Voting by rote
I don’t think there’s anything that frustrates a political canvasser more than when the person who opens the door says, "Well I’ve always voted (fill in the blank), and I’ll be doing it again".
Case closed. Mind shut.
At this point you know you’re wasting your time trying to convince the voter otherwise, so you wish them a good day and move on.
This seems to be the mindset of many Northern Ontario voters, as John Ivison has discovered - Too conservative to vote Tory. In this case, the definition of ‘conservative’ appears to refer to a tendency to avoid change - as in changing the way you and your ancestors have ever voted since time began:
…It’s as predictable as the girls going to bingo and the boys getting stinko on a Sudbury Saturday Night — come election day, more Northern Ontarians vote for the Liberals than for any other party…
…Apart from high gas prices and bears that invade city backyards, voters aren’t feeling angry. Simply put: Many Northern Ontarians are too conservative to vote Conservative. "I’ll just vote the way I’ve always voted — Liberal," said one man in a Sudbury branch of Tim Hortons.
It’s ironic that the Conservatives’ national campaign has played so heavily on the theme that this is no time for risky changes. Voters in Nickel Belt and Sudbury look set to punish them for that sentiment and re-elect candidates for the party that bought loyalty with federal dollars in an attempt to diversify a region over-dependent on the boom-bust cycle of resource industries….
…Ms. Marleau is confident she will be re-elected for the seventh time. "I’ve been in politics so long, voters know me very well and know what I’ve done," said the former health minister. Not everyone, it appears — the Sudbury Star says her only recent achievement was "the odd communique about getting a passport office, which is an eye-roller, since the Liberals couldn’t deliver one during the 13 years in which the party was in power.
But Ms. Marleau should benefit from her longevity as the local MP — after 20 years in politics, voters seem to think that if you can still tie your own shoelaces, you deserve to be re-elected…
Then on to North Bay :
Mr. Rota has other challenges, namely the performance of his leader and the Green Shift policy. One afternoon last week, he tried to sell the key platform plank to the sisters at St. Joseph’s Mother House in North Bay. Go to the party’s Web site and punch in your information to find out about your tax credits, he said. "Say you’ve two parents and three kids, it will give you the difference," he enthused.
One of the older nuns looked bemused — perhaps by the example offered, which was relevant to hardly anyone in the room, or perhaps by such new-fangled concepts as Web sites and the Internet. The bottom line is that in a week of asking people if they understood the Green Shift, no-one, including at least one Liberal candidate, could explain it without plunging into a sea of platitudes…
However, the good news for Rota is that "to the sisters of St. Joseph’s Mother House, Mr. Rota represents hope to the Tories’ fear. "You’re preaching to the choir," one nun said."
Wonderful.
Ivison finishes his column with an observation from a gentleman at Tim Horton’s saying that he expects things will "just stay the same". The image that immediately came to me was of the older crew from Air Farce sitting around the table nodding in agreement, "Oh yeah", "Uh-huh", "You got that right", ‘Tell me about it, eh?", as they add more sugar to their coffee.
I guess I’m wondering if there is anything the Liberal party could possibly do that would be so egregious that Northerners would finally wake up and smell the Timmies?
Adscam obviously wasn’t it.
September 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 am
Return of the voting zombies!
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
the libs could crap in their cornflakes every morning and the idiots would still vote liberal. canadians don’t care how much you steal from them as long as you don’t take want they think of as their share.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
Liz may was more in tune with many Canadians than anyone knew when she stated that Canadians are stupid.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
We had Liberal MP Ray Bonin in our riding, just retiring. I watched CPAC A LOT the last Parliament, and not once did I see him on any committee’s, asking any questions during QP, attending any functions, etc, etc. This guy followed the Paul Martin path to retirement - total obscurity.
The Liberals could nominate a turtle in Nickel Belt or Sudbury and people here would still vote Liberal. Although I do have to say, that Louise Portelance is certainly not guaranteed a win. Claude Gravelle, the NDP candidate, is a veteran campaigner and could easily scoop this riding. I see about 25% more Gravelle signs compared to Portelance signs. Being a big union town, this riding could easily go NDP. My neighbour in front of and the other to the side me probably have the only Tory signs in this whole neighbourhood, lol.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:14 am
old white guy….you live up here too?
You described my area!
Joe Synicrope CPC is facing that crowd of zombies. I did chat with one loyal Lib who said he won’t vote this year..”cuz they’re all the same”. He couldn’t admit his disappointment with the Libs, just had to make an empty blanket statement.
Needless to say the local rag is extremely biased and the masses are being told what to think.
