One Fallen Swoop

The very most basic of qualifications for a political candidate for public office is to provide some kind of evidence of commitment, both to the service of the country and to the political party under whose banner they plan to run.

And then there is the appeal to the constituents of a riding. First off, that the individual proffering themself as a candidate has a connection to the riding. And is capable of communicating to the public in the common language. And presents themselves for public scrutiny of self, qualifications and stand on matters of public and social interest.

When none of these most basic of qualifications have taken place, and yet the candidate, who has never even visited the riding in question still not only obtains enough votes to win the candidacy, and win by a huge margin, it is questionable whether this is an expression of democracy or sheer public idiocy.

Who knew that behaving like an imbecile was contagious? How else explain that like a herd of mindless sheep people simply flocked to emulate one another in stupidity?

A young woman of 27 who works at a university, student-operated bar, agrees when asked to present her name as a warm body in the quest for enough candidates to cover all ridings in a federal election. This is a casual acquiescence with not even the barest modicum of commitment.

How else explain that during the election campaign not once did Ruth Ellen Brosseau turn up in the riding in question, much less present herself at an all-candidates' meeting. A largely unknown individual, with none of the voters having any idea what her personal platform was.

The so-called "orange crush", simply swept her along on the tide of blind votes because of lavish and irresponsible promises made to the province of Quebec by the leader of the NDP to satisfy all of its desires, however divisive to the rest of the country, inclusive of sovereignty, that his party would be invested in, to please exceptional French-Canadians.

In their rush to shut out the Conservatives, the one party with whom the province should have made an alliance, as the only party at this juncture that could and might very well, accommodate some of the demands of Quebec, the investment of voters was to park their votes with the NDP. Which party shot up in membership from one, to 53, sweeping the province, and ushering the NDP into opposition status.

Heaven help Canada.