Thursday 31 March 2011

Election birdies, tweets and chicks

Well, there aren't many 'birds', in that women haven't stepped up in the way some would like. I can't blame women. I know, in the 80's when I entered the work force with 3 young children, there was pressure to perform, juggle long hours, and family. It wasn't something I wanted to undertake. There was pressure in the 70s, for we women teachers to take on positions of added responsibility: consultants, principals, and yet little support to manage a home life and a work life. Principals have meetings at all hours, as do the politicians.

According to Equal Voice...

  • At the election call, there were 68 women in the House of Commons, or 22 percent, putting Canada in 52nd place according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union which ranks countries by the number of women in their national legislatures.

Only the Bloc Quebecois is running more than one third women, approximately 36 percent, in competitive ridings.  The New Democrats and Liberals are nearly on par with close to 30 percent and 27 percent women, respectively, in potentially winnable seats for their parties.  The Conservatives have nominated 36 women (20 percent) in their most competitive 179 ridings.

24% of the Conservative candidates so far are women, 
33 per cent of Liberals, 
38 per cent of NDP, 
32 per cent of Bloc Québécois 
30 per cent of Green Party candidates.




I am fascinated with the way Twitter has changed the information instantly available on Twitter, and the 'net. Also fascinated with the way the print, electronic media are able to follow what is going on.
I recently wrote: Election tweets funny to facetious
It's well worth the price of admission.

Two Twitter solitudes in federal election



OTTAWA — Online buzz around the Canadian election is looking like a unilingual debate -- with French-language posts accounting for only about two per cent of election-related messages on the Twitter site. The Canadian Press analysis, done with digital affairs strategist Mark Blevis, suggest close to 30,000 messages have flashed around the microblogging site since the campaign began.

About 4.5 million Canadians use Twitter.
Overhead vulture buzzes
in both official languages
predator/prey conversation
on-line lurkers
The analysis, which is being conducted for The Canadian Press throughout the federal campaign, only measures messages stamped with so-called "hashtags" -- such as #fed2011(mostly French) and #elxn41 -- that allow Twitter users to identify their tweets as election-related.

[See also, #cdnpoli.]

watching from the trees!

Wednesday 30 March 2011

How many elections have YOU witnessed?

My photo from 2008, Parry Sound
Well, the planning and conventions are done. Green Party Convention 2010
I attended the Green Party Convention - virtually.  All very interesting seeing a new party form.

Jean-Luc Cooke  Green Party Candidate




The headlines are interesting...

Lack of full slate of candidates is standard practice when election called, expert says

The Citizen warns us that in nominated ridings out of a total of 308 (as of March 25):Liberals 228 or 74% 
Conservatives 237 or 77 % 
NDP 214 or 69% 
Green 9 or 68%

Not all ridings have a full slate, if the riding isn't deemed winnable, or viable.


I can't believe what some of these people say. They wail about the 'Tsilver Tsunami', don't listen to us, and put both feet in their mouths. There is some value in life experiences.


Shelly Glover’s ‘expiry date’ quip riles seniors
www.theglobeandmail.com

Elizabeth May's Train 2008 @ Parry Sound
Rising Tory star accused of ageism over description of Winnipeg Liberal.
 An odd way to woo retirees. The Conservatives have run afoul of Canada’s national seniors organization after a rising star of the Tory caucus described Winnipeg Liberal MP Anita Neville, 68, as having “passed her expiry date"....


How to win friends and influence people! What about the Senate? Average age 64.74, and the elders being age 74!

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Elizabeth May blocked from TV Debates

Election 2011

Yes, a Federal election in Canada. No. The one female leader of a National party is not being permitted to speak.

Marco Dube is the consortium spokesman. And he has some angry viewers out here in the electorate.


All of us outside of one province cannot and will not vote in Quebec, and why is Giles Duceppe on national TV?


 acoyne 
 by CanadianGreens RT
Every single person around the table, networks & parties, is a vested interest. It's like Ford & GM getting the networks to ban Toyota ads.


CBC is featuring a poll, and the numbers are climbing. When I went to the site at 7:45, 850 had voted. Now, it is just after 8 p.m., and we are up to 83% of 1500 people who voted in favour of having Ms. May on our national TV system. This decision sets back the women's movement 40 years.

How the Liberals change their tune: "It is only natural that in our defence of democracy, we believe in open, inclusive debates throughout the election," said Liberal spokesman Marc Roy. "This being said, it will be up to the consortium to decide on how to proceed."

Last time around, they were the consortium was  fighting on behalf of the Greens, because they had an alliance. I sure hope they will change their minds. This is just plain wrong.


Elizabeth May not invited to leaders debate


Dube said the five host broadcasters -- CBC, Radio-Canada, CTV, Global and TVA -- "unanimously decided they wanted to invite the four parties that have representation in the House."

Dube concurred with that assessment: "It's really the broadcasting consortium who organizes the leaders' debates. We feel this is our decision."

Election tweets funny to facetious

It's funny, a debate between pundits:
=> do we call them Harpo, Iggy, Jack-o, or is it disrespectful?!


When the next federal election is called there is no doubt that Twitter will play a part and political tweeting will sharply increase during an election campaign.
We often use hashtags to help organize our tweets, Politwitter maintains a list of Canadian political hashtags


 Rick Mercer 

Red door or blue door? Its not the doors I dislike it's the knobs out front. 


PM is refusing to admit he talked coalition in 2004
Harper "just bluffing" in 2004. Refutes Duceppe's and Layton's recollections.


Political panel on Rob Snow's show(CFRA): "Is Harper fear mongering about coalition?"  No.  Yes.  Yes. *shocking* (not) 

@: When I worked for Turner in tough times (Chretien was back-stabbing) he was Mr.Turner, never John or Chick (his UBC nickname).


@ I do remember my meeting with Mr. Harper in 2004. He definitely talked about a coalition.


@: CPC leads LPC 38-24 in latest Cdn Press Harris-Decima poll



 Rick Mercer 

Making a to do list - starting in 2015/16.

2004 - Harper, Duceppe & Layton Letter to the GG 

A little reporter envy here on the  campaign. National media limited to only four questions per day to Harper

@  A Google map of where the Leaders' Tours  (it's actually more than just the leaders!) have been on this campaign

GG says coalitions are A-Okay! So wassup with our PM inventing crisis? 

 Nancy Tapley 
Clam Race predicted outcome of US election.Can racing chickens help with the Canadian one?  StepHEN; EGGnatief; LAYINGton

 Ted Chartrand 

  and  comfortable speaking without notes. not so much. It's the control thing again. Why can't he be real?

 Election News 

Are Seniors "Passed Their Expiry Date"? (Mortons Musings): Conservative candidate for Saint Bonifa... 

 The Canadian Press 

The Canadian Press has learned ex-Conservative staffer under RCMP investigation is working on the federal campaign in a key riding. 


Oops. No, he's not!

 Canada Election 2011 
Beleaguered Tory staffer no longer volunteering on key campaign  

 Rick Mercer 

Stephen Harper - Tough on Parking!