Rota(Lib incumbent) brought Bob Rae to the area last week, proudly stood beside him. Made me sick. I think Rota should apologise to the people in our area who have no family doctor, and wait up to 8 hours in ER to see an overworked doctor. It was Bob Rae that paid big bucks to his alma mater , the Uof T…so they would graduate FEWER DOCTORS!!!
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:17 am
Sudbury is my riding and unfortunately, there is nothing that will displace the Libs. Diane Marleau is, as dumb as and as visible as, a bag of hammers. She has done nothing for the city the 20 years she has been in here and Ray Bonin wasn’t much better in Nickel Belt. Really, they have done nothing. Marleau was even so bad that she was kicked out a Minister’s position (twice I think) in Chrétien’s cabinet. Collectively, they represent the worst of socialism and are both leaches in that they sit there and collect their fat salaries and pensions without doing anything. I think the article captures Marleau’s arrogance perfectly in knowing she is going to win so let’s just not do anything and make up some false promises. She literally has been AWOL for the last 12 years. You don’t see her or hear of her. It is the worst of democracy. I guess that says a lot about the people in this area. I read a Sudbury Star article that recently that makred her kick off of the campain. The blog comments that followed all stated the same. Not one in support. Shame on the voters in Sudbury. At least change to the NDP if nothing at all.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Dennis, that’s a hopeful report. Thanks. Not that I’m a big NDP fan, but it sounds like people may actually be starting to think for themselves up there.
Bluetech, I was thinking of you when I wrote this post. Maybe the ROC should throw Ontario overboard and save themselves!
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
At least change to the NDP if nothing at all.
Exactly. If nothing else then to shake the Grits up a bit from their complacency.
Write letters to the editor. Talk to your neighbours. Stir things up.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:32 am
Wow…if I read that article correctly the sisters implied that they still support the party that pushed for gay marriage and no protection for unborn babies?
Sorry to bring up such touchy topics Joanne but I have to wonder what RC’s think these days…
Sad…
Also wanted to add that I heard the Green party was popular in this area…
hmmm…split the lefty vote?
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:40 am
Joanne, I’ll vote for Ian McCracken in Nickelt Belt, but really, there is no real chance he is going to win. His campaign office is only two streets from my house; its hardly ever open. I’ll never vote NDP, however, my hope is that Liberal/NDP swing voters wake up this time around and at least make sure Nickel Belt denies the Liberals another seat.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:41 am
Wow…if I read that article correctly the sisters implied that they still support the party that pushed for gay marriage and no protection for unborn babies?
Sorry to bring up such touchy topics Joanne but I have to wonder what RC’s think these days…
That thought crossed my mind too, Bluetech. But then, many members of the Roman Catholic clergy have not been upstanding in ‘walking the talk’. And I can say that because I am R.C., and very disappointed with the lack of leadership in the Church.
If the Sisters are googling their name and happen to read this, I hope they explain the dichotomy to us.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:44 am
Dennis, every vote counts. The parties get some kind of rebate for every vote to put towards future elections.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
I have tallked to people until I am blue (bluetech) in the face. Here is what I am finding. The intelligent Libs are changing their vote reluctantly to the Conservatives. The ones that are straight ticket line voters are staying the same. The hard line lefties are going to NDP.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
Jckirlan, I’m hearing a bit of that here in Southern Ontario. Some life-long Liberals here are having a bit of trouble stomaching the thought of Dion as PM. I suspect any fallout will drift towards the NDP and Green Party with a few going to Conservatives.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:01 am
Just watching the opening session of the Ontario Legislature now. It’s Question Period. I wish Tim Hudak was the leader of the Ontario Conservatives.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
[...] [Continue reading] Update: Voting by rote [...]
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:03 am
Regardless of your political stripes, it is incredibly stupid to vote solely based on tradition or to vote without regard to what is going on or what the parties are proposing. If you really understand the Liberal plan and think the Green Shaft is a good thing, well, then by all means, cast a vote for them and tax yourself and our economy out of existince. I just don’t think there are very many people like that.
I find it quite funny that people in Sudbury, a place in the middle of nowhere when it comes to distribution of goods, a place with cold temperatures and a high need for home heating fuel, and a place that is spread out geographically that it requires many miles of driving on a regular basis, will feel the pinch of Dion’s Green Shaft quite badly. Sudbury residents could all buy SMART cars, replace every window in their houses, upgrade their furnaces and insulation, and basically do everything possible to reduce their so-called ‘carbon footprint’, and they will still be screwed badly by the carbon tax. If only these people knew their voting by rote and tradition could be the very thing that bankrupts them! Kind of poetic justice for the incredibly stupid. Let’s call it political natural selection. Unfortunately, we could all end up suffering for their (and others like them, all across the country) willful ignorance and stupidity.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
Heard something about Jack hinting at a Lib-NDP coalition. If that happens, you can count on Western separation speculation like never before!! The sh*t will indeed hit the fan.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:29 am
Lib platform released..and it’s getting hammered by the journalists.the Lib ‘team’ looks SICK! Dion fumbling around with answers..and a BROKEN lib promise.In the platform,the Kelowna accord dropped from 5 to 2 BILLION..guess it wasn’t that important after all!
