Your reaction to American politics?

[bush_cheney2004]

Recently Americans have been begging Trudeau to run for president of the US. Luckily he's already employed. And Trump's successes at party level have already started to drive property values higher in certain parts of eastern Canada. And yes, I'm sure there are a few evangelicals in Canada. We have a charter of rights allowing for freedom of religion.

That's OK...back in 2008, polled Canadians wanted to vote for Senator Obama too, giving up their Canadian vote.

Obviously Trudeau can't be the U.S. president even if he did run (not native born), so that is just more cross border fantasy. I guess the American Obama could technically become PM of Canada (E. May sure has tried several times.)

I prefer reality, and today that means the current candidates for nomination by American political parties. Trump may not win, but he still gets to take his best shot. His name still rides high on the Toronto skyline.

Canadians will watch this process, and the U.S. general election, because it matters so much to them, at least according to Trudeau. The "vast majority" of Americans do not stay up late to see which party wins a Canadian federal election.

[rotary]

That's OK...back in 2008, polled Canadians wanted to vote for Senator Obama too, giving up their Canadian vote.

Obviously Trudeau can't be the U.S. president even if he did run (not native born), so that is just more cross border fantasy. I guess the American Obama could technically become PM of Canada (E. May sure has tried several times.)

I prefer reality, and today that means the current candidates for nomination by American political parties. Trump may not win, but he still gets to take his best shot. His name still rides high on the Toronto skyline.

Canadians will watch this process, and the U.S. general election, because it matters so much to them, at least according to Trudeau. The "vast majority" of Americans do not stay up late to see which party wins a Canadian federal election.

Americans don't stay up late to watch Canadian politics because it fails to contain the inane comedy of the US style. Especially of the type prevalent there now. We like soap operas from time to time, but not as a process to elect our leaders. I notice today in Arizona Trump protesters blocking the hwy. so as to block his supporters from attending the rally. Is that not just more soap opera, of which you seem to be proud?

[waldo]

Ted Cruz was a Canadian until he renounced his citizenship to run for president. Hell, he may still be considered a Canadian citizen in his native country.

no - Ted Cruz's Canadectomy was complete on May 15th, 2014, the date after the issuance by Canada, per his request to renounce his Canadian citizenship, of a Certificate of the Renunciation of Canadian Citizenship:

"Subsection 9(3) of the Canadian Citizenship Act provides that the applicant ceases to be a citizen after the expiration of the day on which the certificate was issued, or such later date as the certificate may specify."

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[bush_cheney2004]

Americans don't stay up late to watch Canadian politics because it fails to contain the inane comedy of the US style. Especially of the type prevalent there now. We like soap operas from time to time, but not as a process to elect our leaders. I notice today in Arizona Trump protesters blocking the hwy. so as to block his supporters from attending the rally. Is that not just more soap opera, of which you seem to be proud?

Agreed....Canadian politics is dreadfully boring, except for maybe Rob Ford.

U.S. politics and other drama is readily available to Canadians because Canadians demand and consume so much American media content..they actually pay for it in some cases (only to complain about the Big 3 cable bills). The OP's point goes beyond Canada's reaction to U.S. politics; it identifies the constant desire to look across the border with noses pressed against the glass, while the Americans mostly just ignore Canadian politics as uninteresting and irrelevant to their lives. Two different perspectives...I guess.

[rotary]

Agreed....Canadian politics is dreadfully boring, except for maybe Rob Ford.

U.S. politics and other drama is readily available to Canadians because Canadians demand and consume so much American media content..they actually pay for it in some cases (only to complain about the Big 3 cable bills). The OP's point goes beyond Canada's reaction to U.S. politics; it identifies the constant desire to look across the border with noses pressed against the glass, while the Americans mostly just ignore Canadian politics as uninteresting and irrelevant to their lives. Two different perspectives...I guess.

I guess if your idea of "interesting politics" revolves around the antics of Rob Ford, then I can see why you are so infatuated by Trump. We have the occasional Rofo case, but we don't tend to dwell there for long. What you may call boring, we call insightful. We try to get beyond what the talking heads of faux news present to keep the folks titillated, and the investors represented in the boardroom happy.

