• May 26, 2012

Socialist Surge In Canada Means ‘Collapse of Liberals,’ Somehow

by Ken Layne  

More than two parties? Super confusing!The usual U.S. reaction to Canadian news is “Whut?”, but Sunday night’s exciting “shot-up Arab villain” story kept the official Real American response to Canada’s Historic Election down to a couple of wire stories that leaked into our Google from “the Canadian Press” and maybe a couple of Twitter posts in that weird French. Was it all a conspiracy to hide the surge of socialism up North, as the socialists of the New Democratic Party became Canada’s official “opposition party” to Stephen Harper’s conservatives? No, just the usual “ignore the parts of North America that are in Canada or Mexico.” We don’t really follow any of it, either, and we are daily CBC listeners.

(Our favorite CBC programs are “the weather reports for Nova Scotia or Manigotagan or whatever,” the show with Jian Ghomeshi that’s basically bands and writers, and those soothing hours-long programs with somebody from Miramichi East telling about how they took an ocean liner to South Africa once, to fall in love.)

Anyway! They had an election, very historical. These NDP people won all over the place, especially Quebec — where they won 58 out of 75 seats. It seems many of the NDP candidates were just vaguely aware they were even running for election!

NDP candidate Ruth Ellen Brosseau, who until the election managed a bar on Carleton University campus in Ottawa, won her race in Berthier-Maskinongé. Brosseau, who doesn’t speak French, will represent a riding that’s almost 100 per cent Francophone.

She rose to prominence in the election after taking a holiday in Las Vegas in the middle of the campaign. Contacted by the Globe and Mail, her co-worker said he didn’t know she was running for Parliament in a riding more than 300 kilometres away.

Other NDP winners included random students from McGill University.

So, the Bloc Québécois party is basically dead, the fake liberal Liberal party is “in collapse,” and the Greens actually have an MP now. Stephen Harper still sucks, even though being “conservative” in Canada still means promising (in French) that everybody will get more education and health care and environmentally themed baseball caps. [CBC/Globe and Mail/Canadian Press/Montreal Gazette]

{ 209 comments }

nounverb911 May 3, 2011 at 2:02 pm

Canada? That's that place up north, right? Never heard of it.

vanishing13 May 3, 2011 at 2:10 pm

"Perky 'Canada Has Own Government, Laws" http://www.theonion.com/articles/perky-canada-has...

Very informative article.

bitchincamaro2 May 3, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Yes. Unless you live in Detroit, in which case, Canada is your southern neighbor.

You're welcome.

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:23 pm

No wonder everyone left Detroit.

Canada goes to the Artic Circle, north of that is Ruskie Country. Is Detroit how the commies are getting into the USA? Geeze, we need to send some Trump investigators to look into that.

simplyblue7 May 3, 2011 at 2:37 pm

North of us? I thought it was just vacant arctic tundra right above us. Geez

Lionel[redacted]Esq May 3, 2011 at 3:44 pm

I thought that was Wisconsin? What with the socialism and beer and what not.

predilectrix May 3, 2011 at 9:49 pm

I have it on the best authority it's where Michele Bachmann was born.

Badonkadonkette May 3, 2011 at 2:03 pm

A clear refudiation of libtards, eh?

Lascauxcaveman May 3, 2011 at 2:34 pm

Naw, the NDP is composed of liberals who have left the Liberal Party because the Liberals weren't left enough. You know what I mean?

Anyway, big gains for the NDP, Jack Layton's natty lip hair and his nice Asian lady wife.

And the Bloc Quebecois? Looks like they're down to four guys who can't agree among themselves just exactly how Quebec should secede from Canada City.

OC_Slurpee_Serf May 3, 2011 at 3:53 pm

It's the centre that fell out.
Jean Chrétien ruined the Libs by taking them to the middle (and the scandals, too).
Very nice to see the NDP grow up…was in BC during Mike Harcourt's time…so nice after Vander Zalm's Socreds and tulips.

(Fuck the Bloc. Foutre le bloc.)

doloras May 3, 2011 at 5:01 pm

I'm from NZ, the only other country where the Socreds got into parliament. Scary people, with their crimpelene trousers and Skodas. The party of used-car salesmen.

Guppy06 May 3, 2011 at 7:54 pm

Even in Canada, libtards eat their own.

nounverb911 May 3, 2011 at 2:04 pm

But how does this effect Sarah Palin's health care?

Jason_inthe_Peg May 3, 2011 at 2:37 pm

Like the rest of us, she'll have to start paying the whole shot out of pocket.

