"Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects." ~ Lester Pearson
"Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad name." ~ Henry Kissinger
"Unlike some politicians, I can admit to a mistake." ~ Nelson Mandela
"Listen, I'm a politician, which means I'm a cheat and a liar, and when I'm not kissing babies, I'm stealing their lollipops." ~ Jeffrey Pelt, The Hunt For Red October
Today is the day across Ontario for municipal elections, with mayors, councilors, and school board trustees all running for office. I thought this spring archive shot of the Heritage Building at City Hall would do nicely. I have already voted in an advance poll. Our mayor is almost certain to win re-election; his only two serious opponents leave much to be desired in actual ideas and competence. While I disagree with his cheerleading of the Lansdowne Park project and think he's far too fond of photo ops, those are the only issues I have with him. Otherwise, he's bland but does reasonably well. With the events of last week, he came across as calm and steady (imagine the current mayor of Toronto in the same situation had it happened there).
Speaking of which, to my readers in Toronto: I hope your city does the country a favour and turfs out all three members of that reprehensible family of drunken hillbillies running for office. Yes, I mean Rob, Doug, and Michael Ford. Enough is enough of the Ford circus in whatever combination. And check out my election day prediction over at my writer's blog.
For those of you who might not have seen these the first time around, the parody bobbleheads are still more accurate than Rob Ford's official version.
I love that sky in your first photo, William!
ReplyDeleteDo you think that politicians start out as sincere and evolve into wallies, or that they started out that way? If the latter, is it sheer disinterest on the part of the electorate that ensures we keep getting these idiots in government?
ReplyDeleteIn spanish there is a saying: is better the evil known than the good without to know.
ReplyDeleteTomás.
Here in Virginia we long for the day again when politicians address each other as "citizen" rather than as Tory or Whig, Republican or Democrat.
ReplyDeleteour election day is in another week...schools will be closed as the polls are set up in the local schools.
ReplyDeleteHope your elections will have a reasonable result.
ReplyDelete@Linda: thanks!
ReplyDelete@Mike: I tend to think that today's politicians are the best argument for term limits.
@Tomas: that applies here as well.
@Revrunner: that would be nice. Here the Conservative leadership tends to use the term "taxpayer" instead of "citizen" when referring to the public.
@Tanya: a lot of polling stations are set up here in schools, community centres, and church halls. I did my advance poll at St. Paul's University.
@Marianne: I expect so.
We have plenty of inept and corrupt politician, but even worse is the huge administrative machine which devours resources at every level with arrogant incompetence. And you can't vote them out!
ReplyDeleteI think your mayor prospects sound so much better than ....... Rob Ford, surely he must have some serious rivals in the race ?
ReplyDeletepolitics is the same all over the world, i'm afraid.
ReplyDeleteOlivia will have my vote even though she won't get in, she isn't strong enough. John Tory is going to win, unfortunately. He is so plastic. Saw him the other night with his entourage in the Real Sports bar.
ReplyDeleteDrunken hillbillies, huh?
ReplyDeleteToronto would be better off with Yogi as mayor....
My favorite quote is the Henry Kissinger one. Good luck with those elections.
ReplyDeleteI love the Kissinger quote! I am eagerly awaiting the election results. :)
ReplyDeleteI voted in advance too!
ReplyDeleteIt is good to know that Ottawa is not challenged by one of the Ford clan! Best wishes to you and all of Canada that the right folks get elected. From what I'm reading, the good guys may lose the Senate in the U.S. which, quite frankly, will be a disaster of monumental proportions!
ReplyDelete@VP: it's much the same here.
ReplyDelete@Grace: well, he's running in his old council seat, and unfortunately will probably win that, so he'll spend four years yelling at everyone and making an ass of himself, thinking he can run for mayor again four years down the line. I don't think he'll be alive in four years, mind you. Dougie, running for mayor though, is going to lose.
@Tex: unfortunately.
@Jackie: she let herself peak way too early, unfortunately.
@Norma: I've insulted hillbillies.
@Sharon: I thought of the Red October quote first, but I wanted some others, and I liked that one.
