Coming up to Election Day on Monday, I’m still firmly in the “undecided” column. 
I thought that I’d made up my mind last week, but then a sharp but seemingly unofficial NDP operative (a sort of socialist “Mr. Wendy”) knocked on our door this morning and laid on a good seduction routine.
There’s one thing I need help on: Dody Crane’s web effort is so poor as to be archetypical of “how not to use the web to get elected.”
The website is poorly designed, contains almost no content save some blurry photos of Jack Layton and Leo Broderick, and Dody’s blog [sic] bears out the wisdom of Darren Peters’ comment that “it’s probably better not to have a blog than to do one poorly.” (Blog summary: 36 days, 5 posts in total; complete absence of content or feeling; Aliant spelled wrong, twice).
Now if I put my compassionate hat on, I can conjure up some reasons like “Dody and her team are more concerned with talking to electors than getting a good website.”
But that doesn’t stop the nightmares wherein, under an NDP government, all the photos are blurry and we enter a sort of “graphic design recession.”
And I can’t help but thinking that, in 2004, if you don’t understand the importance of the web, and can’t muster the resources necessary for a respectable web effort, perhaps you’re missing some skills fundamental to governing. If only the skills to realize “we don’t have the resources or eye for this so we won’t do it.”
I’m open-minded enough to be convinced that I shouldn’t factor this in to my decision on polling day (and smart enough, even if I do, to not have it be a significant determining factor). But it scratches at me in the same way it would if, say, Dody’s campaign workers answered the phone “Dody Crane’s office, sorry we can’t help you here.”
Thus comments are welcome and encouraged.
Comments
A friend asked me a question last night.
“Name two things the NDP has done for Canada in the last 20 years. Provinces count too. Okay, try one.”
When I didn’t have an answer I knew there was no point in even entertaining voting NDP. A shill that thinks he’s salt of the earth is most dangerous.
After some thinking, I realised their single claim to fame, public healthcare, lacked the same organizational detail they still lack today.
I’ve looked at their web page. You’re right it sucks. I think you should vote for Shawn Murphy he has some connections to the Privy Council office which may mean he’s in favour with the current PM or with other high flyers. He may therefore be able to pull some strings for your riding and do your community some good.
My problem with the NDP — and their promises — is that it’s like the old joke about the two socialists. One says to the other “If I had two pairs of shoes, I’d give one pair to charity.”
“Me too”
“And if I had two pairs of pants, I’d give one to charity.”
“Me, too.”
“And if I had two shirts, I’d give one to charity.”
“I wouldn’t.”
“Why not?”
“Well .. because I actually HAVE two shirts.”
It’s easy to make generous promises when you know you’ll never have to come through …
Not a very convincing argument, perhaps, but I wrote up Why I’m Voting Green (and you should too).
Strip away the noise about strategic voting, convincing door-to-door canvasers, and the worst televised debate ever (hyperbole intended), and I’m left with this: I agree with their platform.
My parents are voting NDP and I would be too if I were in their riding. Who wouldn’t? They’ve got Ed Broadbent. I didn’t see the debate. I don’t have a TV and I live in Hungary anyway. I get all my news about Canada online.
I think the Liberals have been particularly gutless lately, but I also think the generous promises comment could apply to the NDP and the Greens as well. And unfortunately, a vote for the Greens (in many cases) is a vote for Harper.