4TheTurnstiles May 3, 2011 at 2:05 pm

It sucks because Harper is a climate-change denier in a country full of very dirty fossil fuels, and with a majority in Commons he can run the show like a dictatorship. Expect "efficient government." The news in Quebec and increased voter participation are the only good to come of this election.

Sue4466 May 3, 2011 at 2:13 pm

Looks like someone wrote a term paper on Canada!

4TheTurnstiles May 3, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Someone wants to immigrate without having to conjugate French verbs.

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:26 pm

I conjugated a frenchie once, I'd do her again if she ever comes back.

Fuck Toad May 3, 2011 at 2:22 pm

The NDP also is not great on environmental issues (they're kind of left-populist). Still, as much as I hate seeing Harper with a majority, HA HA HA SUCK IT IGGY GO BACK TO HARVARD YOU TWAT.

Lascauxcaveman May 3, 2011 at 2:39 pm

Iggy appears to have been a bit of a disaster for his Liberals.

OzoneTom May 3, 2011 at 3:29 pm

The 'kbainow speech by Ignatz was pretty good last night. But the Libs are too close to the CPC so don't really have a raison d'être. At least the NDP broke 100 and the Greens actually took a riding.

sezme May 3, 2011 at 4:25 pm

Iggy was actually a plant by the Lizard People. True fact; check his long-form.

Lascauxcaveman May 3, 2011 at 5:18 pm

I was thinking more like a Canadian John Kerry. And this is Canada's 2004. So expect a lot of them to grumble about moving to America.

carlgt1 May 3, 2011 at 2:05 pm

haha, a "Canadian Conservative" is further to the left of blue-dog Dems & Obama. I don't think they even have anything analogous to the teabaggers, a la the BNP in the UK. I mean they even believe in global warming because they see shit melting all over!

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:12 pm

That is no longer true for a substantial number of Canadian Conservatives. Your madness has contaminated our body politic and now the teabaggers have a majority.

sezme May 3, 2011 at 10:23 pm

You're both kind of right. But really, no matter how nutty the Canuck Conservatives might seem, they're objectively nowhere near the likes of Huckabee, Santorum, Bachmann, um… Trump. At worst, they're like Romney (admittedly bad enough). But let's not forget that we in Canada have single-payer universal health care, same-sex marriage, abortion rights, and no capital punishment. And just as importantly, no party is seriously trying to change these things (at the moment, at least).

However, as far as amping up the military-industrial complex, tax cuts for corporations, and raping the environment, the Cons really are quite horrible.

Negropolis May 4, 2011 at 3:30 am

My take is that they are kind of both right, but I get a bit annoyed with the meme that Canadian conservatives are so much to the left of your average conservative down here. The big difference seems to me to be that the conservatives in Canada don't have much historical policy and wins to protect and defend, so they have to at least appear more liberal. That's to say that they long ago lost the health care fight and such, whereas down here these are still very active debates, or debates that the conservatives have one up to a certain point so they have to advocate for these arcane measures to stay relevant.

It's my belief that if a Canadian conservative moved down here their natural tendencies would pull them to the right. In other words, they'd get away down here with what they always wished to get away with up there. I don't think that they are all that less conservative, rather, there is a much larger left up there that kind of moderates the shit that they can get away with, and it also seems to moderate what they are allowed to get away with saying, rhetorically.

sezme May 4, 2011 at 9:28 am

Maybe, but now you're trying to peer into people's souls. You can't really take a politician out of his/her political context. That's like saying Obama would be much more progressive were he prime minister of Spain. Well sure, but he isn't.

nounverb911 May 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

Canada, the Mexico of the north. Time to build the "Dang Fence"!

EatsBabyDingos May 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

Canadium. An irradiating metal that causes marijuana use and memory loss. Or did I just say that?

Sharkey May 3, 2011 at 2:39 pm

Cannaba, oh Cannaba…

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:37 pm

The only Canadian metal I acknowledge is written by Neil Peart.

memzilla May 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

What about that Canadian terrorist that is still at large, Labattsma bin Moosehead?

MARCdMan May 3, 2011 at 2:25 pm

I heard he was Exporting Molson Canadian.

bitchincamaro2 May 3, 2011 at 2:45 pm

Or as I heard proclaimed many times while astride a bar stool in Detroit, "I'd rather have a frontal lobotomy than a Labatt's in front of me". Or some such.

PubOption May 3, 2011 at 3:11 pm

I'm more concerned about the Irish Arab terrorist, Eamonn al Zawahiri.

Angry_Marmot May 3, 2011 at 9:04 pm

Koo roo koo koo koo roo koo koo…
(secret Canadian terrorist call to prayer)

freakishlywrong May 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

But the wingnuts have a super majority. Like here, y'know, how the minority runs our country? Anyway, where in fucking blazes are we going to flee to now, Wonketteers?

