Here's another way to look at last nights Election and Referendum results.
42% of votes cast supported the Liberals -a pretty massive victory for Dalton McGuinty.
37% of votes cast supported MMP - a pretty massive defeat for electoral reform.
Interesting.
On a bright note, apparently (and to me, unsurprisingly) 67% of voters aged 18-34 voted for MMP in the Referendum. I just have that number second hand right now, but I'll link to something official when I find it (and adjust accordingly, of course, if it's inaccurate). If that's right (and I think it is, based on being in that age bracket myself and only knowing ONE person who voted for FPTP) I hope that this will mean electoral reform will not die, and that the future is with electoral reform.
Then again, perhaps after last night 67% of young voters decided the whole system is just too broken to be fixed, and that inertia and apathy can't be overcome, and so they'll join the almost 4 million voters who couldn't be bothered. Let's hope not!
Thursday, October 11, 2007
More on last night's debacle...
Nothing to see here... move along... move along...
Number of Ontarians who voted to keep our current electoral system: 2,683,921
Number of Ontarians who couldn't be bothered to vote: 3,967,563
Ahhhh the status quo. I look forward to 4 more years of Liberal "majority" government.
After all, 22% of eligible voters can't be wrong!
What low voter turnout means....
Well, voter turnout was DISGUSTINGLY low yesterday in the Ontario Election/Referendum. I'm ashamed for the province, and I wish I thought that the 3,973,806 voters in Ontario who couldn't be bothered to vote on any of the 14 days they could have taken 5 minutes to do it were ashamed of themseleves, but who are we kidding? Anyway, it's sickening, and I was thinking about what that means.
Well, first, it means that the Ontario Liberal party will be in charge for the next four years with 66% of the seats in the Legislature. Now, what percentage of eligible Ontario voters voted for the Liberals to give them this great power? 22%.
That's right, the Liberals got 22% of eligible voters to cast a vote for them yesterday and they'll now be able to do pretty much what they like for the next 4 years.
There are 8,308,702 eligible voters in Ontario. Dalton Mcguinty needed the support of less than 2 million of them to win a comfortable 4 year "majority" government (1,859,710 votes at last count).
Sadly, the Referendum on electoral reform was also "SOUNDLY" defeated yesterday. A whopping 31% of eligible voters chose to keep our current electoral system, so we're keeping our current electoral system (and hey, what could be wrong with that? I know 1,859,710 eligible voters who today probably think our current system works just fine, thank you very much!!!).
I thought things were pretty broken on October 10th. Now that it's October 11th, I question whether they can ever be fixed.
Sadly, I'm even starting to ask "why bother trying?".
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
VOTE!!!!
Well, election day is finally here in Ontario, so everyone make sure to get out and vote today!
Find out where you vote, and
Vote!
Vote!
Vote! *
* not a recommendation to vote three times... you big cheater...
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
John Tory: It's not my fault, it's everyone else who's wrong...
OK, so now John Tory is pretty openly whining that the people of Ontario don't know what they want, and that we're all about to vote against our own interests.
Tory's not only saying that politics in Ontario is horrible, and unfair, and dishonest (and mean! whahhh!) but that he's "not sure people really want to change it".
Where did this whiner come from, and what happened to the John Tory I used to respect? And by "used to" I mean, like, TWO WEEKS AGO!!!
Anyway, I really don't see how pointing out that things are supposedly TERRIBLE and yet people STILL don't want to vote for you is supposed to be a vote-getter. To me, it just comes off childish and petulant. Tory knows he's not going to get what he wants, and now he's stamping his feet about it, and yelling about how much he hates mommy and daddy, and how unfair everything is.
I say we pull the car over and kick him out.
Vote for MMP!!!
Well, with just 21 hours and 30 minutes until the polls open, here's a last reminder to get out and vote, and VOTE FOR MMP!!!
For more information, the National Post (of all places) has a great little "MMP Explained: Q & A" that is definitely worth checking out if you haven't made up your mind yet!
Friday, October 05, 2007
Vote for MMP!!! The "Checking Facebook to make me feel better about the future" Edition!
So, with recent polls suggesting MMP will not pass in the upcoming Referendum, I decided to go check out the two official Facebook campaign groups for the Referendum on the premise that it would make me feel better because Facebook skews young, and therefore is probably more reflective of attitudes in the future towards electoral reform.
Right now, the Vote for MMP Facebook Group has 3695 members.
The No MMP Ontario Facebook Group has 826 members.
So, in the universe of Facebook, it's MMP 82% and FPTP 18%.
Under FPTP rules, that's MMP 100%, FPTP 0%.
Sigh.
It's nice to know the future's with me, but it still didn't make me feel much better.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Vote for MMP!!! The "Power to the Students" Edition...
As you may have heard, a large number of Student Unions across the province have endorsed MMP in the upcoming Ontario Election.
What you may be less familiar with is the website from the Ontario branch of the Canadian Federation of Students urging students to vote for MMP and CHANGE THE SYSTEM.
I'm hoping youth turnout on October 10th will set records, and students in particular will help us take back our political system, and establish a new era of legislatures that actually reflect the will of the people of Ontario.
Vote for democracy.
Vote for MMP!
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Vote for MMP!!! The Andrew Coyne Show Continues Edition!!!
I'm very excited about the latest installment of "Vote for MMP!!!" here at LKO.
Andrew Coyne continues to do a great public service by debunking myths and setting the record straight on Ontario's Referendum.
Thank God for that man!
Today's column: MMP does not mean appointed by party hacks.
Finally, now I can stop explaining that over and over (and over) and just point to Mr. Coyne's post!
Monday, October 01, 2007
Poll of John Tory's own riding....
Here's a fascinating poll of John Tory's riding of Don Valley West:
Conservative John Tory: 37%
Liberal Kathleen Wynne: 52%
Wow.
That couldn't be why Tory is suddenly no longer so enthusiastic about holding a whipped vote on faith-based schools, could it!?!?!? I wonder, if "Leadership Matters" what does Tory think his 15 point deficit in DVW says about his leadership???