[waldo]

Trudeau admitted that for many Canadians, America and American culture (including politics), is..."definitional".

Must be that Trudeau "definitional" thing.

in your obsession with Canada... as you continue to flog the "definitional thing" across several threads now! As you can see from the full quote, Trudeau does not speak to specific "cultural" aspects of the relationship... that is simply you taking your standard agenda driven self-serving liberties. The full quote:

"For our American cousins, the relationship is consequential. For us, it has often been definitional."

in immediate follow-up Trudeau does speak to past and example aspects of that... definitional... relationship... "fishing rights, Auto-Pact negotiation, free trade, abstention from the Iraq War. Wow! That's what you're so intent in continuing to beat on?

.

[bush_cheney2004]

I guess if your idea of "interesting politics" revolves around the antics of Rob Ford, then I can see why you are so infatuated by Trump. We have the occasional Rofo case, but we don't tend to dwell there for long. What you may call boring, we call insightful. We try to get beyond what the talking heads of faux news present to keep the folks titillated, and the investors represented in the boardroom happy.

Right...but Canadians also watch lots of American politics, boring or not. For instance, the CBC carries live feeds of party primary/caucus elections in the "States", not just after the fact reporting of results. There is something else going on here besides mere cross border amusement. We can also see it here in this forum each American election cycle.

Canadians react to the U.S. and its politics because they obviously want to (for various reasons). PM Trudeau told a U.S. 60 minutes television audience this is "...because it's so important to us". His answer to a question was both honest and pitiful at the same time.

[rotary]

Right...but Canadians also watch lots of American politics, boring or not. For instance, the CBC carries live feeds of party primary/caucus elections in the "States", not just after the fact reporting of results. There is something else going on here besides mere cross border amusement. We can also see it here in this forum each American election cycle.

Canadians react to the U.S. and its politics because they obviously want to (for various reasons). PM Trudeau told a U.S. 60 minutes television audience this is "...because it's so important to us". His answer to a question was both honest and pitiful at the same time.

Sure they watch it, probably because it's not boring, in the same way the 3 stooges was not boring. And of course we can tune in almost anytime because the US election cycle seemingly never ends. We prefer to "git er done" and get on with real life. We do appreciate the current outrage the GOP is providing. Anybody up here on a day off probably tunes in to see how stupid Trump will be/has been of late. But that's your federal politics we are speaking of, and that is truly pitiful.

[waldo]

PM Trudeau told a U.S. 60 minutes television audience this is "...because it's so important to us". His answer to a question was both honest and pitiful at the same time.

oh my! Are you truly that naive and insular thinking that you're actually not aware of the important consequence Canada has to the United States... whether that's directly in terms of trade, natural resources, security, defense, border, etc.? Well... of course you're aware, but why let that get in the way of your, as you say, "pitiful" schtick?

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[bush_cheney2004]

Sure they watch it, probably because it's not boring, in the same way the 3 stooges was not boring. And of course we can tune in almost anytime because the US election cycle seemingly never ends. We prefer to "git er done" and get on with real life.

But that's the thing....Canadians do tune in anytime and continue to do so, and not just for American elections. American media, a window on U.S. culture and politics, is desired and consumed by Canada as part of "real life", day after day, year after year. The U.S. broadcast and cable television networks have been part of Canadian media for generations.

We do appreciate the current outrage the GOP is providing. Anybody up here on a day off probably tunes in to see how stupid Trump will be/has been of late. But that's your federal politics we are speaking of, and that is truly pitiful.

Trump will eventually fade away even if he wins, but Canadians who seek and define themselves politically and culturally as not American, and have to tune in to U.S. politics to reinforce this notion, have been and will be pitiful far longer.

[rotary]

But that's the thing....Canadians do tune in anytime and continue to do so, and not just for American elections. American media, a window on U.S. culture and politics, is desired and consumed by Canada as part of "real life", day after day, year after year. The U.S. broadcast and cable television networks have been part of Canadian media for generations.

Trump will eventually fade away even if he wins, but Canadians who seek and define themselves politically and culturally as not American, and have to tune in to U.S. politics to reinforce this notion, have been and will be pitiful far longer.

