Canada Needs a Strong Right Wing Alternative, But Not Like That

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In the last days of the campaign, Stephen Harper retired the attack ads for a simpler, more positive message. This election is not about me, he said, but as the result from Monday night’s vote confirmed, actually, it was a little bit about him. Making the campaign about him was just the way Harper wanted it, and it was his downfall as many commentators noted because while Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair leaned on their team, Harper always felt like a one man band. Now, in the aftermath of a blistering defeat, right-leaning Canadian politicos are wondering why, and they need only look to the man whose face and name had literally become synonymous with Canadian conservatism for the last 13 years. Continue reading “Canada Needs a Strong Right Wing Alternative, But Not Like That” →

The Last Word of #elxn42 Goes to… John Oliver(?)

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We’ve heard from a variety of different people during this historically long campaign, and the fact that for Canadians it has been historically long is, to use one comedian’s word, ” adorable.” Last night on his HBO show Last Week Tonight, John Oliver got his satirically sharp knives out for the last hours of the 42nd Canadian Federal Election. From mocking Tom Mulcair’s campaign style, to watching Justin Trudeau show folks how to fall down stairs the right way, to mocking Stephen Harper’s band with reckless abandon, Oliver was on fire, and as a Canadian I have to say, he got us good! Continue reading “The Last Word of #elxn42 Goes to… John Oliver(?)” →

10 Things the 2015 Campaign Will Be Remembered For

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There are a myriad of ways that the 2015 Federal Election has been one of the most interesting in Canadian history. Sure, during every election, candidates and pundits tell us that this is the most important vote in our lifetime, but this year there is truly a sense that something historic is afoot. What exactly that means is still anyone’s guess. But as we enter the final week of this long election period, let’s look back at 10 of the things that stick out in our memory. From the weird, to the humourous, to the devastatingly tragic, here are 10 things that this election will be remembered for… Continue reading “10 Things the 2015 Campaign Will Be Remembered For” →

Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday October 15, 2015

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This week on Open Sources Guelph we wrap up our campaign coverage with part 7 of 7 of our interviews with the candidates running in Guelph this election. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here] To our beloved listeners, we hope this series has been informative, and that in some small way assists you in making your decision on Election Day, or assisted you when you voted in one of the advance polls earlier this week. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here] But still, there’s one more interview to go, and it should be a good one. [Insert ka-ching sound effect here] Continue reading “Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday October 15, 2015” →

Reefer Madness and These Desperate Times

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I’ve already commented on Stephen Harper’s apparent segue to prop comic while campaigning in this election, and it’s enough to make you wonder if given the polls he’s pondering his post-prime ministerial career. Perhaps as a game show host. Compounding the silly season move to campaign with a comically-exaggerated, old-timey cash register is a growing sense that Harper, while losing the race, is losing his mind, because why else would he be slamming the Liberal plan to decriminalize marijuana on the one hand, while appear at an event with a known drug user and his alleged drug dealing brother on the other? Continue reading “Reefer Madness and These Desperate Times” →

What’s Up with NDP’s Fuzzy Math?

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The Liberal surge in the polls have meant that the NDP must face the possibility that their governmental ambitions maybe only seen in the rearview mirror, but Tom Mulcair has no intention of going gently into that good night. While campaigning over the weekend, Mulcair, his candidates, and NDP staffers are now submitting the message that if Canadians want to get rid of Stephen Harper, the NDP is the best alternative because the math is on their side. Yes, the NDP say that they need only 35 more seats to defeat Stephen Harper, but what does that mean? Continue reading “What’s Up with NDP’s Fuzzy Math?” →