Eugoogly?
(Summer semi-hiatus continues while I clean up code and links. Posting will be infrequent for a little while longer. And yes, by popular request, I will be posting the full results of the Gaffe contest. Eventually.)
So Google's about to be a public company, eh?
This Wired article from eighteen months ago describes both the underlying philosophy that makes us love Google so darn much, and why the short-term profit demands of public ownership may threaten that guiding philosophy. I'll go further than the article - watch Google following the IPO if you want to see a microcosm of the biggest problem with entrusting the world - the environment, the heatth system, our education system, name it - to capitalism, as the Fraser Institute types would have us do. In the short term, share purchasers will be buying because they trust the current leadership to know what they're doing. But it won't be long before huge shareholders like pension plans and mutual funds, who are under enormous pressure to show the highest possible results quarter to quarter, will begin to pressure Google to do the same, regardless of the long-term ruining of the Google environment.
The good news is that unlike the real environment, we can leave Google's planet and head to another any time we like. And there will always be another company producing a net environment we like.
But in the meantime, click through on a Google ad once in a while. You'll note I don't host them, and I certainly don't stand to profit by telling you this. But so long as Google continues to be rewarded for being the sort of environment we want to see on the internet, it will continue to be that environment.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Monday, July 19, 2004
Random radio notes
--- Radio note number one: I was criticised at length by our dear friend Brock! On the attack! for not rushing to the defense of radio station CHOI in Montreal. CHOI will not be getting their broadcast licence renewed, because the morning man wants to euthanize psychiatric patients and thinks African students at Laval are the children of dictators, or something along those lines. I didn't look into it too deeply.
Long story short, Brock! On the attack! thinks I should be standing up for freedom of expression, because doesn't the left stand up for freedom of expression?
Well, I tend to be more libertarian than most of my left-leaning friends, and certainly don't want to silence this fellow. But, to paraphrase what I said in Brock!'s comments, giving the guy a right to speak doesn't mean we have to renew his licence to put 20,000 watts of broadcast amplification behind ideas that more appropriately belong scrawled in three different colours of ink on lined pages and hand-delivered to the city desk of the local paper. Or, the modern equavalent - those sorts of ideas belong in a blog.
--- Radio note number two: CBC has become famous for comedy that really isn't funny. Too many years of the Royal Canadian Air Farce (now there's something to euthanize) and the Mercer-less 22 minutes on television has injured the repuation. As for radio, it's been a disappointing decade for the Saturday morning comedy slot. I won't bore you with a litany, but the slot managed to make even the witty and reflective Thomas King seem preachy and tiresome.
One show in my memory has succeeded brilliantly in that same time slot: The Great Eastern - Newfoundland's Cultural Magazine. So imagine how thrilled I was to discover that the host, Paul Moth, has returned to the airwaves to bring us Sunny Days and Nights as a summer replacement. It deserves a careful listening - feel encouraged to give it one. And hey, CBC? This deserves to live beyond the scheduled end date of August 31.
--- Radio note number three: Here's a new-to-me blog watching the media: radio weisblog. Marc Weisblott has set up links to all variety of fantastic resourses, and his overviews of media issues can save you all sorts of tiresome reading and watching and listening. I'll be keeping an eye. Review the media coverage of the CHOI decision along with Marc: it's worth your time, if such issues interest you.
--- Bonus multimedia note: via radio weisblog, I see that pogge takes the crap out of the various right-wing columnists claiming the CRTC prefers al jazeera over Fox News. If they'd said it about me, they'd be right, but that's not what the CRTC has said at all. And look at that - one of the right-wing columnists is Calgary's very own Ezra Levant, to whom pogge offers up a nice big cup. Not to worry, pogge - Ezra has a standing bottomless cup waiting for him right here at RevMod.
--- Radio note number one: I was criticised at length by our dear friend Brock! On the attack! for not rushing to the defense of radio station CHOI in Montreal. CHOI will not be getting their broadcast licence renewed, because the morning man wants to euthanize psychiatric patients and thinks African students at Laval are the children of dictators, or something along those lines. I didn't look into it too deeply.
Long story short, Brock! On the attack! thinks I should be standing up for freedom of expression, because doesn't the left stand up for freedom of expression?
Well, I tend to be more libertarian than most of my left-leaning friends, and certainly don't want to silence this fellow. But, to paraphrase what I said in Brock!'s comments, giving the guy a right to speak doesn't mean we have to renew his licence to put 20,000 watts of broadcast amplification behind ideas that more appropriately belong scrawled in three different colours of ink on lined pages and hand-delivered to the city desk of the local paper. Or, the modern equavalent - those sorts of ideas belong in a blog.