RadioJihad May 3, 2011 at 2:51 pm

New Zealand?

Joey_brill May 3, 2011 at 3:16 pm

They kick you off the internets in New Zealand.

GOPCrusher May 3, 2011 at 3:08 pm

Costa Rica?

HateMachine May 4, 2011 at 12:11 am

I'm headed to Japan next week, and I do speak the language. This time's just for shits and giggles, but if I keep getting more and more reasons to get depressed about 'Merka, I may just go full expat.

Politically, Japan's pretty much as fucked up as anywhere, but basking in someone else's problems for a while can only be therapeutic. Oh, and they have better (any) public transit over there, and the fanciest cell phones in the world.

Gratuitous World May 3, 2011 at 2:06 pm

Amid NHL playoffs, Canada's election gets even less Canadian attention than usual.

comptoneffect May 3, 2011 at 2:31 pm

I wish. Turned on CBC out of Windsor last night to see that the election returns preempted NHL playoff coverage. I suppose it’s a good thing because the game on was Boston v Philadelphia; if I saw it, I would have wanted both teams to lose.

lulzmonger May 3, 2011 at 8:47 pm

True. Yet more than 60% turned out to vote.

CalamityJames May 3, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Which one is the kenyun usurper?

kittenbomb May 3, 2011 at 2:07 pm

I'm trying to focus on this story but all I can see is something about how Bloc Party broke up. Didn't they suck anyways?

DerrickWildcat May 3, 2011 at 2:07 pm

I have no issues with my Brothers and Sisters to the North.

Steverino247 May 3, 2011 at 2:08 pm

Been to Canada twice and loved it. They play what they want on the radio (including Frank Zappa late at night) and don't think their shit doesn't stink. Very sensible people, at least the ones I encountered and I tried to encounter a representative sample both times.

Chet Kincaid May 3, 2011 at 2:13 pm

"I tried to encounter a representative sample both times."

So how was the Canookie?

Doktor Zoom May 3, 2011 at 2:08 pm

Being Canadian is like living next door to the Simpsons. Here are all these patient, sensible, kind people (I swear, their real national motto is "Now, let's not get excited") living right next to "the States," where some hideously noisy psychodrama is always going on.

Molly Ivins, as relevant today as in 1998

Sue4466 May 3, 2011 at 2:23 pm

So miss Molly. Thanks for that.

ChapterUndVerse May 3, 2011 at 8:12 pm

Can't double upfist, so must resign myself to a reply. May your p score ever increase for the Ivins quote.

Negropolis May 4, 2011 at 3:47 am

The contrast is even greater at the Detroit-Windsor border, and very strange. Windsor and Metro Detroit are pretty similar economy wise. They are both the respective "car capitals" of their nations, and physically, the housing and layouts are very similar, so that everything on the surface kind of looks and feels very similar. Culturally and socially, they couldn't be any further apart even though everything basically looks the same. Even Detroit's wealthy suburbs tend to be more socially dysfunctional than inner-city Windsor, and it's even stranger give that Windsor is considered by many Canadians to be their "armpit", the "Detroit of Canada" is often what I've heard used disparagingly by them.

Chillwaver May 3, 2011 at 2:08 pm

Are they taking Justin Bieber back in retaliation? Please do….

nounverb911 May 3, 2011 at 2:15 pm

And Celine Dion too.

Chillwaver May 3, 2011 at 2:19 pm

And Micheal J. Fox, for faking Parkinson's (according to some fat AM Radio DJ).

SorosBot May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

We get to keep Ellen Page though; she's cute.

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 2:08 pm

“conservative” in Canada still means promising (in French) that everybody will get more education and health care and environmentally themed baseball caps

In the past probably. These guys are more "global warming denial", super prisons and F-35 Steath Fighters on no-bid contracts.

Lascauxcaveman May 3, 2011 at 2:43 pm

As our resident commenter from Canada City, I bet you're pretty excited about Fatty finally getting his majority, huh? Chills?

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 3:09 pm

In mourning.

Ken Layne May 3, 2011 at 2:47 pm

The climate denial and NATO defense masturbation is there, yes. But I listened to a ton of these "conservative" campaign speeches and they all sound like boilerplate U.S. Democrat speeches, but with realistic promises of more health care and more green energy and all that.

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 3:13 pm

True, but the problem is that his background is in the Reform (GOP wingnut lite) party and the Canada City Taxpayers Federation (rich people lobbyist.)

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:18 pm

You forgot the National Citizens Coalition.

