're all familiar with the alleged happenings: the ad was made, then pulled, then the Libs claimed the as wasn't going to run, and that it wasn't an official ad... bla bla bla. Now we hear from his Deputy PM that all the ads were approved, except for that one (the military ad). Just makes you kind of wonder who really knows what they're talking about.

As for these new Conservative woes, I'm not overly concerned. While the Libs will do everything they can to blow these issues out of proportion I don't think it will work this time around. The Tories just have too much momentum and too much of a lead for some minor issues to throw them off of their game. I think the only thing that will work this time for Paul Martin is if Stephen Harper actually did those things he's been accused of.

I'm curious to see what the latest polling numbers will be. In my book, they will more or less show how well the Liberal ads worked, or much more likely, didn't at all.

Backlash

Everybody I've talked to lately has had some pretty unfavorable attitudes towards the Libs latest ad campaign. For anyone who hasn't seen yet, Daimnation! has posted some alternate Lib attacks. Maybe these didn't make it to the cutting room floor either. We just don't know.

Debate en Francais

I wanted to make it a point to check out tonight's debate as I expected there would be healthy discussion on just how ridiculous Martin's 'notwithstanding' pledge is. Not being a French speaker, it was a little challenging to get a feel for the debates... I couldn't sense the emotion and energy through the translators the way a native speaker could. I do think though that Stephen Harper did everything that he needed to. He kept his cool and laid out his policy priorities for Quebec and for Canada.

My favorite part of the evening came in the analysis after the debate. Mike Duffy was with his usual panel of party strategists, including the illustrious John Duffy with the Liberals. There was a lot of discussion about how negative the new Liberal ads are, particularly dealing with the spicy little piece on the military. I saw the ad myself... I thought it was one of the worst political advertsiements I've ever seen as long as I've been following politics. It gave me the impression that the Libs were trying to convince Canadians that the Tories would, with their new army, invade the country and establish a new radical right-wing regime. What a piece of advertising crap!

The Duff repeatedly questioned the Liberal strategist on why they would sink so low and use the Canadian Forces as a political pawn. I've noticed lately that when John Duffy would be asked these kind of pointed questions he would try and change the subject and accuse the media of doing little more than bring up the stuff that doesn't really matter. Tonight was no different. John Duffy got on his horse and answered, questioning once again why the Duff continues to focus on this alleged negativity. What happened next was simply magic... John Duffy was put in his place. Mike Duffy, probably one of the most easy-going political commentators in the Canadian media, went off on little John. He said that he brings up these issues because they do matter, and that it's a matter of integrity. The Duff also accused little John of trying to intimidate him during commercial breaks. Wow!! I have rarely seen such awesome moments during a Canadian election. John Duffy, once proud Liberal strategist, had been put in his place. He'd been called on his BS performance and had no alternative but to shut up. I loved it!

Liberal arrogance is betraying the very people that expected to secure another win at the polls. Harper and the Tories are well on the way to victory... Keep going, guys.

New Attack Ads

Yikes! I just browsed through some of the new Liberal spots being released today. What some called Conservative attack ads don't even hold a candle when compared to these Martinite monstrosities. For me, this confirms just how desperate the Liberal camp is getting... they will stop at nothing to try and win. It's simply amazing just how much they can twist the truth in an attempt to scare people into voting for them. Yeah, seems like a real healthy democratic practice to me. Instead of raising debate and discussion to higher levels as he pleads in last night's event, Paul Martin and his team use intimidation and lies to garner support.

When Paul Martin first became leader of the Liberal party, I admit that I believed that he would do a much better job than his predecessor. When it became apparent that he was no improvement, and in fact was much worse, he became the mascot for Liberal corruption and arrogance.

Canadians know better than to trust this dribble and they deserve so much better than what Paul Martin and his team are offering. The election is less than 2 weeks away... in some ways it can't some soon enough.

The Debate, Round 2

My wife and I went over to Rahim Jaffer's campign office to watch the debates with other volunteers and conservative-minded folk. I really enjoyed it and I really enjoyed the debate.

I've been anticipating these debates for some time now, especially considering the recent Conservative surges in the polls. Overall, I feel that Stephen Harper did the best job in showing Canada that he can be a leader. He stayed on topic, answered questions, and kept his cool. I can't say that about Paul Martin, who frequently dodged questions and jumped around to other issues. Once again the fear card comes out and rears its ugly head. It's a shame that there are still people who buy it.

One of the biggest surprises for me was hearing Paul Martin's pledge to get rid of the notwithstanding clause. Maybe it's just me but that seems like one of the worst ideas the Libs have had in their ever growing string of bad ideas. I think that it is an incredibly bad idea to leave the final say with the courts. They play an important role but I'm much happier knowing that elected officials are deciding the direction of this country, not appointed judges.

Helping Rahim

Spent some time over the past few days delivering flyers for Rahim. My wife and I had talked for a while about getting more involved in the campaign and finally hopped on the good ship Jaffer. Our first assignment took us to a little place known at the campaign office as "Death Valley"... an area near the University of Alberta populated by more than their fair share of nurses and... students (shudder). We only got a few murderous glances in the course of our little stroll so we figure we were able to take on a bit more and picked up some more flyers this morning. It never hurts, I guess, when preparing for an upcoming door-knocking session with Rahim next Tuesday. Should be fun!