--- Radio note number two: CBC has become famous for comedy that really isn't funny. Too many years of the Royal Canadian Air Farce (now there's something to euthanize) and the Mercer-less 22 minutes on television has injured the repuation. As for radio, it's been a disappointing decade for the Saturday morning comedy slot. I won't bore you with a litany, but the slot managed to make even the witty and reflective Thomas King seem preachy and tiresome.
One show in my memory has succeeded brilliantly in that same time slot: The Great Eastern - Newfoundland's Cultural Magazine. So imagine how thrilled I was to discover that the host, Paul Moth, has returned to the airwaves to bring us Sunny Days and Nights as a summer replacement. It deserves a careful listening - feel encouraged to give it one. And hey, CBC? This deserves to live beyond the scheduled end date of August 31.
--- Radio note number three: Here's a new-to-me blog watching the media: radio weisblog. Marc Weisblott has set up links to all variety of fantastic resourses, and his overviews of media issues can save you all sorts of tiresome reading and watching and listening. I'll be keeping an eye. Review the media coverage of the CHOI decision along with Marc: it's worth your time, if such issues interest you.
--- Bonus multimedia note: via radio weisblog, I see that pogge takes the crap out of the various right-wing columnists claiming the CRTC prefers al jazeera over Fox News. If they'd said it about me, they'd be right, but that's not what the CRTC has said at all. And look at that - one of the right-wing columnists is Calgary's very own Ezra Levant, to whom pogge offers up a nice big cup. Not to worry, pogge - Ezra has a standing bottomless cup waiting for him right here at RevMod.
Sunday, July 18, 2004
Around the web
I followed Kinsella's link to David Frum's Blog. Why do I do it to myself?
I followed Kinsella's link to David Frum's Blog. Why do I do it to myself?
Took my kids to the multiplex on the weekend. The multiplex being in DC, close to half the theaters were showing Michael Moore's pseudo-documentary. But that's OK! Because the other half were showing the great pro-Bush movie of the summer: Spiderman 2.Sure - lovely comparison. Except that unlike Dubya, it seems to me Peter Parker understands that with great power comes great responsibility.
Pro-Bush? Well consider this. Spiderman 2 is the story of a hero who is regularly belittled and ridiculed by almost everyone who knows him. Fashionable society despises him; the press lampoons and attacks him. Spiderman nearly dies saving a bank from Doctor Octopus - and the next day the New York Bugle, which functions in the movie as the Michael Moore of Gotham City, accuses him and Doc Oc of robbing banks together. The good news is that the movie ends with a barrage of hints that Spidey will soon return for another term .....
Friday, July 16, 2004
Raj Against the Machine
The Alberta NDP is going to miss Dr. Pannu as leader, I think. Elected as the only other member of what should have been Pam Barrett's big ND wave, he was entrusted with the leadership practically by default when Pam got some sort of religion going toward the light on the dentist's chair.
Raj is an intellectual heavyweight. Had he hung around as leader for this election, it might not have been as noticable alongside Kevin Taft, another very serious leader with the capacity to keep track of, and connect, several issues at once. But last election, the leader of the third party looked like the only leader with the gravitas to be running, if you consider such things important. (Albertans, it seems, tend more toward the "common touch" candidates. Which is why we prefer a Stephen Harper to a Jean Chretien. No, wait. No, I think Albertans just vote for the Tory.)
So, Alberta needs a new NDP leader. I need a job. Hmmmm.....
The Alberta NDP is going to miss Dr. Pannu as leader, I think. Elected as the only other member of what should have been Pam Barrett's big ND wave, he was entrusted with the leadership practically by default when Pam got some sort of religion going toward the light on the dentist's chair.
Raj is an intellectual heavyweight. Had he hung around as leader for this election, it might not have been as noticable alongside Kevin Taft, another very serious leader with the capacity to keep track of, and connect, several issues at once. But last election, the leader of the third party looked like the only leader with the gravitas to be running, if you consider such things important. (Albertans, it seems, tend more toward the "common touch" candidates. Which is why we prefer a Stephen Harper to a Jean Chretien. No, wait. No, I think Albertans just vote for the Tory.)
So, Alberta needs a new NDP leader. I need a job. Hmmmm.....
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
Debt-free
The headline refers to the province of Alberta, not to me. I still have student loans from a decade ago. I built the debt up while the Klein revolution withdrew a fifth of the government grants to post-secondary education, but allowed the institution to make it up from me, and then lent me the money to give the institution. Neat little shell game, eh?
