[politics]

[tellitslant]

You know what? Out of all the emotions I thought I might feel when the election results were announced – anger, apathy, annoyance – I did not expect to feel this way. I feel embarrassed. I feel absolutely embarrassed to be an Albertan.

I mean, come on, let's be honest. There was no way we were coming out of that one with anyone other than Harper as PM, and I can handle a weak Conservative minority while the Liberals elect a new leader. I can deal. I'm not happy, but I can deal. And the make-up of Parliament is – not bad, actually, given the circumstances.

But every other province elected a mixture of parties (the territories only have a seat each). Every one, except Alberta. Even "Redmonton" let us down.

I feel like I need to start walking up to people on the street and saying "You know we didn't all vote for him, right? You know we're not all rednecks, right? We're not all Conservatives here! Really, we're not!" And while intellectually I know that there are as many reasons as people who voted why the conservatives swept the province – redneck is the word that the media uses. I heard it over and over last night – only before all the results are in, it was in the context of "Usually it's up to Edmonton to prove that not all Albertans are rednecks." But apparently we are. We just want our tax cuts – oh, and let's make sure those uppity queers and chicks don't get too complacent there, eh!

And yes, I'm a Westerner, and yes, I occasionally feel "alienated" from federal politics, but just because Harper is from the West does not mean he represents me. This is not the Western PM I want to elect (and let's just leave aside the actual sense of revulsion I felt, listening to the CBC speculate last night on "the next Western PM – could it be Ralph Klein?") and these are not the Western values I want him to espouse. This party marginalizes me, this party disrespects me, this party does not stand for me - and yet you can't tell that by looking at polling results, and because this party is in power who knows when that'll change.

So yes. I am angry. I am annoyed. I am even a wee bit apathetic – because honestly, I'm just marking time until this government falls. But most of all, I am embarrassed, for the very first time ever, of where I'm from. And I hate that. But I don't expect to get over it any time soon.

Comments

[veraxia.livejournal.com]

In total agreement.

When America let Bush back in, at least they had Canada to escape to. Who do we have?

[goalby66.livejournal.com]

That's how many people felt after Bush got re-elected here in the U.S. He won the first time because his brother lived in Florida where the dispute was. Even after launching a war for "weapons of mass destruction" and being unpopular, he still won. Wtf.

Could be worse I guess. Look at France -_-

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

"Redmonton" didn't let anybody down. We *did* vote for a mixture of parties--a pretty colourful mixture, in fact, with a heck of a lot more orange. It's our first-past-the-post electoral system that makes it look different.

Don't blame the people for the fault of the system.

-J

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

P.S. If that makes you angry, it should. But don't get angry at the voters. Work for change: Fair Vote Canada (http://www.fairvotecanada.org/).

[tellitslant]

It definitely is the system that gives me a lot of rage, because it's the system that's creating the perception that makes me angry. And yes, I am definitely hooking up with Fair Vote.

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Just remember, it's not the voters, it's the system. Edmontonians voted NDP in *record* numbers this time, and not just in Edmonton-Strathcona. The Greens did pretty well, too. It's a nice colourful mix--it just *looks* blue because of our screwy system.

-J

[gentilhomme.livejournal.com]

I feel like I need to start walking up to people on the street and saying "You know we didn't all vote for him, right? You know we're not all rednecks, right? We're not all Conservatives here! Really, we're not!"

Gee, that kinda sounds like half the Americans after the last elections.

WELL DONE, CANADA.




(At least I can grok the shame and anger. Idaho is the most Republican state in the union. NAOMI: "I'm focusing on the positives. The NDP got more seats last night than ever before. And there's a minority government. What that says to me is that Canada wants rid of the Liberals, and the NDP isn't strong enough yet.")

[sakura-yuy.livejournal.com]

at least your vote gave $1.75 to the NDP for the next election. And be thankful that this is the new conservatives and not the old progressive ones.

My town voted conservatives too :/ but I blame the old people, we have a lot of those. I'm happy as long as the NDP slowly but surely gets a greater number of seats each year.

[windwoodrose.livejournal.com]

Isn't the new Conservative supposed to be more right wing than the Progressive Conservatives since they merged with the Canadian Alliance which used to be the Reform party?

[sakura-yuy.livejournal.com]

whoops, I meant to say than Reform, not progressive. From what I gather the conservatives are leaning more towards the center of the political spectrum because they needed the vote from people with that ideology. But Harper started out in the Reform party and apperantly left it because it wasn't following it's values enough for his liking. So we'll see how this goes.

Man, I don't even like politics I'm gonna go have some mindless fun.

Because when have I ever been able to keep my mouth shut.

[fullycompletely.livejournal.com]

You know what I remember? I remember being 18 years old and driving home from voting in my very first federal election and feeling all dorky and proud and watching the clock turn to 7:30 which meant the polls were closed and the announcer came on the radio and said, "We are calling a Liberal victory, the Liberal party has won the election," before a single fucking vote was counted in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, or the Northwest Territories. And that's the first time in my entire life where I understood what people meant when they talked about Western alienation.

That probably has nothing to do with what you're posting about but I felt the need for a rebuttal of some sort.

[kiwikatzkatz.livejournal.com]

Dude. So true. I'm from Ontario so I never really understood what the hell Western alienation was or why the West felt it. But now that I've experienced a federal election in Manitoba I get it. Not fun.