Revolution très tranquille
Elections Quebec puts the turnout at just 71.3% -- second lowest in the province's history, I believe. This is remarkable -- usually, when big change happens in Quebec, it is accompanied by a surge in turnout. It isn't so much that the peasants with pitchforks marched on the National Assembly, it appears, as that supporters of the old-line parties stayed home.
3/27/2007
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Two things,
A) what's the usual turnout? Is there much of a difference? 71% seems quite hight regardless.
B) You mean only 29% of people are supporters of old-line parties? I don't think so, I think your're off on that one. Probably less people who are borderline BQ and lib supporters who showed up if anything
I am surprised at the lower turnout if it really is that dramatic, but it could be possible less people showed up for the liberals and BQ.
I was listening to the CBC last night...
I thought they said 71% was a near-record-high turnout? Perhaps someone should look into this.
AC: Those that stayed home were probably in the seats that were won by huge margins - liberal seats primarily. I would be interested to see the seat by seat results to be sure. Not voting is like givng 1/2 a vote to the parties that you do not support. What was the weather like BTW?
The Quebec ridings that voted for PM Harper are the same ones at the heart of Dumont's ADQ victory. And spreading.
Coyne, Kinsella, Wells and most Media cannot stand the thought of a decentralized AND united Canada that is also thriving. Undisfunctional.
The days of the all powerful PMO and it's Privy Council of UNelected "directors", such as Maurice Strong, are over. OH CANADA.
Sorry to say Andrew, but the Quebec election topic thread over at Kate's smalldeadanimals.com is of much, much higher quality. Also a lot more volume, 71 commenters and climbing.
But good of you to allow comments on your blog. Some of your colleagues do not. Thx.
And hopefully the days of Canada's "Friendly Dictator Syndrome" are also over.
Kyotoism has been pushed by Canada's MSM for a decade now. Especially in Quebec.
The United Nations under our own Maurice Strong has been trying to brow beat Canadians to bow down to the Earth Charter, One World Governance altars.
Suzuki has been given a free reign by the media to propagandize the Earth's climate. Especially the Vancouver Sun. Right Patricia Graham ??
Al 'the Prophet' Gore has been paraded aroung Quebec and Montreal by Dion to try fear-mongering Canadians into voting green.
Our schools are indoctrinating our children with fiction such as Gore's 'Inconvenient truth' while the media suppresses knowledge of the YouTube hit 'The Great Climate Swidle'
Even the three opposition parties gang up on PM Harper to demand that Canadians give $Billions to other countries as "guilt-money" disguised as "carbon-credits".
Even Paul Martin, at the UN's 'ten thousand (Mo)strong' meet in Montreal tried to shame us, and the world, into voting green. Quebecers will decide, he roared.
The Canadian media praises the gound (Oliver; icon) that Suzuki/Gore walk on while at the same time ignor Canadians such as Dr. Patrick Moore and Dr. Timothy Ball.
Last night Quebecers had their say. They gave the Green Party less than 4% of the vote.
Quebecers know the difference between reasonable pollution controls and a hoax.
And still the media just doesn't get it.
Sorry to say Andrew, but the Quebec election topic thread over at Kate's smalldeadanimals.com is of much, much higher quality. Also a lot more volume, 71 commenters and climbing.
So what are you doing here?
Constructive criticism, that's all. That's the strength of blogs, as opposed to the media's "we will tell you how it is" thing :)
What was the weather like BTW?
The weather was terrible - rain and cool drizzle across the province (and Ottawa, where I'm at). Some commentators figure that the turnout would have been notably higher if not for the rain - certainly I wouldn't be too keen on making special trips the way things were yesterday.
I would agree with the earlier comments that a 70-plus turnout is extraordinarily high. Certainly anything above 50 or 60% nowadays is very strong. To me, that kind of number is analogous to a "pitchforks at the gates" kind of transformative election. But perhaps Quebecers are much more politically voracious than most.
Andrew, just wait until Dumont forces Charest to cut taxes and give every child $100 per week. You think the "fiscal imbalance" is dead? Let me tell you, this zombie will walk the earth once more.
From what I've read, turnout was higher than in 2003, but 2003 was the record low.
As for the "fiscal imbalance," I don't see that returning. Charest won't quite do ALL of what Dumont wants, and if Dumont is serious about cutting spending, Quebec should be OK (of course, when you talk politicians and cutting spending, the IF is about the size of Montreal island).
Mario Dumont has the vague Robert Bouressa coyness that drove the ROC crazy and gave rise to the Reform party in the first place.
Wow. Say what you will about Quebec's political culture, at least it keeps Quebecers coming out to the polls. These numbers are VASTLY higher than turnout numbers in other provinces/federally.
A. Coyne,
Hoax Aware was a little cutting and not very gentle with comments, yet I expected a more philosophic and substantive, maybe withering response from a senior journalist.
Your ** what the hell are you doing here then?** reply didn*t satisfy any of the gentle challenge toward the MSM in general.
To be generous, I suspect you just didn*t have the time or the freedom to get into a more constructive reply.
Hoax Aware was here at a blogsite where views and opinions are normally expected.
If you were just easily irritated today then that*s allowed I guess. A more creative, even partial response was expected.
In any case, you are a pretty good writer and getting better as you don*t let us non-writers get your goat. = TG