I rant about my own circumstances because it's a good example of the various ways the Alberta government reached this exciting debt-free status. It withdrew money from the health system, but increased the premiums. Decreased funding forced increased fees to basic services like K-12 education, and passing on service provision to private industry made things more expensive for users, but the government described this all as "no tax increases".
But fine. We've reached this point now. The government is asking what they should do with all the brand new money they used to spend on debt payment. May I make a couple of suggestions?
Lose the health premium. It's a poll tax. Nothing could be more regressive. They could have done this for half the money they gave up four years ago when they made the wholesale changes to the provincial income tax system, but getting rid of the premium wouldn't have put a quarter of the tax reduction benefit in the hands of people who earn a taxable income over $250K a year, so they went for the "give the rich the money" option, instead.
Quit the P3 talk. The province has the money to build its own schools now - why invite private industry in to charge you rent until the thing falls down? Isn't that essentially accepting debt for future generations? Isn't that precisely what you've been trying to stop? Let government be government - quit trying to cut corners.
Find a project. There was all sorts of talk about the great provincially-funded daycare programme in Quebec. Alberta can spend Quebec under the table - make the program the envy of the world. Or perhaps seniors' residences. Perhaps a bullet train between Edmonton and Calgary, to help reduce our carbon emmissions by getting cars off of Highway 2.
Reinvest in the sorts of small-money projects that got cut at the beginning of the "revolution". Help small and rural communities construct or improve community centres. Let some government money help to keep Alberta's arts community vital... never let Calgary's Philharmonic come as close to death as it did last year, ever again, because it would be pathetic if Calgary couldn't sustain an orchestra.
Don't forget the poorest Albertans. A province as wealthy and debt-free as Alberta shouldn't require a single food bank. Make that the top goal for the first debt-free government term: close the door on every food bank in Alberta for lack of use.
This isn't a pipe-dream wish list. This could all be done, if the government set these priorities.
But what will happen? Royalty cuts for oil and gas exploration. More money for health, to compensate for what the fed takes away if the province goes too far afield of the CHA. Some tax cuts, probably by percentage on income tax accross the board, leaving the greatest benefit at the top end. More money for education, because they got way behind on education - thus the offer of spending nearly two billion dollars on unfunded pension liability if only the teachers would sign a long-term contract.
We'll have an election in the fall. Albertans will have the opportunity to decide between these sorts of options for themselves.
The headline refers to the province of Alberta, not to me. I still have student loans from a decade ago. I built the debt up while the Klein revolution withdrew a fifth of the government grants to post-secondary education, but allowed the institution to make it up from me, and then lent me the money to give the institution. Neat little shell game, eh?
I rant about my own circumstances because it's a good example of the various ways the Alberta government reached this exciting debt-free status. It withdrew money from the health system, but increased the premiums. Decreased funding forced increased fees to basic services like K-12 education, and passing on service provision to private industry made things more expensive for users, but the government described this all as "no tax increases".
But fine. We've reached this point now. The government is asking what they should do with all the brand new money they used to spend on debt payment. May I make a couple of suggestions?
Lose the health premium. It's a poll tax. Nothing could be more regressive. They could have done this for half the money they gave up four years ago when they made the wholesale changes to the provincial income tax system, but getting rid of the premium wouldn't have put a quarter of the tax reduction benefit in the hands of people who earn a taxable income over $250K a year, so they went for the "give the rich the money" option, instead.
Quit the P3 talk. The province has the money to build its own schools now - why invite private industry in to charge you rent until the thing falls down? Isn't that essentially accepting debt for future generations? Isn't that precisely what you've been trying to stop? Let government be government - quit trying to cut corners.
Find a project. There was all sorts of talk about the great provincially-funded daycare programme in Quebec. Alberta can spend Quebec under the table - make the program the envy of the world. Or perhaps seniors' residences. Perhaps a bullet train between Edmonton and Calgary, to help reduce our carbon emmissions by getting cars off of Highway 2.
Reinvest in the sorts of small-money projects that got cut at the beginning of the "revolution". Help small and rural communities construct or improve community centres. Let some government money help to keep Alberta's arts community vital... never let Calgary's Philharmonic come as close to death as it did last year, ever again, because it would be pathetic if Calgary couldn't sustain an orchestra.
Don't forget the poorest Albertans. A province as wealthy and debt-free as Alberta shouldn't require a single food bank. Make that the top goal for the first debt-free government term: close the door on every food bank in Alberta for lack of use.