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:15 pm

Sorry, that's campaign talk and for foreign consumption. The core leadership of the Conservative Party is old-school Reform, and still very wingnutty.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 2:52 pm

pretty much a control freak as well… most of his elected reps are kept muzzled…

slithytoves May 3, 2011 at 2:11 pm

Brosseau, who doesn’t speak French, will represent a riding that’s almost 100 per cent Francophone.

Do elected officials ride their constituents, or is it the other way around? What a country! What a system!

Jason_inthe_Peg May 3, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Just like everywhere else. The politician rides you.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:42 pm

Regardless, I was hoping for DMX & Eve the Lady of Rage to stage an invasion & implement martial law.

HateMachine May 4, 2011 at 12:16 am

I don't know about you, but being so open with regard to not giving two shits about one's constituents is sort of refreshing.

Negropolis May 4, 2011 at 3:52 am

I don't know. That's kind of what happened down here last year with the Tea Party (people clearly not knowing who they were voting for and instead simply voting against Democrats), and look how that turned out.

Now, everyone that voted for them is bitching about them wanting to take away Medicare, when that's been the GOP's MO forever.

Extemporanus May 3, 2011 at 2:13 pm

Now if Obama would only reinstate the draft, I might finally have reason to take off, eh, to America's big beige beret.

bitchincamaro2 May 3, 2011 at 2:24 pm

Don't be silly. A reinstatement of the draft would put an immediate end to three or four of our wars; wars that mean JOBS!

Why do you hate America's jobs, Extemp?!?

Extemporanus May 3, 2011 at 2:56 pm

Alright, how 'boot a comprise, eh?

Reinstate the draft and declare war on Canada.

Draft dodging Americans would be forced to make for Mexico instead. As a result, American-displaced unemployed Mexicans would be forced to stream across the US border in even greater numbers in search of work. American companies would then be able to double their workforce without any increase in expenditures by paying said Mexicans half of what they would an American worker. Finally, any extra Mexicans (of which there would no doubt be many) could be drafted and deployed to the war in Canada.

Job rate goes UP; casuality rate goes DOWN. It's a WIN-WIN for America!

bitchincamaro2 May 3, 2011 at 3:22 pm

Dude, you put way more thought into that strategy than was put into the North American Free Trade Agreement. Bound for failure.

emmelemm May 3, 2011 at 3:32 pm

Ditto what bitchincamaro2 said. You put way more thought into that than any politician ever would.

Extemporanus May 3, 2011 at 3:52 pm

Perhaps, you two, yet still not enough thought to spell fucking "compromise" correctly.

Or is it that how it's spelled in Canuckistanian? Hold on a sec…why yes, yes it is!

chascates May 3, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Free Marc Emery!

WABishop May 3, 2011 at 2:26 pm

(with a purchase of equal or greater value)

Goonemeritus May 3, 2011 at 2:14 pm

I ran a Canadian site for my old corporation a few years back. One night a bunch of my colleagues after work started talking crap about the good old USA and they kept prompting me to retaliate by asking what Americans thought of Canada. I resisted until about my third Maudite (yum by the way) and then I told them ……. You know what we think of Canada, we don’t we forget you are up here.

DownFist Troll May 3, 2011 at 2:22 pm

Almost unrelated, but: Unibrou for the fucking win.

Goonemeritus May 3, 2011 at 2:28 pm

Yes you have to love a beer that you can stand up a spoon in.

Crank_Tango May 3, 2011 at 2:59 pm

la fin du monde, aussi!

iburl May 3, 2011 at 2:14 pm

Why have elections at all when the Queen can shut down the government anytime she pleases? Democracy, my ass?

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 9:42 pm

what, what? What?? maybe her rep, the gov-gen… Liz could care less…

DownFist Troll May 3, 2011 at 2:19 pm

Harper, the current Prime Minister, is the most Conservative leader in Canada's history, and yet he's to the left of Obama on most issues. We kinda fail :S

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 2:21 pm

Actually he's way to the right and not a fan of global warming.

DownFist Troll May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Well, at least i got to reinforce the american stereotype of not knowing a thing about Canada. yay?

Crank_Tango May 3, 2011 at 3:00 pm

I heard the fucker wasn't even born in the US.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 9:44 pm

Kaybec, not sure if that is even part of Canaja…

KeepFnThatChicken May 3, 2011 at 2:32 pm

So does that mean… he… loves Jesus… and abortions?!

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:05 pm

He love Jebus and hates abortions.

KeepFnThatChicken May 3, 2011 at 3:14 pm

Then he's just a fuckin' American.

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:19 pm

Exactly. Which is why 60% of the country wants him to just become an American and leave already.

doloras May 3, 2011 at 5:03 pm

He's from Alberta. Alberta is Canada's Texas.

