Who is Really Responsible for Excluding the Greens From the Television Debates?

I am appalled. The decision by the television network consortium to exclude the Green Party from the debates is reprehensible. They put the blame three of the four political parties for this decision. That is the Harper, the Layton New Democrats and the Duceppe Bloc to be exact. If that is the case, then there lots of blame to go around and Canadian citizens should be outraged.


What are the names, email addresses and phone numbers of these mysterious television network "deciders" Who empowered them to operate behind these closed doors on such matters? I want to know exactly who they are and how to get in touch with them and to give them a piece of my mind directly and publicly.

The news reports say three of the four other federal parties were opposed to her participation. That means everyone by the Dion Liberals. Harper, Duceppe and Layton all threatened to withdraw from the debates if May was included. Shame on them! This is totally unacceptable.

I think it is pure exaggeration and blame shifting for the network consortium to allege that the major parties would not actually participate in an election debate because the Greens were included. Spare me. It that is the case, the consortium should have insisted the three political party leaders make their own announcement and give their reasons publicly. They should be telling us why they want to exclude the Greens and if they are threatening a boycott if she was to be included.


The breathtaking arrogance of these guys is astonishing. Who do they all think they are? The Greens have proven to be a viable and emerging political force in the country. According to an extensive Ipsos Reid Poll of over 4000 Canadians done September 6th the Greens enjoy support of 10% of the nation’s voters.

They are the choice of 13% of BC voters and 14% of Ontario voters and are tied with the NDP in Alberta at 10% support. Harper is losing former Red Tory Progressive Conservatives to Greens - the Red Greens as I like to call them.


The Greens do even better in the urban battleground where the Greens are ahead or equal to the NDP in the critical areas of the 905 and Toronto. Layton and Harper think this is their country. This is even more interesting. The Greens in Harper’s hometown of Calgary are at 13% support. That is more than double the NDP who languish at 6% Calgary support.

Last election the Greens ran a full slate meaning anyone in Canada could vote for them. Duceppe’s Bloc only runs Quebec candidates, meaning a limited number of candidates and only Quebecer can vote for them. This is a national election, not a Quebec election. Given the limitations of the Bloc’s participation, should the consortium should disqualify the Bloc’s participation too? Of course not! Quebec separatists have even qualified and served as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. And then they say the Greens are not even eligible to merely participate in an election debate. Unbelievable. Shame on them.

The MSM is out of line - way out of line. If they are telling the truth about the Conservatives, the NDP and the Bloc threatening to boycott the debate if the Greens are in, then they should have had those leaders make the public announcement to exclude the Greens.

If that is not the real reason for the consortium decision to exclude the Greens then the various television network heads should have their heads roll. Who do they think they are? How dare they presume that they get to decide who we citizens get to see and hear in a debate about OUR future and in OUR election. This is not a cheap realty TV show. It is about the deciding the very nature of the country. It is not about a bunch of anxiety riddled political leaders who are better at gamesmanship than governing.

This election is not just about producing a mediocre television program. It is not even about the political parties or the political leaders. It is about citizens becoming engaged and informed to make a considered decision about who they will trust with their consent to be governed. An election is one of the most important events in the lives of engaged citizens.

It is not the job of the television networks to make or manipulate such a decision. They have shown with this decision that they are prepared to abuse their privilege of the social license to operate their broadcast business over OUR airwaves. Shame on all those involved.

Get real guys and immediately reverse this stupid decision. If those arrogant political leaders and their parties refuse to participate if the Greens are involved May then cancel the damn debate. The three political parties and their arrogant leaders would not dare pass on the television debates. It is just too critical for them in the larger scheme of things.

If they do end up boycotting then let them. The Blogosphere will step up and take over the responsibility to fully inform the public about what is really going on this election.

Congratulations CBC for Your ON-LINE Election Site.

This piece by Ira Basen on political spin on the CBC election site specifically dedicated to on-line and new media is worth a read. Do not default to political cynicism - merely skepticism - as a result of reading this. The Blogosphere is going to be a more voter oriented source of information on the election than ever before. Not any more authoritative than the MSM but I'm betting it will be more genuine and engaging.

Congratulations to the CBC for providing this on-line vehicle to help make that opportunity for engaged citizenship to happen.

Terrifying Harper thought...the ideological arts cuts he just did are a precursor to killing the CBC if he gets a majority. If Gywnne Dyer is an ideological enemy of the neo-Con Harper cabal, imagine how Harper must view the CBC.

Be afraid CBC fans - be very afraid.

Day One: Harper Says He's Mr. Rogers and Layton Says He's a Canuck Obama. LOL!

Here are some first impressions of the Harper and Layton election campaign launches.

HARPER:
Harper is using TV ads to repackage his image as Mr. Rogers and wants to “welcome us to his neighbourhood.” He will spend millions of dollars to try and convince Canadians he has moved away from his chair kicking micro-manager control freak leadership style.