This isn't a pipe-dream wish list. This could all be done, if the government set these priorities.
But what will happen? Royalty cuts for oil and gas exploration. More money for health, to compensate for what the fed takes away if the province goes too far afield of the CHA. Some tax cuts, probably by percentage on income tax accross the board, leaving the greatest benefit at the top end. More money for education, because they got way behind on education - thus the offer of spending nearly two billion dollars on unfunded pension liability if only the teachers would sign a long-term contract.
We'll have an election in the fall. Albertans will have the opportunity to decide between these sorts of options for themselves.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Another reason the war in Irag is unjustified: US Troops no longer defending Democracy
(This entry posted by occasional RevMod guest-host, Bear)
This is arguably the most frightening piece of news I have come across in a long time: the United States is on the verge of suspending the November elections.
Although some media outlets consider these to be preliminary discussions, several commentators at Fox News (the first network to declare Bush elected in Florida back in 2000) have been speculating for weeks about the possibility of suspending the Constitution in the event of an "October Surprise", and Fox has been running push polls in the 60% range to support such a move.
Suspending an election in the wake of a terrorist attack might be unthinkable, but so was having the Supreme Court select the candidate with the second highest number of votes four years ago.
(This entry posted by occasional RevMod guest-host, Bear)
This is arguably the most frightening piece of news I have come across in a long time: the United States is on the verge of suspending the November elections.
Although some media outlets consider these to be preliminary discussions, several commentators at Fox News (the first network to declare Bush elected in Florida back in 2000) have been speculating for weeks about the possibility of suspending the Constitution in the event of an "October Surprise", and Fox has been running push polls in the 60% range to support such a move.
Suspending an election in the wake of a terrorist attack might be unthinkable, but so was having the Supreme Court select the candidate with the second highest number of votes four years ago.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
I look all naked!
RevMod is an overwhelmingly text-based blog once more. If you'd like to see the Gaffe-o-Meter, it will live forever at the top of the May and June archives. I suspect that I won't have to change any faces on it when it's unveiled once more during the next election.
By the way, to a couple of readers who've asked, I think Harper's decision to have an Alberta tour on the last day of campaigning, and yak up "The west wants in" and other such Reform chestnuts, was an error (if he wanted to win, which is not entirely clear to me. He might have been sandbagging. That's a question for another day). But it wasn't a "gaffe" per se - it was a pre-meditated strategy. So I didn't score it.
Thanks to all who sent their tips and argued over my scoring. Thanks to those - bloggers and reporters for traditional media both - who promoted me to the world. It was fun being widely read for several weeks.
Mostly, thanks to the new readers who are still here, who came for the Gaffe-o-Meter, and are staying for the hobbyist punditry. Let's see what's been going on in the rest of the world while we've been patiently anticipating Canada's political elite tripping on their own shoelaces, shall we?
RevMod is an overwhelmingly text-based blog once more. If you'd like to see the Gaffe-o-Meter, it will live forever at the top of the May and June archives. I suspect that I won't have to change any faces on it when it's unveiled once more during the next election.
By the way, to a couple of readers who've asked, I think Harper's decision to have an Alberta tour on the last day of campaigning, and yak up "The west wants in" and other such Reform chestnuts, was an error (if he wanted to win, which is not entirely clear to me. He might have been sandbagging. That's a question for another day). But it wasn't a "gaffe" per se - it was a pre-meditated strategy. So I didn't score it.
Thanks to all who sent their tips and argued over my scoring. Thanks to those - bloggers and reporters for traditional media both - who promoted me to the world. It was fun being widely read for several weeks.
Mostly, thanks to the new readers who are still here, who came for the Gaffe-o-Meter, and are staying for the hobbyist punditry. Let's see what's been going on in the rest of the world while we've been patiently anticipating Canada's political elite tripping on their own shoelaces, shall we?
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Election Hangover
Yes, it's true - I've taken several days off, and may take several more. Let's face it, many of us blogged the hell out of the election. I'm not feeling too bad about taking a little rest. It's not helping that posting here is the only reason I open Internet Explorer any more... sure like that Opera.
But I know many of you are on the edge of your seats about the final gaffe-o-meter contest results. I scored by ignoring the plus-and-minus, simply giving points for every point predicted away from the actual gaffe score earned by each party.
I have to admit, I'm feeling a little sheepish about this: remember way back when, I published what an entry should look like? My own dear brother, font of hilarity that he is, simply cut-and-pasted my sample numbers and mailed that in as his entry. That sample, "Conservative: 15, Liberal: 7, NDP: 11, Bloc: 4" turned out to be two off on every party, for a grand total of eight... we have a winner.
