Help me decide how to vote in the Ontario Election...

[Sephirstein]

Here's the situation:

I absolutely don't want the PCs in a majority government. (Don't like Eves ideologically.)

I also don't want the Liberals in a majority government. (Don't trust McGuinty AT ALL even though I have mixed feelings about him ideologically.)

The PCs as a dominant coalition partner would suck almost as much.

The Liberals as a dominant coalition partner I could live with and would find favourable if the NDP were the partner.

A Green or NDP government would kick ass, but won't happen.


Current polls are showing a Liberal majority, but this can change very quickly in Ontario's provincial political climate, which has been extremely volatile for the past 30 years. (and sleep-inducing prior to that...lol)

So here's what I can do:

My riding is a swing riding this election (popular Liberal incumbent retiring (Won Cornwall in a landslide and held on well enough rurally to upset a cabinet minister of a former riding that Cornwall merged with), leaning PC this election) and every vote counts:

I won't vote Liberal, as I don't ewant a Liberal majority.

If I vote with my head, I'd vote well to the right of my ideology (PC) because I don't want a Liberal majority and don't currently think it's likely that the PCs will be able to form a government. (Strategic voting.)

If I vote with my heart, I'd definitely vote NDP or Green, but my vote will have little effect if I do.

[ShaneGR]

1. Here's my take

I'm American but my mother remarried a Canadian from Toronto. I've had a chance to see Ernie Eves. My take on Eves is he's George Bush minus all of the death and mayhem stuff. He cares about tax cuts. That's pretty much it. I know that the Liberal Party is making a comeback. I know that neither NDP or Green have a chance at a majority.

So I say vote Liberal. Do you really want Eves re-elected? Are you saying a Liberal Government would be worse? Why don't you like the Liberals?

[Sephirstein]

3. I don't mind them as a whole but...

McGuinty flip-flops on a lot of issues and was evasive to worthy questions posed to him by both Eves and Hampton.

I remember why I'm so pissed off at the Tories though.

They're campaigning against same-sex marriage (constitutionally a federal issue) to steal the red-neck socialist vote from the NDP and the Liberals.

Hehe...Oh well...I love Matt Sumegi, so I guess I'll vote NDP...

But Green Tom Manley did create Canada's largest ISP. (Bell Sympatico.) He'll likely do well in the rural areas of my riding actually. He's very articulate and has an excellent command of issues relevant to farmers. :)

[ithacan]

2. vote your beliefs!

it seems from what you've said that a PC majority govt would be the worst of all possible outcomes. If it is really true that your riding going PC will NOT shift the balance towards the danger of a PC majority, and if you don't believe the PC line, then vote NDP! It may not have a direct effect on the outcome, but it's important for the NDP to have a good showing to show that a true left party does have support!

[ShaneGR]

4. I don't get the whole "Real Left" comment

I will admit that I'm not very familar with the Liberal Party's platform in Ontario province. I will say I'm pretty versed on the Liberal National Party. Knowing that, I'm aware that a LOT of the stuff that comes from the Liberals up there makes me think of a VERY aggressive Democratic Party. Some of the quotes coming from Chretien made it sound like George Bush could go F himself.

I like that.

[Sephirstein]

5. There's two sides to every coin...

The Liberals need to be reminded that corruption is bad for Canada and that our citizens are far more trustworthy than the Saudi government.

Besides, ask any Red Tory, and they'll tell you that Paul Martin is far too right-wing for Canada.

I was never a registered Liberal, so I can't be a Liberal for Layton.

I can still be for Layton though. :)

[ithacan]

6. compare them on the issues

First, not to start a flame war, but the US Democratic party is hardly a party of the left if we are talking in terms recognized in the rest of the world; moderate centrist yes, but hardly leftist...

And as for Chretien standing up to Bush, that is hardly a left thing, it could be nationalism or internationalism. Every self-respecting leader of every country, no matter what their political persuasion, is telling Bush in so many words to go * himself!

But on to more important things:

Compare the Libs and the NDP on the issues:

NDP on the issues

Liberal Party on the issues

[Sephirstein]

7. Hey thanks...

*Joins the NDP*

It's show time!

[Avatar13]

8. So you want a Liberal minority government...

... and you're hoping they will partner up with the NDP - not an unrealistic scenario, but probably unlikely. Wow, this is the first time I've heard of such an electoral dilemma - much different from the usual vote-splitting dilemmas like the PC/CA, Dem/Green, and Perot/Bush elections of the past.

IMO, if you really, really, really want a Lib minority government and if you know that the NDP candidate has no chance, hold your nose and vote PC. If there is going to be a viable coalition, you can probably bet that the Libs will partner with the NDP - the loathing both parties have for the Harris-Eves PC government will at least have them starting on the right foot. Or you can choose not to vote at all and let the chips fall where they may. ;-)

I heard that the Liberals will probably sweep the 416 & 905 seats. What is that, 50% of the legislature?

[Sephirstein]

9. Yep...

I wish that NDP-lite convention favourite Gerard Kennedy had beaten Dalton McGuinty in the 1996 leadership convention.

We'd be looking at a very different Ontario right now...:)

[Avatar13]

10. Speaking of leadership conventions

I'm very interested what will happen to the PC party after their defeat. Eves will most likely be sacked. Question is, which way will they turn? Will they move to the mainstream and soften their jagged edges (Ecker/Whitmer), or go hardcore republican and find a true believer to lead them (Flaherty)? The PC party must reinvent themselves or they will not be viable the next election too.

Add: BTW, I agree in principle with what sgr2 and ithacan said - F* the conservatives, they don't deserve your votes no matter what the circumstances. Show Eves that one more voter rejected his platform and his tired message of "Take two tax cuts and call me in the morning"

[Sephirstein]

11. lol...

Flaherty's a wing-nut. I think we can safely kiss the Family Coalition Party goodbye if he become the leader.

Whitmer (from what I hear) is in the wrong party.

Dunno about Ecker though, but I do know she wasn't anwywhere near as bad an Education Minister as Create-a-Crisis Snobelen or Jerk-around-the-Teachers Johnson.

The only country I know where teachers are conservative voters is Taiwan, and this is because the Democratic Progressive Party hasn't done anything for them since elected.

[Avatar13]

12. Proud to say that Johnson lost in my riding, and I voted against him

He was targeted by the teachers' union, and the Lib candidate had the name recognition of his mother, former provincial Health minister, and now the head of National Revenue Elinor Caplan.

He came to my house, but I couldn't bring myself to cuss and bitch about him being a tool and a fool. I should've slammed the door in his face like my 2 neighbours did. ;-) But I did get a few jabs at David Tsubouchi last week, the idiot minister who said the homeless can survive on 49-cent cans of tuna when the Tories first started their war on the homeless in 1995.

[Sephirstein]

13. lol...

My family's well off and I love cheap tuna. (My step-dad votes right-wing based on economic issues even though he's socially liberal. He believes that the courts and Charter will prevent the "rednecks" and "fundies" from imposing their morality on others. He supports tax breaks for private schools and business-friendly policies, but at the same time believes in one-tier public healthcare. He'd also vote NDP long before he'd ever vote Liberal, while nobody else in my family besides me would consider not voting Liberal.)