My husband, who was born in Canada and lived there until his high school years, shakes his head at what we have been seeing happen in that country. He has been hoping to see Trudeau replaced for many years, and was shocked, yesterday, to see that in Trudeau’s wake, another Liberal defeated the leading Conservative. A Conservative, I might add, whose 30-point lead three months ago, began dwindling only after he began criticizing President Trump.
But the takeaway from yesterday’s Canadian election was less the result than the method. Mind you, the election was held over five days – four of early voting and one day at the polls. Paper ballots were hand marked and hand counted. The results were complete in a matter of hours.
An article in the New York Times before the election gave a complete description of the Canadian process. It is worth a read:
Paper Ballots, Hand Counting, No Machines: This Is How Canada’s Election Works
Comparing the Canadian process to the ones used in the US, begs the question: “What in the heck is wrong with American voters to tolerate the inexcusably lengthy, complex, and expensive voting schemes currently in use?”
Of course all we Republicans (because we are smarter? more ethical?) know it is the Democratic Party that promotes our current cumbersome, insecure, impossible-to-audit voting procedures. Many Republicans have certainly allowed this deterioration of election protocols to occur over recent years, it is only Republicans who now want to correct a system run amok. Any objective person can clearly see that every Democrat proposal to change election laws on any level, creates new opportunities to cheat. On the other hand, almost every Republican proposal would lead to tighter election security.
In the wake of yesterday’s election, appeared these headlines from Canadian papers:
From the Vancouver Sun
Low-tech vote: Why does Elections Canada use paper ballots and hand-counting?
From CBC News
Why Elections Canada still uses paper voter lists and hand counts ballots for federal elections
A comparison of Canadian and US sources today, demonstrates another issue of great importance to Republicans: the slanted narrative of the liberal press. There was little emphasis in the US Establishment Media about Canada requiring paper ballots in federal elections, or the quick result. Instead, the U.S. media’s primary focus was on the election’s geopolitical implications, particularly U.S.-Canada relations under President Trump’s tariffs and rhetoric. Most of the commentary was, of course, distinctively critical of Trump.
From USA Today
‘Trump is trying to break us’: Carney wins in Canada riding fury at Trump to victory
From CBS News
Canada’s Liberal Party wins election in turnaround seen as reaction to Trump’s annexation threats and tariffs
Despite Republican disappointment in any liberal win anywhere, there was some good news, as reported in the New York Times this morning:
But during the final week or so of the campaign, the gap between the two parties narrowed as voters’ concerns shifted away from the Mr. Trump’s designs on Canada and back to concerns about the cost of living.
While the Conservatives were denied power, the party appeared headed for its biggest share of the popular vote since 1988, and it will most likely win more seats than it did in the previous Parliament
The Conservatives achieved significant seat and vote share gains, particularly in Atlantic Canada, Quebec, and British Columbia, and remained competitive in the popular vote. However, their progress was not enough to overtake the Liberals, who capitalized on external factors to secure a fourth consecutive term. The Liberals fell short of winning enough seats to form a majority government. Minority governments in Canada usually last an average of 2 1/2 years.
three takeaways:
- Canadian election procedures highlight how ridiculous those of the United States are.
- US establishment media refuses to provide any semblance of balance in its reporting about Trump.
- Despite the Liberal Victory in Canada, Conservatives made big gain overall.