My brother will take home a copy of "If I were Prime Minister", edited by Mel Hurtig. The volume dates back to 1987, and features essays by people who then were barely heard of, running politically from Alexa McDonough ("... is a social worker and leader of the New Democratic Party in Nova Scotia...") to Elsie Wayne (... of Saint John, N.B., is the first woman mayor of the first incorporated city in Canada...") and fifty-eight others in-between. If you didn't win, I'll leave you to scour better used bookstores for it.
He will also take home whatever Shiela Copps swag I still have around from her failed 1990 leadership bid, when the convention was held right here in Calgary. If my brother threatens to, say, wax his car with the t-shirt, this portion of the prize package will be forwarded to someone who may actually appreciate it for its keepsake value - second-place finisher James Bow. James' prediction, "Conservatives: 15, Liberals: 10, NDP: 4, BQ: 1", was nine points off the mark, only really missing by Layton's one-two homeless/Clarity gaffes.
I'll be contacting each of you in the next few days. Congratulations on nearly correctly assessing the size of the feet inserted in the mouths of Canada's leadership.
Yes, it's true - I've taken several days off, and may take several more. Let's face it, many of us blogged the hell out of the election. I'm not feeling too bad about taking a little rest. It's not helping that posting here is the only reason I open Internet Explorer any more... sure like that Opera.
But I know many of you are on the edge of your seats about the final gaffe-o-meter contest results. I scored by ignoring the plus-and-minus, simply giving points for every point predicted away from the actual gaffe score earned by each party.
I have to admit, I'm feeling a little sheepish about this: remember way back when, I published what an entry should look like? My own dear brother, font of hilarity that he is, simply cut-and-pasted my sample numbers and mailed that in as his entry. That sample, "Conservative: 15, Liberal: 7, NDP: 11, Bloc: 4" turned out to be two off on every party, for a grand total of eight... we have a winner.
My brother will take home a copy of "If I were Prime Minister", edited by Mel Hurtig. The volume dates back to 1987, and features essays by people who then were barely heard of, running politically from Alexa McDonough ("... is a social worker and leader of the New Democratic Party in Nova Scotia...") to Elsie Wayne (... of Saint John, N.B., is the first woman mayor of the first incorporated city in Canada...") and fifty-eight others in-between. If you didn't win, I'll leave you to scour better used bookstores for it.
He will also take home whatever Shiela Copps swag I still have around from her failed 1990 leadership bid, when the convention was held right here in Calgary. If my brother threatens to, say, wax his car with the t-shirt, this portion of the prize package will be forwarded to someone who may actually appreciate it for its keepsake value - second-place finisher James Bow. James' prediction, "Conservatives: 15, Liberals: 10, NDP: 4, BQ: 1", was nine points off the mark, only really missing by Layton's one-two homeless/Clarity gaffes.
I'll be contacting each of you in the next few days. Congratulations on nearly correctly assessing the size of the feet inserted in the mouths of Canada's leadership.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Random notes
First, happy Canada Day. It's nice to have a little unifying holiday after a divisive election that satisfied so few. Beer and barbecued meat tends to be unifying all by itself, so combined with the holiday, maybe today's the day to have your neighbour over - the guy with that *other* lawn sign. (Check out the cute Google graphic.)
I'm aware I haven't scored up the end of the Gaffe contest. I'm taking a little holiday as well, but I expect to get to it tomorrow. I haven't checked that e-mail account in the past couple of days, but the party scoring will finish right where it is, unless I've missed something.
One thing I've done in the past couple of days is downloaded Opera, and I'm generally happy with it. But maybe the techies out there can explain to me why the Blogger compose page has so much trouble there.
Have a fun long, long weekend.
First, happy Canada Day. It's nice to have a little unifying holiday after a divisive election that satisfied so few. Beer and barbecued meat tends to be unifying all by itself, so combined with the holiday, maybe today's the day to have your neighbour over - the guy with that *other* lawn sign. (Check out the cute Google graphic.)
I'm aware I haven't scored up the end of the Gaffe contest. I'm taking a little holiday as well, but I expect to get to it tomorrow. I haven't checked that e-mail account in the past couple of days, but the party scoring will finish right where it is, unless I've missed something.
One thing I've done in the past couple of days is downloaded Opera, and I'm generally happy with it. But maybe the techies out there can explain to me why the Blogger compose page has so much trouble there.
