April 23, 2012. On this momentous occasion: Alberta General Election No. 28, the Question of the Day is:
What is your favorite quote about politics?
Here is mine, discovered only minutes ago…
“People often say, with pride, ‘I’m not interested in politics.’ They might as well say, ‘I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.’ Politics is the business of being governed and nobody can escape being governed, for better or worse. … If we mean to keep any control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics.” – Martha Gellhorn.
Send in your favorites by throughout the day and we’ll try to get them posted ASAP! Click to comment here.
CK
April 18 Topic: Negative campaign advertising.
What is sometimes referred to as “American-style” negative campaigning seems to have become the norm in Canada as well. Attack ads have been blamed, in part, for the downfall of the federal Liberal party. Rick Mercer has ranted about the use of attack ads by Stephen Harper’s Conservative government. The provincial Tories and Wildrose have been at one another’s throats, with the Liberals quick to draw attention to the faults of both “conservative” parties and their leaders. Brian Mason of the NDP sent a letter to the other party leaders early in the campaign, urging an end to the “negative personal tone” that had developed, but one has to wonder if he would need to go on the offensive if his party were a front-runner.
Here in Lethbridge, various candidates have reported that their campaign signs have been removed or vandalised. Is it possible anymore for someone to be elected simply on his/her own merit, or do all candidates have to prove that they are “not as bad as the really bad guy”?
What do you think? Please submit your comments below!
April 17 topic: Public Opinion Polls.
Do you cringe when you pick up the phone and hear a recorded message asking you to rank your views on a scale of 1-5? Or do you enjoy strongly agreeing or strongly disagreeing with various statements? Do you ever base your decisions on what is the most (or least) popular option as reported in a poll? Do you believe what you hear in the mainstream media about how Albertans are likely to vote, or who the front-runners are? Do political opinion polls unfairly influence undecided voters? Are you concerned with polling accuracy?
Well, why not another poll, while we’re on the topic. On a scale of 1 to 5, (with 1 being none and 5 being a whole lot), how much consideration do you give political polls before you mark a ballot? Then leave a comment to tell us why you think so, and how you feel about polling in this election.
You could also participate in our unofficial survey about the party you are likely to vote for! (surveys not based on recognized statistical methods)