@EG: it might be a long night!
@RedPat: good!
@Lowell: you guys have your election next week. We'll be watching that one very closely.
Our election day is next Tuesday, except early voting started a couple of weeks ago and we voted last week!
ReplyDeleteAnd I do believe politicians steal lollipops if they can get away with it!
I understand perfectly. Our elections are next week.
ReplyDeleteI like the quote from The Hunt for Red October!
ReplyDeleteThose bobbleheads are too funny... :-)
I am definitely interested to see what's going to happen in Toronto. Did you also hear about the Jian Gomeshi scandal? I loved his radio show, can't believe he's been fired. :(
ReplyDeleteWe have our elections coming up too. Love those quotes.
ReplyDeleteI like the 'Red October' quote.
ReplyDeleteWe have election voting Nov. 2nd
A bunch of bobble head--all.
MB
I like your first photo of that impressive building and the nice blue sky above it.I leave the politics up to you.
ReplyDeleteI confess that I don't know much about Canadian politics but I like the building and most of all, I like the quotes...
ReplyDeleteI hope Toronto makes a smart choice today. If I was a voter there I would be all for Olivia.
ReplyDelete@Cheryl: they definitely would.
ReplyDelete@Judy: to be followed by two years of "who's the next president." It never ends!
@Tamago: I should really buy one of the parody bobbleheads.
@Halcyon: I did hear about that. Very strange!
@Denise: they all seemed appropriate!
@MB: It's been awhile since I read the book or saw the movie, but that quote stands out.
@Jan: at least our mayor in Ottawa won't leave us ashamed every day of the week. After tomorrow, that shouldn't be a problem in Toronto.
@Ciel: well, let's just say that the Fords are totally unfit for any public office, and literally believe they are the Canadian Kennedys.
@Jen: for months, it's been anyone but a Ford. I was sick and tired of that family and their supporters already four years ago.
Good luck with your elections. I especially like the Kissinger quote.
ReplyDeleteYes, Toronto deserves better! Funny, our posts "rhyme" today! Great minds examining the same gutter?
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3 . >< } } (°>
I hope you are right about Toronto. Our elections have another week to go. Wait, what am I saying. Once that campaign is over the presidential hopefuls will pump up their already considerable campaigning.
ReplyDeleteOur election day is next week, but I have already voted early. The governor's race in Florida is definitely one of voting for the lesser of two evils. The current governor is a crook and bears a strong resemblance to Voldemort and his opponent seems to have a love affair going with his tanning bed and has already held the office once before as a Republican, but has now switched parties and is running as a Democrat.
ReplyDelete@Kay: it felt appropriate!
ReplyDelete@Cloudia: quite possibly!
@Mari: and then after the presidential election, the media starts talking about four years down the line.
@Lois: I can see him as Voldemort. I get a kick out of Bill Day's editorial cartoons skewering him!
Nice photo of that lovely building. If the worst that can be said of a politician is that he is overly fond of photo ops, then I am in favor of him, too. (And I also hope that Toronto rids itself of the embarrassment of Rob Ford . . . I know nothing about the other two.)
ReplyDeleteSay what you like about Rob Ford, he's provided a lot of entertainment and distraction for us in the states.
ReplyDeleteFrom your comments it sounds like the mayor is qualified and should win. Hope all is well in your city.
ReplyDeletewhat a grand building :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck to ousting out the F...ing Fords!
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't such a long night afte rall, but still surprised at the number of votes the Fords got. And shocking behaviour from RoFo making a rambling speech about the NEXT election (that in his mind starts now)
ReplyDeleteHa, I love it.
ReplyDelete@Jack: unfortunately the late and unlamented Rob Ford's drug pushing brother Doug is now the premier of Ontario. An insufferable, unfit for office asshole.
ReplyDelete@Linda: we didn't need that!
@Kate: and he's won again.
@Jen: it is indeed.
@Shelly: now we have to oust one again.
@Hamilton: right about now Rob Ford is down in hell bitching about the lack of hookers, crack, and vodka.
@Jennifer: thanks!