4TheTurnstiles May 3, 2011 at 2:38 pm

the dude's a blue-eyed brownshirt with no sense of honesty. see:

shitharperdid.ca

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:26 pm

or a sense of humour, or humility or honesty or just about anything… (note the savage hate Iggy campaign based on him being a Harvard guy once (note the similarity to …)

MittsHairHelmet May 3, 2011 at 2:20 pm

Canada: America's hat.

fuflans May 3, 2011 at 2:34 pm

and brain.

bumfug May 3, 2011 at 3:06 pm

Arizona: America's asshat.

DaRooster May 3, 2011 at 2:21 pm

Viva la Corner Gas!
That's about (aboot) alls I know of this Canada place.

(or is that "le"?)

b[redact]opple May 3, 2011 at 2:21 pm

Technically it is part of Buffalo. I think most people don't know that.

Crank_Tango May 3, 2011 at 3:02 pm

if only! as a native buffalonian I can say that the difference is striking, as soon as you cross the peace bridge. Better beer, better strippers, hockey players on the money, cleaner, nicer, etc. etc. etc.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:29 pm

The beer thing is because the US watered down beer in the Great War to fight the fascist left and Canajans left the brew alone…

metamarcisf May 3, 2011 at 5:12 pm

Don't forget Shirkston Beach

OzoneTom May 3, 2011 at 3:34 pm

Which part of a buffalo is it?

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:38 pm

The northern part?

Doktor Zoom May 3, 2011 at 2:22 pm

Pfff–you sheeple actually believe these stories about there being a whole country to the north of the USA? Like we'd even allow such a thing to happen on our continent? "Canada" is just a story that parents tell their children to scare them into sitting up straight and closing their mouths when they chew.

Ducksworthy May 3, 2011 at 2:56 pm

Or like the Reservation in Brave New World where the misfits can go. Sort of a mythical pressure release valve.

Doktor Zoom May 3, 2011 at 3:13 pm

Or the "farm" where the nonstop barking dog gets sent.

AnAmericanInTO May 3, 2011 at 2:23 pm

I've lived in Canada for five years now and there have been three Federal elections in that time and I STILL don't know what the hell is going on.

From what I gather, one votes for the leader of the party, by voting for the local person running in one's riding (district) in that particular party. Your local MP could be a runaway mental patient, but if he's NDP (or Tory or whatever), that's your man.

Also, I can't get a beat on why people like Harper. He's Mitt Romney without the sexxy and dazzling charisma.

Manchu! Help me please!

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 2:31 pm

He's:
1) From Alberta thus they love him out west
2) Allegedly saved Canada City from economic ruin unlike US America which is funny because he was for deregulation of the finance industry
3) news media under his thumb so no one can really criticism him
4) cut taxes in much the way W cut taxes

AnAmericanInTO May 3, 2011 at 2:41 pm

So, what does Layton do as the OFFICIAL opposition? Do they sorta consult with him and then cut health care funding like they were going to do anyway?

ManchuCandidate May 3, 2011 at 2:45 pm

Just do what they did before… ignore him.

Jason_inthe_Peg May 3, 2011 at 2:46 pm

Layton will spend the next four years yelling impotently. Imagine a big L liberal standing atop a train yelling "stop."

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:30 pm

benevolent, er malignant despotcy comin' right up…

revmod May 4, 2011 at 8:02 pm

- He gets to live in a nice government-owned residence, instead of the environmentally-friendly ancient half-duplex he lives in now with his wife and mother-in-law

- He gets the first question each day during Question Period, which the Prime Minister can happily ignore.

- Swankier office space.

- Better seats at official functions.

And with all that, he has far less power now than he did when the Conservatives had a minority. And now he gets to babysit fifty onetime placeholder candidates from unwinnable ridings that the NDP won. That should be fun.

4TheTurnstiles May 3, 2011 at 2:36 pm

He eats kittens and has a nice blue sweater.

Sharkey May 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Has a magazine named after him.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:45 pm

How bazaar, how bazaar.

imissopus May 3, 2011 at 2:48 pm

We've had three federal elections in America in the last five years and I still don't know what the hell is going on either.

emmelemm May 3, 2011 at 2:26 pm

Win!

emmelemm May 3, 2011 at 2:27 pm

The only politics in Canada I care about are the ones that make it easier for Americans to immigrate there permanently.

prommie May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

They have mounted police in red jackets who all sing songs about cross-dressing, is what I hear.

user-of-owls May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

Hey you dizzy kids, I was overseas for a week and just got back. Did I miss anything?

zhubajie May 3, 2011 at 7:14 pm

I been overseas for 15 years and don't miss anything!

user-of-owls May 3, 2011 at 7:40 pm

Your parents must be very proud.

zhubajie May 5, 2011 at 6:41 am

My mother's been dead since 1959. My father is happy that I'memployed. Surely you don't think that you are diminished if someonein China is happy?

