So it's election time again. And again, actually. As Canada, through virtue of geographical proximity as well as economic, social, psychological and just about every other kind possible it seems, has been observing the two-year soap opera that is the American presidential election process, lo and behold we are now facing an election of our own.... One month from now.
I always have found it interesting that the United States spends so much time, energy and money on their federal election process when we here seem to rifle these things off in our sleep. Literally, sometimes.
I suppose if you use the old one-tenth comparator and presume the US spends around 24 months on their election process, our two month long one is totally predictable. But I still wonder how much can we truncate this process before we are only glazing over the surface of issues and candidates. I think the very nature of our election process demands a more attentive electorate. You have to pay attention because if you're not following things pretty closely, you're going to miss something. And that's a big presumption to make... that we're all paying appropriate attention. Especially when you consider that in the last federal election, only about six in ten Canadians with the democratic right to vote chose to do so, our lowest turn out in history. If we don't actually get out to vote, can we really assume that we are paying attention?
Well, I will vote as I always do. Being a daughter of a man who fought in a World War, I have always been intensely aware of the duty of participation that comes with this freedom we are blessed to enjoy. Being a woman in a country that seems to presume equality where it does not yet exist compels me to vote. And every chance I get, I do my best to compel those I meet to do the same. Take a few minutes. Cast your ballot. Make your mark.
But do me another favour... pay attention!
I always have found it interesting that the United States spends so much time, energy and money on their federal election process when we here seem to rifle these things off in our sleep. Literally, sometimes.
I suppose if you use the old one-tenth comparator and presume the US spends around 24 months on their election process, our two month long one is totally predictable. But I still wonder how much can we truncate this process before we are only glazing over the surface of issues and candidates. I think the very nature of our election process demands a more attentive electorate. You have to pay attention because if you're not following things pretty closely, you're going to miss something. And that's a big presumption to make... that we're all paying appropriate attention. Especially when you consider that in the last federal election, only about six in ten Canadians with the democratic right to vote chose to do so, our lowest turn out in history. If we don't actually get out to vote, can we really assume that we are paying attention?
Well, I will vote as I always do. Being a daughter of a man who fought in a World War, I have always been intensely aware of the duty of participation that comes with this freedom we are blessed to enjoy. Being a woman in a country that seems to presume equality where it does not yet exist compels me to vote. And every chance I get, I do my best to compel those I meet to do the same. Take a few minutes. Cast your ballot. Make your mark.
But do me another favour... pay attention!
2 comments:
An election for a Prime Minister is much different from that of a President. A Prime Minister campaigns for the office for years inside his or her own party before ever being elected as Party Leader. There is then a trial period in opposition and a long wait for an election. Take a look at how long Gordon Brown had to wait -- and he has yet to face voters! Voters often vote for the party, and not the man.
Presidents come up a different way. Often they come from a Governor's office or a turn at Vice President. They do not have legislative duties and often rise separately from the legislative side of the party. Voters usually vote for the man, not the party.
In America the party does not perform the vetting process. That is done by voters in the primaries, which is why so many candidates are independent of party -- often primary voters belong to no party at all. Presidential agendas and party agendas are often different for these reasons.
In either case, both systems put candidates through a long vetting process of their own making. Both systems have a short election season. In the US that is from Labor Day to Election Day -- less than 50 days some years. This is when the attention goes from intense to VERY instense. I imagine the debates Friday will have a massive viewership.
Thanks for the democratic reminder. Will vote indeed!
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