He will leave Canadians wondering who about the real Stephen Harper. Is the conniving and deceitful promise breaker dead? Is the Eerie Uncle Steve television commercial shot in soft focused sepia-tone with Harper in a sweater vest the real man? I don’t think so.

He has been repeatedly evasive and unconvincing why he is forcing an election now in breach of his own fixed election law. He says in an opening day CTV interview that his government has accomplished a lot since elected, including passing three budgets and plenty of legislation. So he is a successful government and an accomplished leader. So much for a dysfunctional Parliament!

He says he wants to spend $400m of our tax money on an unnecessary election just so he can lead another minority government. What a waste of money. What hubris and arrogance. I expect Harper’s election campaign this will prove unequivocally to the majority of Canadians that he is not to be trusted. If the lead up and the first day are any indication of the future of Harper campaign style it will be about a thousand points of bullshit.

LAYTON:
Jack has already embarrassed himself by claiming to be the Canadian Obama in the launch of his campaign. Spare me. He is running for second place because he believes the pointless popularity poll ranking that puts him minimally ahead of Dion in leadership capability. He forgets or ignores the impact of the Cons who have spent about $2,000,000.00 in carpet bombing television attach ads in the past year framing Dion as "not a leader."

Ironically Dion has obviously personally suffered from the attack ads, but the Liberal brand has not. The Libs have stayed statistically tied with the Cons in popular support in spite of the carpet bombing attack ads by the Cons. Now we have an election and leadership is really an issue. Layton claiming to be an Obama wanna-be is embarrassing and awkward at so many levels. Self-delusion is not a winning quality for political success. Jack’s fantasy narrative as the Canuck Obama is going to at least make him subject to snickering if not outright ridicule.

In reality Jack is pretending to look ahead to take a direct run at Harper. In reality he is actually looking over his shoulder at the growing popularity of the Greens under Elizabeth May. The May Greens will be breathing down Jack’s his neck all over the country. The Greens will prove to be the safe parking lot of choice for the millions of disenchanted voters who want to send a message to the old-school parties…including Jack and the NDP.

CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES:
The real test of Layton’s shift-to-the-right leadership will be if he ends up holding the balance of power if the election outcome is a Harper minority government. He will no longer have the luxury of dog-in-a-manger voting tactic without fear of causing an unnecessary election. Jack likes to criticize Dion for supporting the last Harper government and he brags that he consistently voted against the old Harper government. A new Harper minority Jack will be intimidated, bullied and extorted. That will put the Layton Dippers on the bubble next time.

We will then see just how committed Jack will be to his political principles. We will see him really tested as to the quality of his character if he turns out to be a Harper sock puppet if this election returns another Harper minority.

Harper May Not Be Breaking His Election Law But He is Breaking Another Promise

There was an idea I explored in this Blog a few days ago that the Governor General should make her Prime Minister prove his allegations before calling an election. Harper is going to submit that he can no longer govern due to a dysfunctional Parliament and that the House of Commons lost confidence in his government is getting some heavy weight support. I think he should be required to prove those allegations befor any election proceeds.

A recent newspaper story is showing some other heavyweight policy thinkers are on the same wave length.


It is an open question if Harper will have broken his own law around fixed election dates. For sure the “fix is in” and he want an election now, on his terms for his advantage and on his timing. Silly citizens who think elections about them have to realize they are the not focus of any Harper election scam.


Maybe there is a legal issue around Harper’s attempt to call an election on such unproven grounds and with no relevant evidence to support this claims in the face of his fixed date election law. Maybe we need to have that question of law put as a Reference to the Supreme Court for a ruling.

The Supremes recently dealt with the BCE privatization matter very expeditiously. No reason to believe they couldn’t do it just as expeditiously. This time it would be for the sake of preserving the Rule of Law and an effective democracy in the land.

In any event we don't know for sure if Harper is breaking the law in his attempt to force an election now. One thing for sure his actions are a breach of trust with the spirit and intent of the fixed election dates law. One thing for sure is that Harper is a promise breaker - and he is about to do that again.

Sarah Palin and Alaskan Independence Party (AIP)

Maybe Governor Palin was not a member of the Alaska Independence Party and only her husband was. I think the record is clear abouot him but fuzzy in her regard.

According to a clip in this video some folks in the AIP seem to remember that she was a one time member. But what do they know and what does that prove? No much. Only thing for sure is a smoking gun.

It is kind of like the half truths and diversionary tactics that Harper uses on things like his Quebec-centric IN-OUT Campaign Advertising Scams and the Cadman Insurance Affair...then there is the BS about a dysfuntional Parliament. It is about being shifty and not straight up and fessing up. Straight up and fessing up is not Harper's style.

I suggest that if she ever was an AIP member, so what. People change and learn and adapt and move on. If she still is an AIP member that is a problem. Given that she is now a Republican Vice-Presidential Candidate running under a campaign theme of Country First, that is a problem.