ThundercatHo May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

We have vacationed in Canada many times and just love it. The people are friendly, the food is good and always served piping hot, and the gas is sold in litres so you don't even know how badly you're getting screwed. Heck, even their money is way cooler than ours.

fuflans May 3, 2011 at 2:29 pm

i would think 'blame canada'

Allmighty_Manos May 3, 2011 at 2:30 pm

Liberal leader Ignatieff made John Kerry look like Bill Clinton. That's why they suck.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:31 pm

callin' BS here…

user-of-owls May 3, 2011 at 2:32 pm

won her race in Berthier-Maskinongé.

Damn! So even in Canada, politics has gotten Birthier!

SorosBot May 3, 2011 at 2:32 pm

So with a bunch of college students in Parliament, I can't wait to hear what some of the proposed legislation is. Free beer, pot & pizza for all?

SmutBoffin May 3, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Nationwide screenings of Animal House and Boondock Saints and national "Hey, take your top off" Day.

SorosBot May 3, 2011 at 3:17 pm

But these are Canadian college students; there should also be national screenings of Strange Brew.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:46 pm

& Tragically Hip to rewrite the national anthem.

Fuck Toad May 3, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Imagine a country so blue, they called it Canada…

Seriously though, Harper is bad news. He basically ran on a platform of not saying anything and promising nothing, but now that he has a majority you can expect him to finally start implementing his platform.

The Conservatives only got 40% of the vote. I hope the NDP devours what's left of the Liberal and BQ constituencies and maintains a credible opposition. And then I hope Harper gets his ass kicked next time. He really is way too right-wing for most of Canada, except for fucking Alberta.

And, ha ha, go to hell Iggy! Aside from being a shitty man in general, Ignatieff was an awful campaigner even for a Liberal, which is saying a lot.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 2:49 pm

your username says it all…

Ken Layne May 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Alberta: Canada's Texas.

/I thought this was an exaggeration until I drove across about 25 years ago and it was nothing but pickups and cowboy hats and George Strait on the radio. wtf.

BaldarTFlagass May 3, 2011 at 2:53 pm

But do they have an equivalent of Gruene Hall?

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 3:21 pm

I guess 25 years ago you missed out on the lovely, scenic tarsands.

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:43 pm

You missed the Calgary Roundup?

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 2:59 pm

Exactly. I don't think the old Tory voters in my riding realize that he's really a Reformer at heart. He tricked the nice old ladies, with pictures of him with cats.

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:33 pm

Reformer? only in the sense of reforming everythin' to his cockeyed viewpoint…

KeepFnThatChicken May 3, 2011 at 2:33 pm

Their chief export is Rush.

Bonzos_Bed_Time May 3, 2011 at 2:41 pm

Do fly by night away from here.

KeepFnThatChicken May 3, 2011 at 2:59 pm

Take off, you hoser.

Sharkey May 3, 2011 at 2:48 pm

And Plastikman.

Crank_Tango May 3, 2011 at 3:04 pm

and the Tragically Hip, the absolute best-kept secret export a country ever had.

doloras May 3, 2011 at 5:06 pm

Rush, the band who were teabaggers before it was fashionable, but still the music was good. Why do modern conservatives and libertaritards have all the BAD CRAPPY art?

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:49 pm

Geddy Lee is much too cool with the Negro League Baseball Hall of Fame to be a true teabagger. Just, like a lot of metallically-minded rockers, he's into D&D & Ayn Rand, but only the first on more than a superficial level.

Terry May 3, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Don't forget Anne Murray

Pop_Socket May 3, 2011 at 2:35 pm

Everything I know aboot Canada I learned from How I Met Your Mother.
***humming The Beaver Song***

SmutBoffin May 3, 2011 at 2:39 pm

They have elections in Canadia? I thought they had some kind of Ice Queen and an aristocracy of hockey players.

Bonzos_Bed_Time May 3, 2011 at 2:40 pm

Bar-manager riding!

CrunchyKnee May 3, 2011 at 2:40 pm

With the exception of their loopy Internet policy, Canadia's conservatives make most American liberals look center-right, (oh wait, they are already, never mind).

imissopus May 3, 2011 at 2:41 pm

What's a Canada?

Sharkey May 3, 2011 at 3:22 pm

You know, like the geese and bacon and stuff?

b[redact]opple May 3, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Also, milk that's sold in see-thru plastic sacs for some reason.

