Voter intelligence is being insulted again

[WWWTT]

The last time I heard the voters were protesting was in Ontario in 1990.

Theres a phrase for this.Its called blaming the voters for not voting the way you want them to!

What about 1993 when the Bloq and Reform took hold?

As far as I'm concerned when the right wing media insults the voters they lose all credibility and are showing their true biased nature!

First they were saying that Canadians don't want this election,and now they are saying that the voters are protesting.Anything but give the NDP the credibility they deserve!Must be real hard to keep finding ways to make Harper look good now!

Thank God TV ratings are going down and advertising revenues are drying up-I wonder why?

WWWTT

[Moonbox]

What the hell are you even talking about?

[wyly]

The last time I heard the voters were protesting was in Ontario in 1990.

Theres a phrase for this.Its called blaming the voters for not voting the way you want them to!

What about 1993 when the Bloq and Reform took hold?

1st it's what the established liberals and conservatives do to trivialize any move to a third party to save face...

2nd it also comes from people who never vote for any other party than what they've been conditioned to vote for their entire lives, these aren't deep thinkers, "slack jawed yokels"...

Edited May 1, 2011 by wyly

[lukin]

University students is the largest group of non-thinkers in the country. A majority of them have little clue of the issues that will affect them in the next 5-10 years. They'll do whatever they are told, and whatever is trendy at the time.

[bloodyminded]

University students is the largest group of non-thinkers in the country. A majority of them have little clue of the issues that will affect them in the next 5-10 years. They'll do whatever they are told, and whatever is trendy at the time.

Now that you mention it, there were a lot of Liberal and Cosnervative voters among students when I went to a typical "leftist" university. So maybe you're right.

Edited May 1, 2011 by bloodyminded

[Moonbox]

Now that you mention it, there were a lot of Liberal and Cosnervative voters among students when I went to a typical "leftist" university. So maybe you're right.

Except that the demographics and numbers don't support that at all. Nice try buddy. Hope you're not hurting yourself with comebacks like that.

[bloodyminded]

Except that the demographics and numbers don't support that at all. Nice try buddy. Hope you're not hurting yourself with comebacks like that.

I guess the "just having fun" and "don't be so serious" remarks were blindingly partisan in nature...and that you can't compute a smiley face.

However, it is true that the notion of universities being "hotbeds of radical leftism" is only true to those who hover somewhere around the right of Pinochet.

[TTM]

2nd it also comes from people who never vote for any other party than what they've been conditioned to vote for their entire lives, these aren't deep thinkers, "slack jawed yokels"...

I assume you are talking about Alberta, since you've defined Alberta provincial politics.

[lukin]

Now that you mention it, there were a lot of Liberal and Cosnervative voters among students when I went to a typical "leftist" university. So maybe you're right.

I don't disagree with you that there were many Liberal voters.

[WWWTT]

I assume you are talking about Alberta, since you've defined Alberta provincial politics.

You don't have to look very far to find yahoos

WWWTT

[capricorn]

University students is the largest group of non-thinkers in the country. A majority of them have little clue of the issues that will affect them in the next 5-10 years. They'll do whatever they are told, and whatever is trendy at the time.

This reminds me somewhat of when Trudeau came on the scene. With his charm and trademark rose on his lapel, Trudeau wooed young voters and women voters alike. In this election we see Layton with the ever present cane. A man who by all appearances has beaten the odds and survived a health crisis. In their own way, both men have set themselves apart from the other leaders. It's not difficult to imagine that Trudeau's spending extravaganza would be repeated by a Layton led government. I see a lot of parallels. Along with voting for charisma comes a very big bill.

[RNG]

I assume you are talking about Alberta, since you've defined Alberta provincial politics.

I was at the U of Alberta for 7 years, admittedly a long time ago. The majority of politically aware students were leftish liberals and rightish NDP. The extreme left was well represented. But the right-wing was sadly small.

But check my post count, this might be the Devil speaking.

Dang, I posted in another thread and ruined my joke.

Edited May 1, 2011 by RNG

[bloodyminded]

This reminds me somewhat of when Trudeau came on the scene. With his charm and trademark rose on his lapel, Trudeau wooed young voters and women voters alike. In this election we see Layton with the ever present cane. A man who by all appearances has beaten the odds and survived a health crisis. In their own way, both men have set themselves apart from the other leaders. It's not difficult to imagine that Trudeau's spending extravaganza would be repeated by a Layton led government. I see a lot of parallels. Along with voting for charisma comes a very big bill.

Are you contending that "women voters," along with "young voters," tend to be naive and superficial?

If so, I've heard this before, as an explanation why women tend more liberal (small 'l') than do men.

But I don't usually hear this argument from women.

[noahbody]

WWWTT,

Can you explain why you think voting for the NDP in these uncertain economic times is an intelligent choice?

[WWWTT]

Ok theres a lot of cross reference on this thread about how young people in post educational institutions may vote.And this same demographic is also known for starting and being active in protests.Does this same group account for over 30% across the nation as we are now seeing in polls?

