Oh Canada, don't turn RED!!!

[Nutmegger]

Canada has stood up to the world bully

Canada has established universal health care. People here (my parents included) still pay astronomical fees for this basic right.

Harper wants to increase defense spending

Harper wants to take part in the US missile defense system

Harper opposes the Kyoto Protocol

DON'T TURN RED BLUE CANADA!!!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Good God! Haven't we been the canary in the mineshaft for them?

Don't do it Canada! Act in haste, regret at leisure.

[Bozita]

4. but, but, ... but Canada had a big scandal

Not by US standards

[depakid]

14. Canada's had quite a few scandals

The Liberal party has been corrupted for some years now- and Candians are getting sick of it.

Frankly, I don't blame them. Big mistake voting in the conservatives, tho.

They're basically like the centrist Dems in the states- and they're going to muck things up even worse.

[lady lib]

9. Well said, Phoebe!! n/t

[Solo_in_MD]

28. Chill...

The conservative Canadians would feel quite comfortable in any blue state here in the US. They are no where near the Repukes. Don't confuse labels with positions.

Additionally the so Liberal party has clearly gotten to used to the power and needs some serious house cleaning. This may be what is called for.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Joanne98]

3. It's the fucking Christian Right! They're EVERYWHERE!

[Vinca]

5. While I truly hope Canada stays liberal, my husband the

Canadian-American tells me conservative has an entirely different meaning up there. It's not a cult like the cuckoobananas in this country. That said, any candidate who is planning to be buddies with Shrub should be voted down by a huge majority . . . unless the Canadians are ready to go to Iran.

[Spazito]

10. That used to be true but no longer

Harper is tied to the US christian fundie organizations as well as the US neocons and has his head so far up bush's ass it is pathetic. The actual Conservative party was taken over by the radical right wing and those who are real, old style Conservatives have started another party, fledgling as yet unfortunately.

If this faux Con party does win a minority, WILL not win a majority government, they will be somewhat hamstrung on instituting their radical agenda and will fall, imo, within a year of taking power and we will be back at the polls again.

[Vinca]

13. I'll inform my better half. I'm sure he didn't know that.

This is horrible. If Diebold steals 2008 we were going to pack and go north of the border to live.

[Mend]

16. we, too, but if we lose in 2006, but it doesn't sound as though

it will be much better up there.

[Spazito]

17. The polls are really tightening up just as they did near the end

of the last election so it will be a nail biter for sure. There is also a significant number of undecided/strategic voters this election as last and they were the deciding factor then and may well be this time. They tend to lean Liberal so that is promising but it will be very, very close, closer than last most likely but the faux Cons haven't got it in the bag yet.

[Mend]

11. I remember back in 1999 when people said not to be afraid of

bush....including such people as Molly Ivens and Ralph No-Difference Nader. I don't think there is such a thing as a safe conservative but I guess we will watch our northern friends and find out. Remember the BFEE can teach Harper how to be an imperial prime minister. We lost our democracy in less than a year, let's see if Canada can keep hers.

[Nutmegger]

12. I don't know...

Harper has said that he supported the "Iraq War" and the "US Missile Defense System". Bush Inc would be thrilled if their boy up north got the top job so America's interests can be met.

[Lisa]

29. if it's a Conservative victory, hope for a minority, and loose discipline

That way, Harper won't have total control. There is already a split in the Conservatives (the attempt to stitch together the moderate Progressive Conservatives and the more radical western Reformers has hit some rocky bits). And if Harper decides to send troops to Iraq, for example, I hope that the Liberals, NDP, and Bloc would be strong enough to call a non-confidence motion ... and that some of the moderate Conservatives would ignore the party whip, and support them. They've already had a problem with that (at least 3 elected Conservatives actually switched parties in the past couple of years).

[Mutley]

6. I have faith in the Canadians.

They've seen what neocons can do.

[SidDithers]

15. Not this time I fear...

Canadians don't like a government that has been in power for too long. There is a feeling that the Liberals have grown arrogant, and the mood i sense is that the Canadian public thinks they need to be punished, to make them honest again.

I expect a Conservative minority government on Monday, hopefully a short lived one.

Sid

[Mutley]

19. Well, maybe they're right.

:shrug:

The liberals have been in power for a long time up there, and conservatives don't necessarily have the corner on the corruption market. From what I understand, the Canadian conservatives are pretty tame compared to our conservatives. I just hope that whichever party is elected, they stay good and wary of Bush.

[Spazito]

20. Nope, they are not tamer than yours, yours are their mentors

Ralph Reed has been up here speaking, the US religious fundies are front and center on this funneling money to their Canadian counterparts. They are every bit as fanatical as your neocons with an agenda that will: decimate social programs to give tax cuts to the rich, re-instate the discrimination against gays and taking away their right to marry, work to limit a woman's right to choose. In a nutshell, your neocon government's agenda is also our faux Con party's agenda.

[Mutley]

22. Well, that sucks.

I hope the liberals win. :hug:

[Spazito]

24. Yep, me too, it is going to be a nail biter for sure!

Thanks for the hug, we surely need it right now!

[Mutley]

26. Pass it on.

Let your friends know that some Americans care, if not all of us. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:

[Spazito]

27. I surely will and thanks again!

I never say never till the 'fat lady has sung' and she has NOT sung yet!

:grouphug:

[SidDithers]

7. *grin* Colours are reversed in Canada...

Liberals are red:

Conservatives are blue:

NDP are kinda orangish-brown:

But we know your heart is in the right place. Thanks :)

Sid

[Nutmegger]

8. LOL, thanks!! n-t

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[skids]

23. Us Americans with our Blue leftists...

...and our left-sided steering wheels. And our incompatible telecom. We just can't act normal can we? :-)

[Odin2005]

18. In most countries Red = Left, Blue = Right.

I think it was like that here too untill 2000. I'm guessing Lefties here in the states don't like to use red because of the Commie association the color has.

[Nutmegger]

21. Yup, looks like that's it...

http://www.answers.com/topic/red-state-vs-blue-state-divide

However, in 2000, for the first time ever, all the major broadcast networks and all the cable news outlets utilized the same colour scheme: red for Republicans and blue for Democrats. Curiously, the colour red has been traditionally adopted by communist and socialist movements around the world; during the Cold War era, older Republican Party members would likely have used "Red state" to refer to the Soviet Union, Cuba, or East Germany.

Typical...:eyes:

[liberalpragmatist]

25. Apparently they used to alternate between parties in and out of power

Blue would typically be reserved for the incumbent party and red for the challengers. But after the protracted 2000 struggle, the color scheme became fixed, and it's probably sticking now.