Let's be honest. We have only one chance to defeat the Conservatives here

[Harper_is_Bush]

vote Liberal.

This is a unique situation. There is a heavily rightwing government poised to form government unless progressives join together.

This is bigger than any one party. I understand the NDP wants to preserve itself like any party would, but reality is that if the progressive vote is split then the Conservatives will rule, and that will take years off of our rights, our financial health, and our social programs.

Vote Liberal, for gawdsake.

[Minstrel Boy]

1. how about instead, voting smart?

Look, you don't like the NDP. Fine. You don't want to elect Conservatives. Great. But think, for God's sake, about the race in which your ballot is cast.

There are 308 elections on Monday. There is no "unique situation." In quite a few ridings "voting Liberal to stop the Conservatives" will help the Conservatives defeat the NDP, because the Liberal candidate is running third. It happened in 2004 and it will likely happen again.

If you want to vote strategically, use some frickin' strategy. If it's bigger than any one party, then you and those like you had better learn before Monday that you could help send Conservatives to Ottawa.

If, instead, you're simply a Liberal making a disingenuous pitch for votes, hey, good luck with that.

[Monkeybumper]

2. Common sence

I think voting for the best person in your area is always the way to go .

[Canadian_moderate]

5. I'll be voting for Lewis Reford in Toronto Centre

I met him last Saturday when he knocked on my door. No other candidate bothered to do the same as far as I am aware. The first thing he pointed out was that he is socially liberal. If enough socially liberal Ontario candidates get elected, the social conservatives will be forced to take a backseat.

I'm not a fan of Michael Shapcott and Bill Graham seems tired with politics and needs to do something else. Reford doesn't stand a chance in hell so my vote won't matter. Our parliamentary electoral system bites and it needs reform to proportionately represent the views of Canadians. That way, no party would ever have a majority again and smaller parties such as the greens could help form coalitions.

Before people lay into me for voting Conservatives, please let me state that I support SSM and a woman's right to choose. The only of moving the Conservatives further to the centre is to infiltrate it with social moderates and liberals.

[Harper_is_Bush]

3. Certainly in the few ridings where the Liberal candidate usually runs

third.....vote NDP.

In the majority of ridings where vote split gives it to the Conservatives it's the NDP running third. Obviously in that case people should vote Liberal.

[Minstrel Boy]

4. People need to know their riding well

and not make assumptions based on national numbers, as you did in the original post. It's many more than a "few."

[daleo]

11. It can be hard to know which way to go, though

My riding, Edmonton Strathcona, went 40% Conservative, 55% or so Liberal+NDP last time, with the Liberal somewhat ahead of the NDP candidate. Both parties have pretty good candidates this time, as they did last time. The provincial Liberal leader lives nearby, but the former provincial NDP leader does too. I would throw my vote behind the leading candidate, if I had a riding poll to go on. Such are the difficulties of strategic voting.

[tuvor]

6. What, are all the ridings clones of each other?

Our Liberal candidate hasn't got a chance in hell of making any kind of impact in my riding. Hell, he started his campaign so late, I don't even know his name.

Voting NDP is my only chance of defeating the Conservatives here--NOT voting Liberal.

Let's be honest.

[iverglas]

9. "let's be honest"

Bears repeating.

[Canadian Socialist]

7. The con candidate will win in my riding (Lee Richardson)

regardless for whom I vote. So, I might as well give my party (NDP) their $1.75 to build up their war chest for when the minority CPC government falls in 6-12 months.

[iverglas]

8. and for anybody else

who feels compelled to vote for a candidate they don't want to win in order to defeat a candidate they really don't want to win, may they at least have the decency to send $20 along to the candidate they actually liked.

[MrPrax]

10. Too little too late...

Firstly, let's dispense with this call to arms:

"There is a heavily rightwing government poised to form government unless progressives join together."

Correction: you can't be a progressive if you vote Liberal...

History:
-Where were you Liberal progressives in 1995 during the budget cuts? (devastating cuts entirely based on neocon obsessions with 'deficit')

-Where were you when Cretin announced that 'human rights' and trade would no longer be linked? (oh, supporting Cretin as he ignored anyone who got in front of Team Canada's team to China)

-Where were when Cretin dropped the smoke taxes? (for his, and Martin's former buddies at MOD?

-Where the fuck were the Liberal progressives while Cretin expanded NAFTA to include Mexico?

-Where the fuck was the debate about Afghanistan among you guys?

-Where the fuck was the debate on the Clarity Act?

-How about APEC cop riot and Chretein asking about whether newspapers could be muzzled for his good buddy the Butcher?

Where the fuck were YOU guys, anyway? Lemme think--fighting in the backrooms over which Leadership hopeful had the 'stuff' to defeat Harper?

And the winner annoited was...some neo-con rich kid asshole who is SO out of touch that even his wife mentions that the guy can't even make Kraft Dinner...

All of this shit was Neo-Con and phonies in the Liberal party failed consistently to challenged it---IN FACT, they attempted to distort, marginalize and destroy any Progressive criticism. (pepper--steak...harharhar...fuck if Bush had said something like this, it would have been )

Don't EVEN try to implicate Progressives in this attempt to slap lipstick on these neocon pigs.

[Minstrel Boy]

12. Liberal party going out of business: Layton

CBC

Liberal party going out of business: Layton

NDP Leader Jack Layton predicted Friday that the Liberal party is going out of business, calling on voters to give his party the balance of power.

"Who is really going to balance Stephen Harper's Conservatives in Parliament? A broken, defeated Liberal party? I don't think so," Layton told a campaign rally in Vancouver on Friday.

...

Layton said that the only thing after the election will be "the smoking hulk of a defeated Liberal party.

"That's why we're working flat out in British Columbia and across the country to defeat Conservatives while Mr. Martin puddle jumps from Liberal riding to Liberal riding trying to save the furniture."

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/20/layton060120.html

CTV

Layton says only NDP can balance off Tories


VANCOUVER — New Democrats are the last hope to balance off the front-running Conservatives in the next Parliament, Jack Layton said Friday in a new pitch to Liberal voters and his own soft supporters.

Layton said only the NDP is strong and united enough to keep in check Stephen Harper's Conservatives, who appear poised, barring a collapse, to form a government following Monday's vote.

"If you want the Conservatives balanced in this next Parliament, if you want an MP who will stand on the side of you and your family day in and day out, then lend us your vote," Layton told supporters.

"Who is really going to balance Stephen Harper's Conservatives in Parliament? A broken, defeated Liberal party? I don't think so."

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060118/elxn_NDP_0601120/20060120?s_name=election2006