AS IN THE DEBATES … OR TO BE MORE SPECIFIC, AS IN THE CANADIAN DEBATE.
This past Thursday, saw the first two debates concerning this fall’s Canadian Election in October and the US Election in November. In the case of the American Election I am speaking of course of their Presidential Election coming in November of 2016.
In our Debate – The Canadian one that is – it contained three serious candidates which, if polls are accurate, are each within reach of each other – that is to say they are all in the 30% range.
There is Young Trudeau of the Liberal Party who looked nervous (his hands were moving every which way but loose, then there was Tom Mulcair who held a frozen smile throughout which reminded viewers of the proverbial village idiot, and finally there was current Prime Minister Stephen Harper who appeared his usual dour self.
All and all it was one boring event.
The only person to spice things up – a bit, was the leader of the 4th Party – the Greens – Lizzie May who showed a bit of get up and go but has as much chance of scoring big in the coming election as does a snowball in you know where.
Now a few disclaimers. I only watched the first half of this debate since I wanted to watch the Republican Debate in its entirety which came on an hour into our own.
Second, I found the debate in large measure a bore – not just because the candidates were boring – which they were – but also because I live in Ottawa and follow politics here on a day to day basis – hence I know the issues and have more or less memorized the positions of the major candidates.
Given this, I have resolved not to watch anymore of our own debates – even partially.
The only thing which would cause me to reconsider is if something came out of left field that might adversely or positively affect a campaign. Let me give you a possible example:
Say, for instance, that Tom Mulcair of the New Democratic Party was caught in a rub and tug massage parlour as was his predecessor Jack Layton. Then I would want to see in the next debate how he squirmed out of that one.
That said, I do believe debates are useful for the majority of Canadians since they do not have the time nor the inkling to follow things as closely as I do.
But I feel for them, especially after watching the Republican contenders in action.
They were head and shoulders above our own and they had something that was entirely lacking from the Canadian scene.
More on that in my next Blog.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