My initial thread is about how some individuals in the media are labelling this surge of support for the NDP.

This surge did not start in any university or college or youth group.

The NDP have bein around before most of the people here were even born!

They came out of a very difficult time with creative and necessary thinking that has helped our western civilization.

When times are tough society usually turns to the creative inovative thinkers for solutions.

We need the NDP!

Do we need the conservatives?

How about the Liberals?

WWWTT

[bloodyminded]

I was at the U of Alberta for 7 years, admittedly a long time ago. The majority of politically aware students were leftish liberals and rightish NDP. The extreme left was well represented. But the right-wing was sadly small.

But check my post count, this might be the Devil speaking.

I dunno. The years I spent at university suggests to me--in hindsight, anyway--that liberal sensibilities, overall, outnumbered conservative ones.

My objection to the usual characterization is that

1. Universities are full to the brim with radical Marxists and extreme leftists...an opinion that demands virtually everybody changes their politics once out of school, which is simply not believable; and

2. That it ignores institutional effects which are, if anything, anti-leftist (such as increasing corporate ties), as well as the more centrist and conservative faculties such as Business, which are very large, influential components of any major university.

Further, if there are a disproportionate number of liberal-leaning folks in universities, this is clearly at least partly the fault of conservatives themselves; there's no point in complaining about "lefty Arts faculties" in the same breath as one denounces their usefulness and says they would never waste their time there. That's a self-fulfilling prophecy if ever I've heard one.

[capricorn]

Are you contending that "women voters," along with "young voters," tend to be naive and superficial?

Yes. Because I am a woman and back then when Trudeau came along, I was a starry eyed youth. I'm also a francophone and was delighted that so was he. Trudeau swept me off my feet and gave me money to my heart's content. What was there not to love?

[bloodyminded]

Yes. Because I am a woman and back then when Trudeau came along, I was a starry eyed youth. I'm also a francophone and was delighted that so was he. Trudeau swept me off my feet and gave me money to my heart's content. What was there not to love?

My in-laws vote Harper precisely because of the money they say he's going to give them. They're not young; and one out of two is male.

At any rate, if you've a significant (male) other, I suggest you ask his advice before voting.

Edited May 1, 2011 by bloodyminded

[scouterjim]

Politicians ALL insult our intellect when they think we will believe the lies they all make in campaigning. Every party does it.

[TTM]

I was at the U of Alberta for 7 years, admittedly a long time ago. The majority of politically aware students were leftish liberals and rightish NDP.

Youth in general tend left. Those who seek higher education (ignoring business colleges) tend left. I don't know what else you would expect to find at a university.

We were talking about the stereotypical uneducated rural/oilpatch voter. In Alberta they vote overwhelmingly provincially PC and federally Conservative. They will, for the most part, never vote for anything to the left of the Conservatives, regardless of what the party does.

[capricorn]

My in-laws vote Harper precisely because of the money they say he's going to give them. They're not young; and one out of two is male.

Whatever motivates them to vote is OK in my books, as long as they vote.

At any rate, if you've a significant (male) other, I suggest you ask his advice before voting.

Too late. Both of us voted on Easter Monday for the Conservatives. I'm older and wiser now. Physical appearance and charisma no longer bowls me over.

[bloodyminded]

Whatever motivates them to vote is OK in my books, as long as they vote.

Yes, but I'm only questioning your theory, which you've extrapolated wholesale from your personal experience as a naive woman...as women, I take it, tend generally to be. Until they're older, and guided by wiser male figures.

Too late. Both of us voted on Easter Monday for the Conservatives. I'm older and wiser now. Physical appearance and charisma no longer bowls me over.

I feel confident I'm not bowled over by Layton's charisma or physical appearance, and I'm pretty sure I'm neither female nor particularly young.

My own, personal story is somewhat the other way from yours...from a more conservative youth to a more lefty middle-ager. And yet I don't believe it somehow symbolizes Canadians.

[wyly]

I assume you are talking about Alberta, since you've defined Alberta provincial politics.

eeew! I never even thought of that but ya you're right...and I am an albertan

[cybercoma]

Except that the demographics and numbers don't support that at all.

Sure don't. They support the fact that students don't vote. The countless student organizations dedicated to all the parties shows that the ones that do vote, do not vote as a homogeneous group.

[wyly]

Youth in general tend left. Those who seek higher education (ignoring business colleges) tend left. I don't know what else you would expect to find at a university.

We were talking about the stereotypical uneducated rural/oilpatch voter. In Alberta they vote overwhelmingly provincially PC and federally Conservative. They will, for the most part, never vote for anything to the left of the Conservatives, regardless of what the party does.

there's the conservative assumption that students all start of as left and then switch to the right as they age...but people can't see the forest for the trees, our entire society is continually shifting left...the way we view our society and the world today does not resemble the world of my university days...the radical leftist beliefs held by many young students today will be mainstream in 20-30yrs, and in 20-30 yrs there will a whole new crop of young canadians being called leftist radicals by the previous generation...