In Stephen Clarkson's book
The Big Red Machine, it has been prudently noted that the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) has governed this nation for 78 of the 110 years. This record would make the LPC the most successful political party on earth.
But many would ask, in our present political climate, why one should vote Liberal in the midst of their scandal and corruption. Fair enough. So why should we?
In the best of circumstances we can only truly substantiate our political belief with opinion. I mean to say, what are "facts" in politics when spin doctors and biased media outlets are really the only purveyors of it? But now to the question: why? If we assume that the corruption of the LPC and the subsequent scandal that spawned from it is the heart of people's disenchantment with the party, we must make this topic a priority.
Canadians who are familiar with their history need only look back 100 odd years to our country's first ministry for a tale of scandal and corruption of the highest order. Indeed, if the Pacific Scandal of Macdonald's government has anything to tell us, it must be that people are generally uninterested in such public misdeeds. Certainly when the PM clearly responsible for the mess is able to get re-elected after one term out and who could very well have faced an indictment for fraud, that says something.
If we fast-track to our present situation, are we not seeing history repeat itself? It is no myth that voter apathy is at an all-time low even with the played-up, sensationalist bleating of the media and opposition parties about the travesty of corruption. And with the Liberals losing relatively little support after the blood of the worst scandal in Canadian history is on their hands, what exactly does that say? That people are just apathetic, right? Not exactly. Even in Macdonald's day, his Conservatives lost enough support to surely find their way into being the Opposition when the election was called. What about Martin and his bunch? He still has a damn good chance!
So, what has the Liberal adscam taught us? THAT PEOPLE ARE CORRUPT!! Go forth! Spread the doctrine of common sense! God forbid we should allow such a heathen organization to exist amongst our society of angels and perfect citizens!
But wait, should we not demand more of our elected officials? Demand that our politicians be more moral than us? Ha! Give me a break, please. We none of us are untainted by corruption, it doesn't take much introspection to discover that! If I'm not much mistaken, we founded our institutions on the basis that people are imperfect. As well, I believe our government is picked from among us anyway.
Though the question still remains aside from corruption, why vote Liberal? Well, I would first challenge you, the reader, to find me a party within our system that represents the values and beliefs of more people than the centrist Liberals? The only party that continually adapts to the changes of people's values over time and generally doesn't try to pull the country one way or the other when the people do not want it. The genious of the Liberal Party is that it is the most things to the most people. Why should a party that aims to faithfully serve its electorate be anyting else?
Certainly, we should vote Liberal because we are Canadian. Mr. Harper's policies and values arrive at one chillingly un-Canadian climax: the Americanization of Canada. Although this already occurs, we don't need another catalyst for it. Especially one sitting in the Prime Minister's Office! Mr. Layton and his team have all the pretences of a friendly, unoffensive, social party. But I'm afraid it is all too easy to speculate about lofty social policy when your party has neither never been in office and will not likely be within the foreseeable future. This is, of course, aside from the fact that their fiscal responsibility, or lack thereof, is a joke. And I believe Mr. Duceppe's plan for a united Canada speaks for itself.
I'll not say that the choice in this election is clear nor easy to make. I hope though, that I've displayed the situation in realistic terms. And hey, even that statement is up to you to decide. In my opinion though, I believe it matters who your leader is. I also believe it is important what your party wants for Canada. To that end, I voted Liberal.