@rptrcub: He sure is pretty, but will he wear rose labels and pirouette behind the Queen?
Speaking of pretty people, the CBC once mentioned Ruby Dhalla as a contender for the Liberal leadership. I don't think it's very likely, but she certainly is lovely.
@Jamie Sommers: I hope without the beard. Forgive me, but with his beard he looks like the spawn of George Lopez and Stefano DiMera from Days of Our Lives. OMG, now I have visions of HRC as Marlena and Bill as John Black.
Okay, so I know that there is a general consensus that Bill Richardson is grabby, but I actually have no idea why. Can somebody help me out with the specifics?
@Archetype: I was going to join you in the guessing but got nervous that I would say something wildly inappropriate and therefore decided to google first...and then realized that yes, it was a good thing I googled first.
@KathrynwithaY loves Joan Collins: according to my sources (including one friend who is counting the ballots), it's mostly unemployed law school graduates and this one weird dude who wears a suit everyday.*
*but that's in the twin cities. in the smaller counties, it probably is little old ladies.
@KathrynwithaY loves Joan Collins: My guess is that there is a representative from each campaign standing behind each person counting ballots and that any ballot thrown out is studied by the representative the ballot appears to be a vote for in an attempt to find a way to challenge its being thrown out. And that takes time.
The Canadian situation is not really that complicated, it is just Parliamentary democracy at work. We just haven't had a coalition government in quite a while, so it is kind of exciting to see what will happen next. Sucks to be Stephen Harper, though!
@Lymed: Well I am a big history nerd, so I can probably answer most questions you have. Bonus: many of the world's countries are Parliamentary democracies so the knowledge is transferable!
@littlemissvan: I don't have specific questions, I'd just love a 101 post on this is how our neighbors run their government and, more importantly, this is who is running it right now and what their politics are. We really hear very little about Canadian politics in the US.
@Lymed: the fun part is that no one in particular is running it right now. :)
I would agree with you except that I suspect it would just turn into a big "let's make Canadian jokes"-fest, which Americans find endlessly entertaining.
@PilgrimSoul: My Canadian joke arsenal consists exclusively of lines from the South Park movie, so I'd be done about six comments in. Then I'd be willing to learn.
@littlemissvan: My understanding was that part of the reason Stephen Harper called for an election before the U.S. was that he didn't want to take the chance of Obama winning, infecting Canada with Hope and Change (TM) in the process and therefore losing power -- although I'm not sure how much an Obama win would help Dion, Canada's apparent answer to Adlai Stevenson.
@unpossibles: Well, officially, she has all the power, but there are a lot of things that are considered bad form for her to do (see the King/Byng affair [en.wikipedia.org]). Basically Harper can do one of two things: he can ask the GG to disolve parliament, and call an election, or he can put his budget up for a vote. If/when he puts his budget up for a vote, it is pretty much a guarantee that it will be voted down (because the NDP, Liberals and Bloc have more seats together than the Conservatives). Because the budget is a confidence vote, this will mean the GG has to either disolve parliament, and call an election, or, ask another party (or coalition of parties) to make up the government. Phew!
@littlemissvan: God I love Parliamentary Democracy. It makes me all tingly inside. And makes Canada an appealing place to move to, as my degree is going to be on constitutional law.
@rptrcub: That's the best way I've heard Dion summed up. He always reminded me of kermit the frog a little. Kermit-Stevenson lovechild? Don't tell Miss Piggy!
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Speaking of pretty people, the CBC once mentioned Ruby Dhalla as a contender for the Liberal leadership. I don't think it's very likely, but she certainly is lovely.
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*headdesk*
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With or without the beard?
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Picking corn while dancing?
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Way to be literal, Archetype.
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Then he said that last year and I read about the racial history.
A bit shocking yeah.
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*but that's in the twin cities. in the smaller counties, it probably is little old ladies.
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It's probably not like that, though. I mean the nice part.
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I would agree with you except that I suspect it would just turn into a big "let's make Canadian jokes"-fest, which Americans find endlessly entertaining.
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I'd be so happy to have a partial NDP government! Woohoo!
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But he made sure to be there to intro Joe Biden at his appearance in West LA and upstage THAT city's mayor.
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