Hmmm, should we vote with our heads or our hearts? Should we vote for someone or against someone?
I really didn’t want to write about the pending federal election. I’m battling a wall of cynicism on that front that has been building for some time. Apparently I’m not alone.
I just did the daily poll on MSN. “Have you been following the federal election coverage?” I voted honestly: No. Turns out 63% of Canadians are not following it. Yes, I know these random polls are not scientifically valid. But in this case, I’m betting it is a pretty fair gauge of the public mindset.
No doubt this disinterest is, at least in part, election fatigue. It will be our fourth federal election in less than seven years. All our federal governments in that time frame have been minority governments. No one party or party leader has captured our hearts or our minds sufficiently to bring us to a measurable consensus.
I will vote on election day. I consider it my civic duty no matter how disenchanted I am with the options available. The problem I am grappling with is: What criteria do I use to make my decision?
I’ve gone out of my way to avoid the election advertising because it seems bent on convincing me I should vote against someone. The Tory party ads vilify Michael Ignatieff. The Liberal Party ads do the same to Stephen Harper. In any other context than an election, this kind of character bashing would be tantamount to slander.
I will continue to avoid this advertising because, quite honestly, it disgusts me. Rather than convince me to vote one way or the other, this “bash the other guy” free-for-all is likely to convince me not to vote at all. Voter turnout rates speak for themselves. Since 1960, the percentage of the voting age population that has turned out to vote in Canadian federal elections has ranged from 37% to 63%.
So how will I make my decision? First and foremost, I’ll do my best to tune out the party leaders and their predictable rhetoric. Oh yes, I’ll watch the leaders’ debate when it comes around. I feel I must even though their behaviour will most likely be more appropriate for a UFC mixed martial arts battle than a political debate.
But more importantly, I’ll make a point of checking out the local candidates in my riding. I’ll evaluate their platforms and what they purport to stand for. But, in the final analysis, what I will be looking for is one thing: Integrity.
Make me believe that you truly believe in what you are saying – and that standing behind those principles is more important to you than winning or losing. Do that and you’ll have my vote.
On my way to work a couple of weeks ago, I saw a shopping chart abandoned by the roadside. The person using it couldn’t be bothered to return it once he or she was finished with it. That is, unfortunately, the metaphor that seems most appropriate for elections in this day and age. A candidate’s election promises are a disposable commodity to be cast aside once victory is achieved.
I’m looking for the candidate who will keep pushing the same cart whether he or she wins or loses. Integrity is hard to come by these days and may well be the kiss of death for a politician with ambition. But ambition doesn’t impress me. Integrity does.
~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel” – double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog. Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.
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Tags: federal election · integrity · metaphor · Michael Ignatieff · Michael Robert Dyet · Stephen HarperNo Comments