Jo,another good article on the Ritz thing up at CTV Election Blog top of page.
By way of comparison,after watching a calm,confident,smart,PMSH this am,and a great promise on crime..watching this Libera Team trainwreck is just embarrassing.It honestly feels as if they have given up.And now,Jennings slamming PM’s crime initiative,just proves what PMSH said about opposition being weak on crime.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
Heard something about Jack hinting at a Lib-NDP coalition.
Hard to imagine a party with the voting record of the Liberals being part of a coalition. And who would make the decisions?
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 am
[...] appears to refer to a tendency to avoid change - as in changing the way you and your ancestors have ever voted since time began: …It’s as predictable as the girls going to bingo and the boys [...]
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:45 am
Agree Soccermom. NDP-Liberal Coalition. Tried and failed! The NDP, under the leadership of Jack Layton, tried to cooperate with the LPC against the Conservatives; ending with Jack Layton walking away in disgust because, according to the NDP, the LPC did not keep their part of the bargain.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Check out AGWN…looks like the Libs have a mole! Lots of inside info posted from conf.call.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Sammy, thanks for that leak tip. Sweet!
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
I decided to do a little research on the Elections Canada website. The first riding I looked up was Nickelbelt. I found that Ray Bonin first won the riding by defeating an NDP incumbent. The vote swing was 23,000. So much for the theory that northern Ontarians never change their votes.
This election there are three ridings that could go (gasp) blue in northern Ontario. They are Kenora and Nippissing from the Liberals and the Soo from the NDP. None of the sitting Liberals are safe, although I expect a couple will manage to win close races. The only sure thing in the north is the reelection of Charlie Angus.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Can you imagine Rae and Iggy sharing power with Taliban Jack? Jack being deputy leader behind Dion, or Jack being Finance Minister? Holy smackdown!!
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Thanks, Swift. Please keep us posted on the situation up there as the election campaign unfolds.
September 22nd, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Teddi, what you are describing is a nightmare!
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Change of subject for a moment. Good read on Steve Janke’s site re Liberal Platform announced today.
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Why shouldn’t people vote by rote? Many voters know, for example, that the Conservatives, the NDP or whatever will always be closer to their political beliefs than any other party so they can comfortably vote for that party election after election. No use switching until another party comes along that better represents their views, the BQ or in its day Reform, for instance
September 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Thanks, BC Kate! I’ll check it out.
Curmudgeon, the point is that many people vote for the same party election after election, without examining the issues, or to see if anything has changed.
I respect anyone who has carefully considered all the issues, and then still selects the party that they went with the last time.
But if they just blindly plod along and mark their X without even having a clue what the issues are, I almost think that’s worse than not voting at all.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Voting by Rote….
I’m not sure how old you are Jo …. but that’s been the Number one problem with Ontario voters since I was a kid… I remember whole families that identified with one party or another and never though once about doing anything different over 5 generations.
Sheeple.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
Yeah, sheeple for sure.
Is it different in other provinces, I wonder? Do people actually think more about politics, and sort through all the issues?
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:33 am
My impression is that it’s similar in Southern Sask. as far as people voting by tradition.
I find it frustrating whenever politics are discussed around extended family gatherings: Elderly aunts, uncles, relatives… Francophone-Catholic (yes, even in Saskatchewan), and Liberal to the core. What amazes me is the mental contortions they necessarily must go through in order to reconcile their social beliefs with today’s Liberal agenda. It’s a purposeful blind spot.
September 23rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
Elderly aunts, uncles, relatives… Francophone-Catholic (yes, even in Saskatchewan), and Liberal to the core. What amazes me is the mental contortions they necessarily must go through in order to reconcile their social beliefs with today’s Liberal agenda. It’s a purposeful blind spot.
Very well said, Donny. Thanks for the insight. It seems that pockets of Francophones in the ROC still vote Liberal even though Quebec is veering away from the Grits. Interesting.
September 27th, 2008 at 4:04 pm
[...] did’, but we are facing challenging times. This reminded me of a previous post I did on Voting by Rote. Canadians really need to take the time to assess the leaders, the issues and the current economic [...]