Warning–flagrantly liberal, heavily biased, anti-Bush sentiments expressed below. Not to mention anit-Harper ones.
Unbelievably, Stephen Harper, leader of Canada's Conservative party and widely satirized as a virtual clone of Dubbya, appears to have been returned to power in the Canadian election Tuesday. (Yes, I know it was predicted, but that doesn't make it believable.)
The clone idea has at least given rise to some fine humor. While driving in Newfoundland a month ago, I turned on the radio and heard something pretty close to the following. It'll make more sense to U.S. readers if they know that Canadian Thanksgiving occurs the second Monday in October.
Interviewer: Of course, the Americans celebrate Thanksgiving near the end of November. Mr. Harper, can you tell us when Canadian Thanksgiving is?
“Harper”: Canada has its own Thanksgiving?
Oh, I did laugh.
Since it's a parliamentary system, the win means that more Conservatives running for parliament won seats than did members of any other single party. The leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister.
I guess we can take heart that Harper didn't win a pure majority, so he didn't get the mandate that would let him just turn Canada into the 51st state.
What Jodi of bloomingwriter will do now is anybody's guess. Her fine horse LeggomyEggo, blogging on her behalf, informed us about a month ago that "she's thinkin', … , if the Harperites get in here, and McCain gets in down in our beloved neighbour's country…she might have to head for Australia. Or Finland." She's probably packing, just in case. I doubt she'll be alone. If McCain wins here, Finland's gonna have a population boom…. So what I want to know is, Can I take my garden?
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The picture is of a pitcher plant–the upper, non-insect-eating part–in grass, on the west coast on Newfoundland, in Gros Morne Park.
The Daily Show was making fun of the election the other day saying your Canadian conservatives are like our liberals. Our neo conservatives take conservative to a whole other planet. I actually liked both Obama and McCain at the start of the election process, oh so many years ago. I was voting for Obama, but would not have been upset if McCain had gotten elected. He wasn’t a neo conservative. He stood up for what he thought, but the conservative machine has taken him over. The fear mongering has taken over. The fear mongering is what scares me. I see the rise of McCarthyism politics with Bush and that scares me to death. Terrorism is not nearly as scary to me. Anyway off my soapbox. I think you are safe though. It looks very much like Obama is going to win. It’s never over until the fat lady sings, but the with the bad economy people are going to vote for the party that is not currently in power.
Thank you for the sympathies! It is still unbelievable.
Daphne, bring your soapbox by any time. I agree about what’s scarey here–rigid, fear-driven policies, even more than terrorism itself–though I wonder what people near ground zero in NYC would say. Even more mind-boggling to my ever-boggled mind, is that those policies are almost certainly increasing the number of terrorists and the likelihood that they will strike us again.
Laurel–You’re welcome. Always nice to see a new face (?) on the blog. I’ve taken a quick look at Nefaeria, and will be reading more soon. Like the orange and black! Do you change the colors regularly?
–Kate
Actually, I kind of warmed to McCain after the Waldorf Astoria gig. Both he and Obama were really genuinely funny. But the witticism of the week had to be Barack Obama’s swipe at Sarah Palin, when he said that he loved the Waldorf, because from the doorstep you could see the Russian Tea Room. Oh, and I loved the one about Obama being Swahili for That One. And …why am I warming to McCain when I could be worshipping Obama?
My sister sent me an e-card that reads, “If McCain/Palin win, I’m moving to Costa Rica to teach monkeys to paint for tourists!”
Victoria, I have no idea. Did you hate McCain before, so even the slightest thaw feels like outright affection? Did you hate your father? Ah, now we’re getting somewhere.
I need to watch those Waldorf monologues. They sound pretty funny.
Right on, Cindy.
What’s so sad, for me, about Harper’s win, is that like many Americans, I often think Canadians more level-headed than we are, and more liberal in the old-fashioned live-and-let-live sense. It was a comfort to think that Canada was up there, solid and sensible and immune to the excesses that grip us down here.
It was also a comfort to think that if things got too awful here, one could take refuge there, always assuming they’d have one– But these days, I’m not sure it’s much of a refuge.
Finland’s looking better and better.
Hi Kate! I FLOVE this post, even though we are trapped with the Harpernistas until the Liberals get their act together and get a new leader (sigh…here we go again.) My friend in Finland tells me her language is very hard to learn, but one of the appeals to me (and you’ll appreciate this having been to Nfld) is that they have LOTS of bakeapples (cloudberries) and make awesome liqueur with them. I got a bottle last summer when I was back in Newfoundland, and I ration it more dearly than 25 year old single malt whiskey.
There’s a thought. Instead of moving to Australia or Finland, I’ll just move back to Newfoundland. Danny Williams and his ABC (Anything But Conservative) plan made me his slave for life.
Here’s hoping that Barack takes the day on 4 November!
Oh, Jodi, brilliant! Can I come too? I met the owner of one of the berry wineries, the main one, I think, on the penninsula. Nice guy whose name I cannot remember. And somehow we didn’t remember to get cloudberry wine! That I do regret.
–Kate
Hello Kate,
I suppose you can say that we are a little ‘manic’ at the nefaeria blog as well, in the colour department at least ;)
The blog is still pretty new (since August), and the colours have been changed about three times. Not quite sure what we will be going with next. Hehe.
Laurel
I am so glad Stephen Harper is our Prime Minister, the Conservative Party is our saving grace I have been so afraid of the Terrorists and Crime and the Economy coming to get me and not to mention those intellectuals wasting away my family values of goodness.
Aren’t you all comforted to see him in his woolly sweater and rejoiced in him “God blessing Canada” because God wouldn’t otherwise.
See, he even had photos taken with multicultural people in the background.
And he stopped his own people from partaking in debates and talking to the press so we wouldn’t get confused by the truth.
Aaargh what is happening to Canada? Well Conservatives may have got majority of seats but it was only with 38% of voters who voted for them.
Oh look what you have done Kate, you’ve opened the wound – thought it was healing since last week.
OMG what a rant shall I hit “post”or delete it? Here goes—post
Brave woman, Shauna, and good choice. Sometimes it’s better to let the wound drain. As for the truth–don’t you know how troublesome that is? I’m surprised it isn’t barred from elections by law, as well as convention.
–Kate