Have a fun long, long weekend.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Update
I initailly wrote this as an update to the second-last post, but I think it's worth a post of its own.
Libby, I'm sorry. I'm listening to soon-to-be-former Saskatchewan NDP member Dick Proctor suggest what Libby Davies did yesterday, that "strategic" voting by stupid people cost him his seat. In fact, he mentioned that he spent the last couple of days on the doors of Liberal marks, trying to convince them that since it was a two-way race between himself and the Conservative, they should decide between the two... essentially the argument I've made. In the meantime, his own supporters were thinking that a vote for the Liberals would help beat the Conservatives. Because they were. Dumb. Asses.
This will be my final word on strategic voting, certainly until the next election. I wrote my original treatise on it because I was afraid people might be confused by the concept, and do exactly what so many of them did - organize their vote around one of the two leading national parties, no matter what was going on in their riding. To call that a "strategic" vote is to unfairly denegrate the concept... there's nothing strategic about that at all.
The NDP bad-mouths strategic voting, and I guess they must know their voters, because whereas actual strategic voting would help them in lots of places - would have put Dick Proctor over the top, I'll bet - just voting Liberal or Conservative without any idea of the top two in the riding would certainly not. I'll add that I'm more than a little concerned that the party of my heart is supported by so many voters who don't get this simple concept.
Look. If you're confused by what I'm talking about, stop trying to vote strategically. You're just making things worse.
(I stand by my concerns about Layton and the Prairies, but that's a post for another day.)
I initailly wrote this as an update to the second-last post, but I think it's worth a post of its own.
Libby, I'm sorry. I'm listening to soon-to-be-former Saskatchewan NDP member Dick Proctor suggest what Libby Davies did yesterday, that "strategic" voting by stupid people cost him his seat. In fact, he mentioned that he spent the last couple of days on the doors of Liberal marks, trying to convince them that since it was a two-way race between himself and the Conservative, they should decide between the two... essentially the argument I've made. In the meantime, his own supporters were thinking that a vote for the Liberals would help beat the Conservatives. Because they were. Dumb. Asses.
This will be my final word on strategic voting, certainly until the next election. I wrote my original treatise on it because I was afraid people might be confused by the concept, and do exactly what so many of them did - organize their vote around one of the two leading national parties, no matter what was going on in their riding. To call that a "strategic" vote is to unfairly denegrate the concept... there's nothing strategic about that at all.
The NDP bad-mouths strategic voting, and I guess they must know their voters, because whereas actual strategic voting would help them in lots of places - would have put Dick Proctor over the top, I'll bet - just voting Liberal or Conservative without any idea of the top two in the riding would certainly not. I'll add that I'm more than a little concerned that the party of my heart is supported by so many voters who don't get this simple concept.
Look. If you're confused by what I'm talking about, stop trying to vote strategically. You're just making things worse.
(I stand by my concerns about Layton and the Prairies, but that's a post for another day.)
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
416-YOU-SUCK, 604-BIT-EME
(This entry posted by occasional RevMod guest-host, Bear)
It's never good form to attack the electorate over election results, but after watching Jack Layton's urban agenda go up in smoke, I can't help myself. Libby Davies isn't spinning or blowing smoke about Paul Martin's fear-mongering, in B.C. it was a fact: the NDP lost Vancouver Centre, Kingsway, New West -Coquitlam, North Delta, and Victoria (although the Greens had a hand in the latter) as a result of the vote-splitting, actually costing the Liberals a stable coalition as the Conservative came up the middle in suburban Lower Mainland ridings.
Ditto in Toronto, where Liberal scare tactics plus the deployment of their immigrant electoral shock troops worked to lock down the NDP surge to Jack Layton's seat in Danforth. If you live outside Toronto or Vancouver, anything you hear about urban voters being more intelligent or sophisticated is, well, pretty much what Jack Layton said about a coalition with the Conservatives. Outside of Vancouver East where Libby Davies bludgeoned grit malcontent Shirley Chan, "Urban Canada" is a swath of self-centered poseur progressive cowards who place identity politics over class consciousness or the good of their community.
The best illustration would be Vancouver Centre, where Kennedy Stewart held a sizeable lead in the polls over Liberal Hedy Fry. Conservative (and openly gay) candidate Gary Mitchell, regarding by the Gay & Lesbian community as a queer Uncle Tom, was by no means a factor. In fact, no one was talking about the Conservative candidate until Martin swept into the riding on the last weekend of the campaign and squealed that the Barbarians were at the gate. The upshot is Fry, probably the biggest fear-monger in the Liberal caucus, now gets a return trip to Ottawa instead of a one-way bus ticket to Prince George with a cross and a pack of matches...
