Politicians Missing a Huge Opportunity To Reach Young Voters

By now you may have heard about this news story over the weekend where a VICE news reporter was denied an opportunity to ask Stephen Harper a question during a campaign stop in eastern Ontario. If you haven't heard, take a look... it's a good read. And this coming from someone who doesn't always read an entire news article before he gets bored.

Here's a brief synopsis:

We all know about Stephen Harper's policy of only taking 5 questions from the media during his election campaign stops. Well, during a campaign stop in Ontario this weekend, VICE news reporter Justin Ling noticed there were only 4 other reporters present. Justin asked Harper's media people to inquire if he could have that 5th question. Long story short... Harper only took 4 questions. As it turns out, the 5 questions aren't just random pickings. 1 question is reserved for local media (who are only permitted to ask a local question) and the other 4 questions go to established traditional media outlets. So if you're an independent reporter or work for a smaller news organization like VICE... you're out of luck. But here's the kicker... those established media outlets have paid to be on the Harper bus.. $3,000 a day (or about $78,000 for the whole campaign). So in other words... reporters have PAID to be there. Justin only wanted to ask a question about foreign policy. Instead, he was passed over in favour of the established reporters who only seem to ask about the Mike Duffy trial these days.

Money talks I guess. I hope I'm not the only one deeply concerned here. Furthermore, what does it say about our established media that it took a smaller media outlet for this dirty secret to come out? Clearly, this has been going on for quite some time and the mainstream news outlets have gladly and quietly ponied up the cash. Apparently, only the Conservatives require a cover charge to gain elite access to their campaign bus. But just as bothersome, is the fact that smaller news outlets and bloggers are being shut out completely. A huge opportunity is being missed here, many young people get their news exclusively from online news sources like VICE. If politicians and their political parties want to reach younger voters their attitude has to change.

But, there's a little epilogue to this tail. NDP leader Tom Mulcair has been criticized this campaign for often taking NO questions at all. Mulcair was campaigning in Kitchener yesterday and stoped by a local radio talk show. He was asked about Harper's lack of transparency and being closed off to the media. As expected, Mulcair ripped into Harper, despite the fact that he failed to take any listener questions during his scheduled 25 minute interview. I say 'scheduled' because the NDP leader showed up late! And then proceeded to leave early, leaving the talk show host an extra 3 minutes to fill until the commercial break. I find it hilarious that Tom Mulcair had the nerve to attack Harper calling him "Arrogant" yet he himself showed up late... left early... and didn't take any phone calls from the public.

Now, I'm not defending Harper. The way he's treating the media during this campaign is disgusting. But really, this seems to be an indication that all these guys are exactly the same. Politicians will NEVER put your interests ahead of their own. All of this talk about voting for 'change' is really just a smoke an mirrors show. For small c Conservatives like myself, there really is no mainstream option for smaller government anymore... assuming there actually was to begin with.

A Closer Look At Tomorrow's Municipal Election

A Libertarian friend of mine has an online radio show. He has just done done a special episode looking at tomorrow's municipal election as it relates to Waterloo region.

Some good journalism being done here about how many of our currant candidates vying for your vote seem to have changed their tune on certain issues or have conflicts of interest on the LRT issue. Unfortunately the LRT is pretty much a done deal and will be very difficult to stop.

Among the facts he dug up:

•  At Least 4 regional Councillors who voted for a 12.9% tax increase for the LRT project, live in townships that are exempt from the tax increase.
  
  
• Councillor Sean Strickland was quoted in 2010 saying a 9% tax increase for the LRT project was too high only later to vote for the 12.9% increase.
  
  
• Waterloo mayoral candidate Dave MacDonald has said during election debates that as Mayor he would be very transparent and have an open door policy. However he has ignored virtually every media interview request during the campaign.

... And much more. If you live in Waterloo Region, I highly suggest you take a listen to this 37 minute commentary before you vote tomorrow.

Link: http://fauxcapitalist.com/2014/10/26/jason-erbs-informative-and-candid-take-on-the-october-27-2014-waterloo-region-election/

Dirty Politics...

Big story in the Ontario Municipal elections from Kitchener, Ontario. Follow me here, it gets a bit confusing.

A Candidate in Kitchener's Ward 2 (Wasai Rahimi) posted a screenshot last night of an e-mail he recently received from one of Kitchener's mayoral candidates (Dan Glenn-Graham). This e-mail, supposedly written by Glenn-Graham asked Rahimi to step down and declare support for another ward 2 candidate (Dan Graham). I know this is confusing because two of the people named above have very similar names.

In short, a candidate for mayor asked a ward candidate to withdraw from his campaign and endorse one of his competitors. This e-mail claimed that this candidate was "Close to Winning", and that a win for Rahimi is "unlikely". Of course this is a fact that that is virtually impossible to know.

In multiple media interviews this morning, Dan Glenn-Graham claimed that it was in fact a member of his campaign team who sent the e-mail and this team member is no longer with the Glenn-Graham campaign.

And in perhaps the strangest twist of this story, this e-mail was apparently sent on the same day that another candidate for mayor (James Rhodes) mysteriously dropped out of the race without any real explanation. And on his way out the door, who did Rhodes endorse?... Dan Glenn-Graham.

This is supposedly a coincidence, but in the dirty world of politics... anything is possible.

This is one of the main reasons people are disgruntled with politics, lies and dirty games... anything to get elected. And of course, once you are elected, you'll spend most of your time trying to win re-election. Regardless of who sent this e-mail and why, it centrally looks bad on Dan Glenn-Graham. If you can't manage your campaign, how will you be able to manage the 10th largest city in Canada?

I live in Kitchener's Ward 2 and up until today, I was going to leave that section on my ballot blank as I wasn't overly impressed with any of the candidates in my ward, and I won't stand to vote for the lesser of 6 evils. But I may now consider voting for Wasai Rahimi, If he is the anti Dan Glenn-Graham... I'm in.