Canmon May 3, 2011 at 2:43 pm

A 19-year-old is in Parliament? Suck it, Pitt the Younger!

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm

Lord Palmerston has been avenged!

emmelemm May 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm

Did I use incorrectly? :{ I emigrate FROM America to Canada, I immigrate TO Canada from America?

Whatever, they'll never let me in anyway.

superdave May 3, 2011 at 2:46 pm

Poutine? WTF?

V572..whatever May 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Wait a minute..Mexico is in North America? Where the heck is New Mexico then?

Oblios_Cap May 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

I hear they're all a bunch of hockey-playing, beer-swilling hosers.

Sounds like fun.

SayItWithWookies May 3, 2011 at 2:50 pm

Hey, our president made Canada his first international destination. Can't they be happy with one smidgen of recognition every four years, or are they gonna start getting demanding?

bravo_sierra May 3, 2011 at 2:52 pm

Those crafty conservative Canadians. OF COURSE they deny climate change, who stands to win? Soon people will actually be able to live in parts of Canada that are further north than 100 miles away from the US border.
Meanwhile, those fires in Texas will finally go out when everything turns to desert, as sand is not flammable.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:52 pm

How do you think glass is made?

RadioJihad May 3, 2011 at 2:53 pm

Now that the "War on Terror" is over we can get to the pressing needs of our national defense:

DEFEND THE NORTHERN BORDER!!1!

Canadians: The New Al Qaeda

metamarcisf May 3, 2011 at 2:56 pm

Idea: Let's move the Washington Nationals to Montreal.

GOPCrusher May 3, 2011 at 4:12 pm

And send the Phoenix Coyotes to Winnipeg.

metamarcisf May 3, 2011 at 5:13 pm

And send the Sacramento Kings to Rochester.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:52 pm

The New York Yankees to Baltimore!

MistaEko May 3, 2011 at 2:57 pm

She rose to prominence in the election after taking a holiday in Las Vegas in the middle of the campaign. Contacted by the Globe and Mail, her co-worker said he didn’t know she was running for Parliament in a riding more than 300 kilometres away.

WHO THE FUCK PUT MARTHA COAKLEY ON THE BALLOT AGAIN?

the_problem_child May 3, 2011 at 2:57 pm

Has anyone double checked to see whether the McGill students are even Canadian? An awful lot of McGill students are Americans who like the low tuition + status.

SarahsBush May 3, 2011 at 3:13 pm

Haha, I'm an American student at McGill University. Up until three days ago, I didn't even know how big this election was. That's how exhausting following American politics is, people.

AnAmericanInTO May 3, 2011 at 4:13 pm

Amen, sister! I can't keep track of both Fox News AND Fox News North! Something's gotta give.

notreelyhelping May 3, 2011 at 3:14 pm

And just in time for Cinco de Mayo! No, wait….

littlebigdaddy May 3, 2011 at 4:21 pm

I like that stuff on my chimichanga.

PubOption May 3, 2011 at 3:15 pm
GOPCrusher May 3, 2011 at 3:15 pm

They use a lot of duct tape.

AJW@[redacted] May 3, 2011 at 7:43 pm

If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

littlebigdaddy May 3, 2011 at 3:34 pm

Harper's a piece of work, but the Liberal party has historically been no better. (It is really "liberal" only in the 19th century sense). Although Harper is not one of them, there is a long tradition of "Red Tories" (they understand political color symbolism up there, although the NYT had to hysterically explain to Americans that "red" meant "left" in Canuckistan, as if it were topsy-turvyland). The collapse of the BQ is fabulous news, and the NPD is the only party that is progressive on a range of issues, including the environment, so that's kinda good too.

Is everyone asleep now?

BZ1 May 3, 2011 at 3:39 pm

libs are right of centre, NDP and BQ are left of centre, Greens are far left while Cons are still in the Dark Ages, akin to teatards in many ways…

revmod May 4, 2011 at 8:22 pm

Just send them to the CBC's stupid Vote Compass, and be done with it. Wait – I got it.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/v...

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:50 pm

Since when is the collapse of Barbeque fabulous news?

I'm never going to understand Canada.

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:36 pm

One of the most interesting things about Canada is that it is one of only three sources for US comedians. (The other two being jews and blacks.)

Make me curious about what goes on up there.

riverside68 May 3, 2011 at 3:46 pm

That's why your p-ness is so small.

littlebigdaddy May 3, 2011 at 3:58 pm

Haha, still, that condo in Myrtle Beach is looking like a good investment.

anniegetyerfun May 3, 2011 at 3:59 pm

My husband lived in Canada for twenty years, and because I am a US/Canadian citizen, he seems to think that I have some interest in what happens there. I do not. Mostly because it just further enrages my cousins when I visit and ask really stupid questions about their communist government.