Funny how all the "progressives except on election day" (with a shout out to Vancouver's biggest gutless wonder, Mayor Larry Campbell) think that proportional representation will deal with this kind of mess, but went out of their way to stab its biggest proponents in the back yesterday.
As Kent Brockman put it "I've said it before and I'll say it again, democracy simply doesn't work."
(This entry posted by occasional RevMod guest-host, Bear)
It's never good form to attack the electorate over election results, but after watching Jack Layton's urban agenda go up in smoke, I can't help myself. Libby Davies isn't spinning or blowing smoke about Paul Martin's fear-mongering, in B.C. it was a fact: the NDP lost Vancouver Centre, Kingsway, New West -Coquitlam, North Delta, and Victoria (although the Greens had a hand in the latter) as a result of the vote-splitting, actually costing the Liberals a stable coalition as the Conservative came up the middle in suburban Lower Mainland ridings.
Ditto in Toronto, where Liberal scare tactics plus the deployment of their immigrant electoral shock troops worked to lock down the NDP surge to Jack Layton's seat in Danforth. If you live outside Toronto or Vancouver, anything you hear about urban voters being more intelligent or sophisticated is, well, pretty much what Jack Layton said about a coalition with the Conservatives. Outside of Vancouver East where Libby Davies bludgeoned grit malcontent Shirley Chan, "Urban Canada" is a swath of self-centered poseur progressive cowards who place identity politics over class consciousness or the good of their community.
The best illustration would be Vancouver Centre, where Kennedy Stewart held a sizeable lead in the polls over Liberal Hedy Fry. Conservative (and openly gay) candidate Gary Mitchell, regarding by the Gay & Lesbian community as a queer Uncle Tom, was by no means a factor. In fact, no one was talking about the Conservative candidate until Martin swept into the riding on the last weekend of the campaign and squealed that the Barbarians were at the gate. The upshot is Fry, probably the biggest fear-monger in the Liberal caucus, now gets a return trip to Ottawa instead of a one-way bus ticket to Prince George with a cross and a pack of matches...
Funny how all the "progressives except on election day" (with a shout out to Vancouver's biggest gutless wonder, Mayor Larry Campbell) think that proportional representation will deal with this kind of mess, but went out of their way to stab its biggest proponents in the back yesterday.
As Kent Brockman put it "I've said it before and I'll say it again, democracy simply doesn't work."
Stop spinning, please
Libby Davies, Bear's current and new MP, was on the radio this morning. She was asked what happened to the NDP in Saskatchewan. She blah-blahed something about "Martin scare-tactics, strategic voting."
What? Saskatchewan went more Conservative than Alberta. If anything, it might be "punish Martin, strategic voting."
But if there's one day for a political party to take a sharp look in the mirror, the day after the election should be that day. The NDP spent this election talking about urban issues. The NDP didn't talk about BSE and didn't have very much to say about GMOs from the producer side. (Even though the lost NDP seats in Saskatchewan were urban, cities like Regina know which side their bread is buttered on.) Declarations about tearing up the Clarity Act hurt far more in Saskatchewan than in places like Toronto, where stuff like that might actually play.
Saskatchewan should be a coalmine canary for the New Democrats. Jack Layton proved over the course of this campaign that he understands a lot about big cities, and the party did reasonably well in Toronto and Vancouver. He needs to spend a lot of time and energy over the next couple of years figuring out something about all that empty-looking space in-between.
Libby Davies, Bear's current and new MP, was on the radio this morning. She was asked what happened to the NDP in Saskatchewan. She blah-blahed something about "Martin scare-tactics, strategic voting."
What? Saskatchewan went more Conservative than Alberta. If anything, it might be "punish Martin, strategic voting."
But if there's one day for a political party to take a sharp look in the mirror, the day after the election should be that day. The NDP spent this election talking about urban issues. The NDP didn't talk about BSE and didn't have very much to say about GMOs from the producer side. (Even though the lost NDP seats in Saskatchewan were urban, cities like Regina know which side their bread is buttered on.) Declarations about tearing up the Clarity Act hurt far more in Saskatchewan than in places like Toronto, where stuff like that might actually play.
Saskatchewan should be a coalmine canary for the New Democrats. Jack Layton proved over the course of this campaign that he understands a lot about big cities, and the party did reasonably well in Toronto and Vancouver. He needs to spend a lot of time and energy over the next couple of years figuring out something about all that empty-looking space in-between.