Gold for Canada, Less than Golden Behavior

I didn't watch the game (even my peasant-vision doesn't always work) but I saw how Canada won a decisive victory over Russia in the World Junior Hockey Championship. I wasn't sure if they could do it with such a young team but they overcame expectations and won hearts with their spectacular performance. Congratulations! The only things that in my mind would have made the victory a little more wholesome was if Canadian fans had shown a lot more dignity during the Russia-USA match a few days previous. What, exactly, is the point of booing the United States at a hockey game, especially when the home team isn't even playing them? Once again, we self-righteously wear our prejudices and misunderstanding on our sleeves by conducting oursleves in that way. I'm really sure that those 18-year old have a lot to do with US government policy... if they really care much at all. Last I checked they came up there to play a little hockey and nothing more. These are the times when I sometimes feel a little ashamed to be a Canadian. I lived in the US for a couple of years and I was amazed at just how many Americans respected our country for the good work that it has done and does around the world. Those who notice this ridiculous anti-Americanism aren't exactly likely to maintain that opinion. You can't blame that on an unpopular administration... that fault lies squarely on the childish behavior of far too many a Canuck.

So here's to you, Mr. Robinson...

I really can't tell you how much it angers me when any Liberal pundit or hack gets all self-righteous when anyone else comments on one of the many scandals that have plagued this government. I watched an interview today that involved Mike Robinson, one of Paul Martin's advisors. When asked about the Income Trust affair he brushed it off and essentially said this was a non-issue, saying that it was the press who kept wanting to bring this up. When attacked by Joy MacPhail (another voice I tire of hearing) and/or David Frum, he pulled the innocent card and very regally questioned how these people would dare question the integrity of the Prime Minister. Sorry, Mike.... I don't trust him and I know a lot of other Canadians who don't either. You just aren't in a position where you can say that Canadians don't want to talk about these issues. You and every other Liberal are the ones who don't want to discuss the fact that time and time again you have betrayed the trust of Canadians from across this country. Maybe you should start advising your boss to start taking more responsibility for what happens under his watch.

Good Read

I just finished a new book that I got for Christmas. I don't get enough opportunity to read for leisure anymore... too much time is often consumed by textbooks and we all know how fun those can be. State of Fear by Michael Crichton turned out to be much more informative for me than I had originally expected.
I've long enjoyed Crichton's writing... he can go into incredible detail and still keep it entertaining. This particular work dealt with the idea of global warming. Admittedly, it is primarily a work of fiction but I have to say that I've had many misconceptions about global warming defused in the course of my reading. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in hearing something other than the doom-and-gloom messages we are so often bombarded with by sensationalist environmentalists through an all too willing media. I was simply reminded of the fact that we really don't have a clue when it comes to environmental preservation and control. There are just too many factors to consider and unfortunately, too much bias in the science we often see. I should state that neither myself or Mr. Crichton are staunchly opposed to those efforts that exist to give help to a world that in my mind desperately needs it. What I admire about this book was just how it was able to have open and frank discussion of the issues without all that unnecessary hysteria. It's highly refreshing.
It's also been a busy day on the campaign. I'll have to write more later after I've checked more of the news.

Let the Mayhem Begin

I'm actually kind of glad to see things moving with the election again. Phase 2 of the campaign, as it's often been called, produced some very different starts among the various parties. From articles I've read and interviews I've watched, it seems much of the talk has been centered on how close this election is becoming. The Conservatives have the momentum right now and I think for very good reason. They've run a solid campaign so far and I really believe that more and more Canadians are starting to take a look at what the Tories are offering.
I had a good laugh when I heard some of Paul Martin's attacks. The Libs just can't resist pulling up the ghosts of the past. I mean, come on... "Don't vote for that other guy because he's different and a long time ago he said these nasty things." That's like me back in elementary school, pulling out the "you're not invited to my birthday party" card. In my opinion, it just doesn't show a great deal of vision. Let's talk about policy, guys. I'm sure Paul's said more than his share of dumb things in his day. The fact that the Liberals are relying on old sound bytes suggests to me that they're having a hard time coming up with things to criticize from today.
As for the new Conservative 'attack ads,' I happen to really, really like them. I like them far better than the first ads that were coming out. I think the new ad is quite unique, and catchy to boot. It uses words from the 'Honorable' Prime Minister, headlines from a national newspaper, and a report from a judge to get their point across. Let's not forget that a lot of Canadians have been upset by what the Libs have done. Frankly, I find it amazing that despite all that's happened there a still so many who are willing to support them. I think you'd be pretty hard pressed to find another devloped democracy that would permit the continued governance of such a corrupt entity.
I think the Libs are starting to scramble a little bit and rightly so. For the first time in more than a decade they are facing the very real prospect of losing and having to account for their actions while in power. The call for change is getting stronger and I look forward to seeing it happen.

Back to Edmonton

It feels good to be back at my computer... how I've missed my little black box. In any case, it was a great holiday and I was glad to be able to spend some time with my family. Now that I'm home I can get back to blogging, apartment managing and dealing with that nice little repair bill for our car.
I don't have much to say at the moment about the campaign. I am encouraged by recent polls which show the Liberals and Conservatives in a virtual dead heat. Whatever the outcome it is going to be one exciting race. I'm sure that the next few weeks are going to be pretty intense... let's hope it doesn't get too nasty.