Melania movie Jan 30

[SithHappens]

Interestingly, in Canada we don't vote for the candidates, but rather the party and their platforms. I've always felt the two-party system in the U.S was a little odd given that it can be one-sided at times, especially now. In Canada you 4 active parties that all have a voice in the government, and without getting into too much detail, I think it helps to keep it balanced and with more varied opinions.

We don't vote for the PM , we vote for our local candidates. That's the theory but generally people vote for party rather than the actual candidate

 

[Forbin]

We also seem to be in an unfortunate period of extremism within the parties. There don't seem to be many moderates in either party any more, and if there are they get drowned out by the screeching of the extremists. And yeah, the demonizing and name calling is a huge detriment to rational discussion.

 

[Owain Taggart]

However, with the (greater) rise of turning politicians into celebrities, I can I see the appeal of voting for parties over politicians.

That's it exactly. There's still some to a certain extent, but it's much less magnified. You essentially vote for the work being done rather than who's doing it.

We don't vote for the PM , we vote for our local candidates. That's the theory but generally people vote for party rather than the actual candidate

To be fair, I think that's more of a personal viewpoint than an official stance, but I was always brought up to vote for the party not the person on the ballot, the only exception would possibly be at the local level, which is why I'm in favour of candidates campaigning so that we get to know them, as there have been lots of no-shows this year, but that's a topic for another day.

And one interesting factoid is that for Canadians the colours are flipped, ie right is blue, left is red, which might be a little confusing for Americans following our cycle.

and if there are they get drowned out by the screeching of the extremists.

The screeching can be unbearably loud at times. That's something we've had a lot more of these last several years, and the unfortunate truth is that there are many American-style tactics bleeding over into our democracy threatening to destabilize it. We used to not see a whole lot of attack ads, but one candidate in particular, even though he originally lost his seat, is always on the attack, and it'd be fair to say his style, along with his rhetoric lost him the election.

 

[SithHappens]

That's it exactly. There's still some to a certain extent, but it's much less magnified. You essentially vote for the work being done rather than who's doing it.



To be fair, I think that's more of a personal viewpoint than an official stance, but I was always brought up to vote for the party not the person on the ballot, the only exception would possibly be at the local level, which is why I'm in favour of candidates campaigning so that we get to know them, as there have been lots of no-shows this year, but that's a topic for another day.

And one interesting factoid is that for Canadians the colours are flipped, ie right is blue, left is red, which might be a little confusing for Americans following our cycle.

Im a floating voters, I've voted right, centre, left in my life. The next General Election which decides our government and PM could be the 1st time i vote tactically. If in my area a candidate/party is tying with Reform in polls I will vote for them to keep Reform out

 

[Owain Taggart]

Im a floating voters, I've voted right, centre, left in my life. The next General Election which decides our government and PM could be the 1st time i vote tactically. If in my area a candidate/party is tying with Reform in polls I will vote for them to keep Reform out

And the freedom to be able to do this! I'll admit to doing this as well, voting based on who has the best platform. I'll never fully understand Americans being tied down to a party. And to be fair, I think last year's election was mostly tactical to keep a certain someone from being elected.

 

[BillJ]

We also seem to be in an unfortunate period of extremism within the parties. There don't seem to be many moderates in either party any more, and if there are they get drowned out by the screeching of the extremists. And yeah, the demonizing and name calling is a huge detriment to rational discussion.

Which, of course, isn't remotely true. Liberals aren't the ones using government to kill citizens in the streets. Liberals are the ones that are constantly willing to make deals to keep the government open, even when they give away a little piece of their power every time they make a deal.

Are we perfect? No, not remotely. But to compare our camp/our fringe to what is going on in yours right now is intellectually dishonest.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I'll never fully understand Americans being tied down to a party.

Party platforms have guaranteed partisan alignment for their respective bases. Like, take abortion rights. Republicans have been anti-abortion rights. Democrats have been pro-abortion rights. This has been true for well over a generation, and it remains true today. If you value abortion rights above all else, Republicans just aren't the way to go, period. That's not a facet of what voters believe; it's a facet of the parties' stated positions.

 

[BillJ]

If you value abortion rights above all else, Republicans just aren't the way to go, period.

If the conditions and the candidate were right, I could vote for a Pro-Life conservative. Mike DeWine of Ohio is a perfect example. I don't believe his Pro-Life stance is born of malice but actual belief and, after watching him for the last several years, he would be someone that could offer a counter-balance* to a strong Democratic legislature.

*I have never been a fan of handing one side or the other the totality of power. Both sides have to have a seat of power at the table.