Canada Votes 2008 : The Blog

I'm at the headquarters for Regina-Wascana Conservative candidate Michelle Hunter tonight for our continuous coverage this evening and its a pretty terrific atmosphere. So much so that it's compelled me to fire up the new netbook and write this.

Just a quick blog post today...

Steve Paikin -- the moderator for Thursday night's English-language debate -- is host of a show called "The Agenda" on Ontario's public television network TVO.  Some interesting insight -- and "behind-the-scenes" images and video -- from the big debate last night can be found on his blog.

Check it out here.

Have a great weekend!

- John

 The members of the always self-important blogosphere elite are up in arms.

- Little known facts about the leaders (gleaned from Facebook)...

>>> Stephen Harper "...eagerly participates in karaoke with family and friends..." and "...seldom passes by a piano without sitting down - if even for a short tune..."

>>> Jack Layton's favourite movie is Star Wars

>>> Elizabeth May has three honourary doctorates

During the Prime Minister's stop in Saskatoon, I was treated to being ordered around by Steven Harper's muscle (body guards, staffers, and others).

At one point, I was told to back up and not stand so close to the motorcade. 

"Further into traffic?" I asked.

A muscle bound man with an FBI style earbud returned a wry smile. 

"Yes."

I understand there are security issues but my problem is that there are many different people who have the power to tell you where to go and often those orders conflict. 

Message to Party War Rooms.  Forget the "people as backdrop" scenes when the leaders speak.  Good Gawd, can't anybody come up with something a little more creative?

I am so sick of seeing people sit behind the leader as he or she speaks at the podium.  And do they really want this, when anything can go wrong.  Like the guy behind Stephen Harper while the Conservative Leader was in Saskatoon Tuesday, almost napping off.

As fans of News Talk Radio know, during election times we set up a separate website. And some of you will be familiar with the regualr feature during federal election campaigns...the Leader Meter. It counts how many hours and minutes the federal party leaders come through Saskatchewan during the five week campaign.

Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was in Regina yesterday, stumping for two of the area Conservative candidates at a breakfast event. As is probably to be expected, he spent much of his time addressing the state of the economy in North America, emphasizing how, "the fundamentals of our economy are strong," (a phrase he might want to watch out for) and insisting we should have no trouble weathering the financial storm raining down on Wall Street.

Late last week the Green Party of Canada launched its local campaign in Regina by unveiling its candidates for the four local ridings. They used the First Nations University of Canada and the Native Plant Garden that lies on the western edge of the school's property as a backdrop, hoping to use that natural vegetation to underscore the party's overriding environmental philosophy and platform.

I’m not sure Barack Obama is right. I think it is possible to put lipstick on a pig. Not easy, but possible. I’m guessing Barack doesn’t have much practical experience with porcine type critters.

For starters, it would depend on the size of the pig.