I'm glad to see you put "real life" into quotes. We have our own culture and politics here as well. Apparently you are a fan.

[waldo]

For instance, the CBC carries live feeds of party primary/caucus elections in the "States", not just after the fact reporting of results.

what the CBC tends to do is not follow the standard American network formula; one that chooses to beat upon a single news event and flog it for days or even weeks on end... an ever vacuous ad nauseam delivery to Americans so willing to lap up the same tired story pablum! The CBC throwing in an occasional live-feed from a U.S. state-level primary/caucus is simply providing red-meat to Canadians fixation with the bizarre and comedic oddity that U.S. politics provides. Laughing at Americans is great sport!

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[bush_cheney2004]

I'm glad to see you put "real life" into quotes. We have our own culture and politics here as well. Apparently you are a fan.

I was quoting you from above. I don't know why American politics and culture garners so much interest in Canada, but PM Trudeau has gone some measure to explain it from his point of view (60 minutes, Bloomberg, interviews). I have also read several Canadian authors on the subject (Maude Barlow, J.L. Granatstein, Michael Adams, Mel Hurtig, Mark Steyn, etc.) as well. Historically and culturally, the Americans indeed seem to be "definitional" for many Canadians, including American politics. Ergo, they need/want to watch.

[waldo]

I'm glad to see you put "real life" into quotes. We have our own culture and politics here as well. Apparently you are a fan.

succinctly noted in just a few posts and your short time here... the guy has 40K+ posts trying to reinforce to MLW Canadian members just how significant and meaningful the U.S. is to Canada! If you actually accept his claim to being an American, it truly begs the question why any self-respecting and confident American would so obsess... after all, he's forever stating Americans don't know or care about Canada/Canadians!

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[rotary]

I was quoting you from above. I don't know why American politics and culture garners so much interest in Canada, but PM Trudeau has gone some measure to explain it from his point of view (60 minutes, Bloomberg, interviews). I have also read several Canadian authors on the subject (Maude Barlow, J.L. Granatstein, Michael Adams, Mel Hurtig, Mark Steyn, etc.) as well. Historically and culturally, the Americans indeed seem to be "definitional" for many Canadians, including American politics. Ergo, they need/want to watch.

I think your concept that it garners "so much attention" is simple wishful thinking. We tend to think about what goes on beyond our borders, but not just our southern borders. agains you seem only to promote the age old concept of American navel gazing. Trudeau just gently tried to alert you guys once again by saying Americans should pay a bit more attention to what goes on in the rest of the world.

[rotary]

succinctly noted in just a few posts and your short time here... the guy has 40K+ posts trying to reinforce to MLW Canadian members just how significant and meaningful the U.S. is to Canada! If you actually accept his claim to being an American, it truly begs the question why any self-respecting and confident American would so obsess... after all, he's forever stating Americans don't know or care about Canada/Canadians!

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Yes there does seem to be an embedded contradiction.

[waldo]

Last poll shows 30+% of Bernie Sanders supporters will not support Clinton. That leaves 3 choices - 3rd party, abstaining or voting Republican. An average of that would be a 10/10/10 split. And those voting Trump are doing so for anti-establishment purposes in the first place.

'talking heads' are lately suggesting Sanders will prevail in the 'swing west'... notwithstanding in an assortment of polls, in a head-to-head match-up, Sanders would 'trounce' Trump (doing even better than Clinton would against Trump):

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[bush_cheney2004]

I think your concept that it garners "so much attention" is simple wishful thinking. We tend to think about what goes on beyond our borders, but not just our southern borders. agains you seem only to promote the age old concept of American navel gazing. Trudeau just gently tried to alert you guys once again by saying Americans should pay a bit more attention to what goes on in the rest of the world.

Right...Trudeau was promoting a "Canadian value", not an American one. He smugly told Americans, not just the U.S. government, what they should be doing in general, and specifically during the presidential election. But there are more foreign born Americans than the entire population of Canada (about 46,000,000), plus another 10,000,000 illegals...the rest of the world comes to America...more than they come to Canada...always have...always will.

If Canada's reaction to U.S. politics is to smugly lecture Americans, one need only wonder how such advice would be accepted by Canadians in reverse, and history already provides the answer. The Canadian identity as not American is a point of pride, but Americans are not afforded the same leeway ? There's the contradiction....