BarackMyWorld May 3, 2011 at 4:01 pm

Wait….Canada has separate parties for liberals and socialists?

I thought they were one and the same. Damn it, talk radio lied to me!

Check out how some of these other parties did.

GOPCrusher May 3, 2011 at 4:14 pm

Eh, tell a wingnut that facism and socialism are polar opposites of each other and stand back and watch the fireworks.

donner_froh May 3, 2011 at 4:18 pm

Harper must think that the Canadian Arctic will be the new vacation land as global warming continues. Smart citizens of our neighbor to the north will be grabbing options on beachfront property in Inuvik.

sezme May 3, 2011 at 4:24 pm

"It seems many of the NDP candidates were just vaguely aware they were even running for election!"

Are you saying I should check my inbox or answer my phone this morning?

Terry May 3, 2011 at 5:37 pm

These quotes from the CBC article prove that the Canadians don't care about their politics, either:

"Controversial Conservative Maxime Bernier — known partly for speaking frankly on Conservative policy and mostly for a former girlfriend who consorted with biker gangs — won his seat in the Beauce."

"NDP candidate Ruth Ellen Brosseau, who until the election managed a bar on Carleton University campus in Ottawa, won her race in Berthier-Maskinongé. Brosseau, who doesn't speak French, will represent a riding that's almost 100 per cent Francophone. She rose to prominence in the election after taking a holiday in Las Vegas in the middle of the campaign. Contacted by the Globe and Mail, her co-worker said he didn't know she was running for Parliament in a riding more than 300 kilometres away."

TheGyrus May 3, 2011 at 6:45 pm

A "riding"? Is that some sort of Dudley Do-Right reference?

ttommyunger May 3, 2011 at 6:52 pm

Well… I guess we are not alone in the Batshit Crazy Politics Department.

Neoyorquino May 3, 2011 at 7:46 pm

Talk about poutine, or Club Super Sexe . . . then you've got my attention.

AJW@[redacted] May 3, 2011 at 8:06 pm

I converted my Ameros to Canadian Tire dollars when the exchange rate was at par. They've done remarkably well since, though.

lulzmonger May 3, 2011 at 9:09 pm

We elected a Harper majority?
Sorry about that.

thefrontpage May 3, 2011 at 9:51 pm

In Canada, no one hears you scream.

Negropolis May 4, 2011 at 4:07 am

It's true. Sound travels more slowly in the cold air.

horsedreamer_1 May 3, 2011 at 9:55 pm

The Libertarians did worse than the Marxist-Leninists, which I am sure the Libertards blame on the presence of the Pirate Party.

emmelemm May 3, 2011 at 10:55 pm

I didn't notice that! :)

My biggest question is, what's with "No affiliation"? Is that like write-ins? Are there candidates who said, "I refuse any affiliation!"

the_problem_child May 4, 2011 at 10:06 pm

We call them "independents". They are typically crazy.

Negropolis May 4, 2011 at 4:04 am

Harper strikes me as the personification of the phrase "the banality of evil". In fact, he strikes me as nothing short of a calm, calculating sociopath if I am to be honest, someone who seems as if he wouldn't at all have a problem connecting with say your average Red State Kansan as their governor if he were forced to move down here.

bringmeanaxe May 4, 2011 at 12:21 pm

I once tuned in to Jian Ghomeshi's radio show. He had on a film critic who had never seen 'Gone With The Wind'. Said she: 'Yeah, I like totally need to watch that someday'. I've never gone back.

sezme May 3, 2011 at 10:08 pm

You're right about part 1. He is a lot like Kerry. But part 2… The only Canadians who would consider moving to America (besides actors and comedians) are right-wingers who are pleased as punch with the Conservatives, so no, they're not moving.

Actually it was a very strange election result in that it gave hope to both the members of the right and the left. (The NDP being the traditional party of the left here more than doubled its previous seat count record from 1988.) It's the mushy middle Liberals who are feeling the pinch, and most of them already figured out which side of the fence they straddle most and thus defected accordingly.

Rather than being Canada's 2004 (US edition), it's more like 1993 (Canadian edition) in that two kind of similar parties (Libs and NDP) split the vote enough in many places to allow a third party enough seats to form a majority government. In 1993 (and really all the way to 2000) it was two parties of the right (Progressive Conservatives and Reform) splitting the vote enough to let the Liberals form consecutive majorities. Meanwhile the NDP was barely a factor during those years.

Oh, I could go on, but I'm fully aware that none of this stuff makes any sense or holds any interest unless you live here…

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