Stephen Harper is many things. I happen to think most of them are negative, but I will give him one positive: despite his dead eyes, cold smile and lego-man hair, he is glamorous. It's true. He has finally made Canadian politics interesting.
American politics have been interesting from the beginning. Fraught with revolt, passion and drama, things are always happening. Things that get coverage, things that cause scandals, things that make it onto the Daily Show. Canadians are as familiar with the cast of the White House as they are with Jersey Shore. But ask them to name the key players in the House of Commons or Parliament. Betcha they don't know who the House Speaker is. And we laugh at American ignorance. Tsk. C'mon, Canada.
Canadian politics have not had drama in the past. No hookers, no feeling up the migrant maid, no disappearing for days hiking in the Algonquin hills when you're really in South America. Not nearly enough cocaine.
Here comes Steve to the rescue. I've not heard any coke rumours, but I did hear one about him being addicted to a drug I'd never even heard of - ibogaine. I really hope he is. Steve has brought scandal in the form of refusing to tell us what he's up to, appearing very much like an ego-maniacal baby W. Bush with his lust for oil, disregard for the environment and the rest of the world's opinion. I particularly like the story about him having a million pics around the office of himself (check http://shitharperdid.ca.nyud.net/ if you're unfamiliar with it).
I'll be honest - I care more about politics as I get older, because that's what adults do. They look around, realize they are a part of society, and feel a need to participate in that society. But I've never watched a candidates' debate until last night. I thought it would be boring. It wasn't. Any other year, it probably was, but last night was basically an old rich white guy cat-fight. All these guys could do was take shots at each other. No one presented any real information, or any reasonable solutions to our current problems, or any actual sense of leadership.
And they wonder why people don't know which old white guy to vote for.
The thing is - the amazing thing is - we don't vote for them anyway. Our system is not like the Americans'. We don't vote for our Prime Minister, we vote for our MP. And the parties should really put more emphasis on that. I've no idea why they don't. If the parties want to reach people, the Parliament candidates should communicate with their ridings. Those are the people who will argue for us. Those are the people who's votes we want to make sure represent us. What the fuck is the PM even for? So we have some guy to stand around holding cats and doing contentious photo shoots with 'ethnics'? (Way to be Canadian, dude.) Is it just so we have a guy who gets to go to international parties like the stupid royal wedding? Send the Governor General.
If the Conservatives win, it's because people think that Stephen Harper is the least crap of a bunch of crap guys. Which is totally unfair. There are 308 Members of Parliament. A lot of those people are good people, and I bet a load of them are prettier than Ignatieff, more charming than Jack, have more empathy than Steve and are slightly less maniacal than Duceppe.
Find out who the people are that are running in your riding. Those are who we should be focused on. The people we actually want representing us. If a Conservative MP wins in your riding, this doesn't mean s/he wants to tear down everything green and run a huge deficit. Everything still has to be voted on, and that person can stand up for what his/her constituents want. That's what they're there for. The Prime Minster has taken too much power for himself. Regardless of who gets the post next, we have all the power to stop it.
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