[rotary]

Right...Trudeau was promoting a "Canadian value", not an American one. He smugly told Americans, not just the U.S. government, what they should be doing in general, and specifically during the presidential election. But there are more foreign born Americans than the entire population of Canada (about 46,000,000), plus another 10,000,000 illegals...the rest of the world comes to America...more than they come to Canada...always have...always will.

If Canada's reaction to U.S. politics is to smugly lecture Americans, one need only wonder how such advice would be accepted by Canadians in reverse, and history already provides the answer. The Canadian identity as not American is a point of pride, but Americans are not afforded the same leeway ? There's the contradiction....

Why does Canadian value belong in quotes? Perhaps as your foreign born population continues to increase you will be forced to look beyond your borders. And we do take advice from beyond our borders, but not just from America. Look how much more successful our Westminster based legal system is vis a vis the American.

[bush_cheney2004]

Why does Canadian value belong in quotes? Perhaps as your foreign born population continues to increase you will be forced to look beyond your borders. And we do take advice from beyond our borders, but not just from America. Look how much more successful our Westminster based legal system is vis a vis the American.

Different topic entirely....there is debate in your country today about an elected Senate....something the Americans have had for a long time.

Canada's values and political system are for Canada, not the United States, but Americans still get smug lectures from Canadian politicians begging for more attention. Is that what it takes to be "successful" ?

Reprise one of my fovourite lines: I have socks older than Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982).

[rotary]

Different topic entirely....there is debate in your country today about an elected Senate....something the Americans have had for a long time.

Canada's values and political system are for Canada, not the United States, but Americans still get smug lectures from Canadian politicians begging for more attention. Is that what it takes to be "successful" ?

Reprise one of my fovourite lines: I have socks older than Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982).

Elected vs appointed have their issues. Look at your supreme court. and old socks tend to have holes in them.

We can amend ours. You seem to be having touble simply mending yours. That gun thing is literally killing you.

Edited March 20, 2016 by rotary

[bush_cheney2004]

Elected vs appointed have their issues. Look at your supreme court. and old socks tend to have holes in them.

We can amend ours. You seem to be having touble simply mending yours. That gun thing is literally killing you.

Welcome to the forum, but that means staying on topic please.

Canada's reaction to U.S. politics may very well be to smugly tell Americans what they should do, and that's fine.

But it doesn't mean Americans should pay heed. Canada also wanted a cross border pipeline, and U.S. politics

put an end to that.

[rotary]

Welcome to the forum, but that means staying on topic please.

Canada's reaction to U.S. politics may very well be to smugly tell Americans what they should do, and that's fine.

But it doesn't mean Americans should pay heed. Canada also wanted a cross border pipeline, and U.S. politics

put an end to that.

Canada is a country, a pipeline is an issue. Please try not to conflate the two.

[bush_cheney2004]

Canada is a country, a pipeline is an issue. Please try not to conflate the two.

The pipeline is an example of "American politics", an issue that was very important to the previous Canadian PM and still important to PM Justin Trudeau. This directly reflects Trudeau's comments on the U.S. impact on Canada (60 Minutes interview), particularly because of domestic conflict for east-west pipeline construction in Canada.

President Obama waited until Trudeau took office to officially disapprove Keystone XL crossing the U.S. Border. Contrast this with Trump's campaign rhetoric that means nothing and has no actual impact in law/policy.

[rotary]

The pipeline is an example of "American politics", an issue that was very important to the previous Canadian PM and still important to PM Justin Trudeau. This directly reflects Trudeau's comments on the U.S. impact on Canada (60 Minutes interview), particularly because of domestic conflict for east-west pipeline construction in Canada.

President Obama waited until Trudeau took office to officially disapprove Keystone XL crossing the U.S. Border. Contrast this with Trump's campaign rhetoric that means nothing and has no actual impact in law/policy.

No. The XL was done before Trudeau was elected. But there are more than one pipeline discussions ongoing. One's that don't involve "American politics" whatsoever. I can't imagine what I would think to contrast anything Trump has to to say with. It's really become too boring to waste time thinking about.