Rails from the Rails 22 – Political Musings

Rails from the Rails 22 – Political Musings

All Aboard: “In politics, madame, you need two things: friends, but above all an enemy.” Brian Mulroney.

Tickets Please: If you care to read an earlier Rail from the Rails on politics you can see it here. Allow me to share with you some further musings on politics.

• The leader who is the best politician at the moment is Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Now before you Harper-haters go off on a rant allow me to explain myself. This is not necessarily a compliment. Considering the negative impression most Canadians have about politicians, labeling one of them “the best” isn’t necessarily praise. I think Harper is the best because he plays the political game with more savvy than the other leaders do. His last minority government lasted longer than most thought it would and his new government has more support now than the last one. Were it not for the economic crash I think Harper may have had a majority government. We’ll see how the Conservatives fare this time around.

• I hate the negative advertising. But I hate the fact that it works even more. I hear many people complaining about the negative advertising that political parties use during elections. It seemed Dion got more than his fair share of the negativity but the Prime Minister got a dose as well. Many websites I visited had a banner ad at the top of the page that had a picture of Stephen Harper alongside George Bush as if they were running mates. The other parties fly under the radar for much of this type of propaganda. I’m guessing the Liberals and Conservatives do not feel the need to fight the NDP, Green Party, and Bloc in this fashion. I liken the complaints about negative advertising to the complaints that sports fans spew when talking about professional athlete’s salaries. Here’s an idea: if you think athletes are paid too much stop paying exorbitant ticket prices and stop buying jerseys and stop watching the games on TV. As matter of fact come to a CFL game because it is a lot cheaper and you probably make more than some of the guys on the field. Sport figure’s salaries and the effects of negative advertising are both something the average person is responsible for.

• What happened to the NDP and the Green Party? This was supposed to be their year. I guess not. I think in some respects they have the advantage when delivering promises: they’re not going to have to back them up. Elizabeth May was an intriguing personality during the debates. One thing she supports which I really like is the idea of income splitting. This would save my family thousands of dollars in taxes every year. But, I also realize she can put forward this idea on her platform with little chance of having to actually see it through. I think voters realize that the smaller parties aren’t held to the same level of scrutiny as the larger ones and take that into consideration when voting.

• Our election does seem boring compared to the US election frenzy. It has been quite a ride with starting with the battles that Obama and McCain fought to represent their parties. This was followed by the meteoric rise of Mrs. Palin and the ensuing media circus. And they are all appearing on Letterman and Saturday Night Live and Leno. And think of the money being spent. It’s high drama for sure. But would you want that here in Canada? Not I. I’ll take our process for us and watch their horse and pony show from afar.

• I heard on a radio talk show a caller complaining about the cost of the election to tax payers. The host informed the caller that it worked out to be about $25 per Canadian to cover the cost. That seems to me to be a small price to pay in order to participate in democracy.

Last Stop:

Where does the term Tory come from? The name originally applied in the 17th century to Irish Roman Catholic outlaws and bandits who harassed the English in Ireland. In the reign of Charles II the name came to be applied as an abusive term to supporters of the Crown. It came from the Irish word toraighe which means pursuer.

And what about Grit? “Clear Grits” were reformers in the Province of Upper Canada. Their support was concentrated among southwestern Ontario farmers, who were frustrated and disillusioned by a lack of democratic enthusiasm. "Clear Grit" was a complimentary term meaning tenacious or dedicated. The name derives from a quote by party member David Christie who describes the movement as "all sand and no dirt; clear grit all the way through", a reference to the type of sand preferred in the preparation of masonry. The word "Grit" is used as a neutral reference to members of the Liberal Party in English Canada.