Waking up to a surprise
People who have gone to bed thinking a Liberal - NDP coalition was sustainable will be finding out otherwise when they wake up. In New-Westminister - Coquitlam, the Conservative candidate has pulled ahead of the New Democrat. Total seats for the two parties, 154 out of 308.
I think the life expectancy of the next parliament has just dropped by a year or two. There's going to be some serious horse trading going on over the next week or so.
People who have gone to bed thinking a Liberal - NDP coalition was sustainable will be finding out otherwise when they wake up. In New-Westminister - Coquitlam, the Conservative candidate has pulled ahead of the New Democrat. Total seats for the two parties, 154 out of 308.
I think the life expectancy of the next parliament has just dropped by a year or two. There's going to be some serious horse trading going on over the next week or so.
Monday, June 28, 2004
Get out the long knives
Ian Welsh of Tilting at Windmills anticipates a purge of the so-cons from the Conservative Party. I think he's right, and I think good for them for doing it, presuming they do.
But it begs a question: once that's done, how will the CPC differ from the pre-Reform PC party? Can the new party hold together from the centre?
Ian Welsh of Tilting at Windmills anticipates a purge of the so-cons from the Conservative Party. I think he's right, and I think good for them for doing it, presuming they do.
But it begs a question: once that's done, how will the CPC differ from the pre-Reform PC party? Can the new party hold together from the centre?
Dammit
This is not the seat the NDP should have lost tonight. I'd happily trade this one for any other two, maybe except Broadbent.
Parliament will miss you, Lorne.
This is not the seat the NDP should have lost tonight. I'd happily trade this one for any other two, maybe except Broadbent.
Parliament will miss you, Lorne.
I'm loving the individual results
My man, my favourite NDP leadership candidate: Lorne Nystrom, leading.
Tony Valeri, who vanquished Sheila Copps in a seriously nasty nomination fight: getting his ass kicked.
Anne McLellan: hanging on.
Belinda Stonach: going to be close, but if she has to go back and run daddy's business, I wouldn't shed any tears.
My man, my favourite NDP leadership candidate: Lorne Nystrom, leading.
Tony Valeri, who vanquished Sheila Copps in a seriously nasty nomination fight: getting his ass kicked.
Anne McLellan: hanging on.
Belinda Stonach: going to be close, but if she has to go back and run daddy's business, I wouldn't shed any tears.
Minority? What minority?
This might not hold, but it looks like I'm winning some books from Jim Elve and James Bow... am I the only contestant who said "let it ride" to my Liberal majority prediction? This election is not going to be as close as the polls suggested.
The best news, if this holds up, is that election polls have just been declared irrelavant. Hooray!
This might not hold, but it looks like I'm winning some books from Jim Elve and James Bow... am I the only contestant who said "let it ride" to my Liberal majority prediction? This election is not going to be as close as the polls suggested.
The best news, if this holds up, is that election polls have just been declared irrelavant. Hooray!
Hee!
Mansbridge just interviewed Brison and McKay, side-by-side. Basic theme, here's two guys from the PC caucus, they went different ways, they've both won. What fun.
They were wearing nearly identical clothing! Same blue shirt (McKays was more "checked", Brison's was more "striped"), same dark jacket. I giggled. I'm shallow.
Mansbridge just interviewed Brison and McKay, side-by-side. Basic theme, here's two guys from the PC caucus, they went different ways, they've both won. What fun.
They were wearing nearly identical clothing! Same blue shirt (McKays was more "checked", Brison's was more "striped"), same dark jacket. I giggled. I'm shallow.
What have we learned so far?
In the Atlantic, at least, the new Conservative Party couldn't even count on the votes of the old PC party. Because it's not the same party. Have I said that often enough yet? The new Conservative Party is lead by someone who has spoken about a "culture of defeat" in the Atlantic.
This isn't going to be typical of what happens in the rest of the country. But it should be taken as a warning to Stephen Harper, win or lose, that he needs to keep marking out the centre if he wants to gain anything in this part of the country.
On to the middle of the country.
In the Atlantic, at least, the new Conservative Party couldn't even count on the votes of the old PC party. Because it's not the same party. Have I said that often enough yet? The new Conservative Party is lead by someone who has spoken about a "culture of defeat" in the Atlantic.
This isn't going to be typical of what happens in the rest of the country. But it should be taken as a warning to Stephen Harper, win or lose, that he needs to keep marking out the centre if he wants to gain anything in this part of the country.
On to the middle of the country.
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