More Dancing Around the Maypole

It would seem that the Green Party and its leader, Elizabeth May, know no shame. Now the party has gone bottom-fishing and snagged for itself a political specimen that not even the Liberals wish to touch with a ten-foot pole. The Liberals, yet! Those denizens of democratic decorum! Add this latest gaffe, with the singular motive to gain television air time, onto the back room May-Dion non-aggression pact, and the Green claim to taking the ethical high road evaporates into the fog of Green philosophy. With a political bed now so crowded and diverse, the ability to maneuver diminishes accordingly.

The Conservatives have already let it be known that the back room deal cut in Central Nova is about to turn around and bite Ms. May big time on the very thing she so cherishes: taking part in the televised debates. Having cake and getting to eat it too seems to be snuggled alongside the Green notion of not acknowledging the principle of merit, such an endearing quality of the Millennial generation. For all its shortcomings, we have an electoral system of first-across-the-line. This translates into the legitimacy of an elected MP, not one foisted onto the public as a political prop, much like a housing purchase (disguised as roots in the community), made with taxpayer money.

The New Glasgow News conducted an online "poll" last week that gives at least a rough picture of how things are shaping up in the riding of Central Nova. Ms. May is pulling 9%, which matches national support for the Greens. It seems that the abandoned and disaffected Lib vote is going en masse to Louise Lorifice, the NDP candidate. In the same online poll, Peter MacKay and Lorifice are pulling 35% and 33% respectively.

May/Dion may yet pull off their little coup of unseating MacKay, although not as anticipated. That 9%, when it comes to marking one's X on the ballot, could easily shrink down to 5%. How does the Honourable Louise Lorifice, Member of Parliament, sound?

Given the lopsided playing field that was orchestrated for Ms. May via the benefit of the non-aggression pact, and then not being able to deliver on it, she may be looking for another job after October 14. Unfortunately, there are only so many parties and ridings one can jump to. One’s credibility tends to take a shit kicking.