NHL Playoffs Game To Delay Canadian National Election Debate

[Alex The Great]

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – Canada's federal election campaign hit a very Canadian obstacle on Sunday, as the country's passion for hockey forced a nationally-televised debate between party leaders to be rescheduled.
The French-language debate set for Thursday was switched to Wednesday to avoid a conflict with the start of the National Hockey League's playoffs. Two Canadian teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, are in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.
In a rare show of unity the parties suggested the change when it became clear their debate would clash with the opening game of a series between the Canadiens and the Boston Bruins.
Hockey is close to a national obsession in Canada, and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton admitted most people would rather watch the Montreal-Boston game instead of a political face-off.
"Were I not in this election I might very well make the same decision," Layton joked with reporters on Sunday, saying the networks should consider rescheduling Thursday's debate to avoid a conflict with the game.
The Bloc Quebecois, a separatist party that only runs candidates in the French-speaking province of Quebec, said it would be "heartbreaking" to make Quebecer's choose between watching hockey and politics.
The network consortium that runs the debates said the rescheduling was "in the best interest of the general public" and would ensure the political forums "reach as wide an audience as possible."
The English-language debate between the party leaders will proceed as scheduled on Tuesday.
The election has been underway since March 26, but the mid-campaign debates traditionally are a time when many voters begin to pay closer attention to the race. Canadians will vote on May 2.
Polls show the ruling Conservatives leading the Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois, but short of its goal of winning a majority government that would not require the help of at least one opposition party to stay in power.
The Conservatives have ruled Canada with a minority government since 2006.
The political parties will have to compete with the NHL for public attention for the rest of the campaign because the league's Stanley Cup champion will likely not be decided until at least early June.
The other Canadian team to qualify for the playoffs was Vancouver, and with the league's best regular-season record they are seen as a serious contender to win the Stanley Cup -- something a Canadian-based team has not done since 1993.
Vancouver's first-round opponent has not been determined yet.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110410/wl_canada_nm/canada_us_politics_election_5

Priorities. We have them

 

[Shemtov]

Oh, Canada, you wacky country, you.

 

[Gotham Knight]

Only in Canada.

 

[Alex The Great]

Only in Canada.

So true.

I mean, if Canadians actually cared about politics then sure, some of us might watch. But we Canadians are so incredibly apathetic about Politics...But eh, what're you gonna do?

 

[Gotham Knight]

So true.

I mean, if Canadians actually cared about politics then sure, some of us might watch. But we Canadians are so incredibly apathetic about Politics...But eh, what're you gonna do?

Maybe the two sides in the debate should just have a Hockey game to settle everything? Wouldn't that solve everything, eh?

 

[Kelly]

What's with the only in Canada? Come on.....
We would do the same thing.....BUT, ACTUALLY here in the US we probably would not have scheduled it for the same night in the first place.

Hell, our own President announced his Final Four picks before he told the nation why we were bombing another country.

Uh, yeah we have our priorities straight...duh.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Americans will likely not have that problem, as your election dates are fixed and your sports tournaments scheduled so far in advance that it's not like they will ever have Obama vs. Pawlenty on the same night as the Superbowl.

 

[Gotham Knight]

What's with the only in Canada? Come on.....
We would do the same thing.....BUT, ACTUALLY here in the US we probably would not have scheduled it for the same night in the first place.

Hell, our own President announced his Final Four picks before he told the nation why we were bombing another country.

Uh, yeah we have our priorities straight...duh.

I know that, I was being sarcastic to give Alex a hard time.

 

[SuperFerret]

As someone who has had their favorite shows preempted by political bullcrap like the State of the Union time and time again, I must put aside my dislike for Canada (most due to the balls they have for calling it "canadian bacon", you do not sully the good name of bacon like that, good sirs, you do not), and salute them.

 

[Donut]

The Lost fans here in the U.S. bumped the Presndent from being on during the same time as a Lost episode in the final season. Only in Canada my ass. We did it first *****es

 

[SuperFerret]

That may be true, but you forget, LOST sucks.

 

[Alex The Great]

As someone who has had their favorite shows preempted by political bullcrap like the State of the Union time and time again, I must put aside my dislike for Canada (most due to the balls they have for calling it "canadian bacon", you do not sully the good name of bacon like that, good sirs, you do not), and salute them.

American beer sucks!

 

[SuperFerret]

I don't drink beer!

 

[Microchip]

No one is going to watch that debate anyway, much less vote. Stephen "Mr Charisma" Harper vs Michael Ig-nee-ahh-teff--err.. uhhh... however you say his last name? I'd rather watch playoffs by about a 1000%.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Ironically, the best politician right now in Canada to become Prime Minister, IMO, is former Hab Ken Dryden.

I hope once Ignatieff fails, he gets replaced quickly and the Liberals realize what a great leader Dryden would be.

 

[Axl Van Sixx]

Ironically, the best politician right now in Canada to become Prime Minister, IMO, is former Hab Ken Dryden.

I hope once Ignatieff fails, he gets replaced quickly and the Liberals realize what a great leader Dryden would be.

Ken Dryden came by my house canvassing the other day! Truthfully, I was more interested in the cute girl campaigning for the Liberals and kind of wanted him to leave so I could keep talking to her.

I'm voting NDP either way, but I'm pretty sure they don't have a chance in hell in my riding. I've seen red and blue signs as far as the eye can see, but not a single orange.

 

[Microchip]

Ken Dryden is the most boring person on the planet. I do agree that Ignatieff needs to be replaced, I question that Dryden is the one to do it. I don't think he has any charisma and would not win an election, despite being perhaps a wise polititian. It'll be Harper FTW and I'd bet on a majority. Still would rather watch playoffs.

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Canada has elections? I thought you still listened to the Queen. We gave that up over 200 years ago

 

[Alex The Great]

Technically, yes we do have a Queen. This is the point where most Americans scream "QUEEN! YOU'RE NOT A REAL COUNTRY! AMERICA **** YEAH!". A lot of Americans know nothing about us, which is understandable because Americans don't get exposed to much, if any, Canadian media. The Queen has NO POWER over us, we elect a Prime Minister. The whole monarchy thing is just a nod at the history, culture and tradition. As far as we're concerned we're as independent and free as you guys. But instead of fighting for our freedom, we asked nicely

 

[Pink Ranger]

Ken Dryden is the most boring person on the planet. I do agree that Ignatieff needs to be replaced, I question that Dryden is the one to do it. I don't think he has any charisma and would not win an election, despite being perhaps a wise polititian. It'll be Harper FTW and I'd bet on a majority. Still would rather watch playoffs.

Stephen Harper has the charisma of an eggplant, but he's our Prime Minister. Bill Davis was the most boring man in the world, but he ran Ontario for a long time.

Ken Dryden, due to his age, will likely only serve 1 or 2 terms. He's not exactly Barack Obama when he speaks, but there's enough honesty and conviction there that you know there's something going on inside his head. He is actually a fairly left Liberal, so he will shore up the social democratic wing of the electorate, plus the women's vote, but as a famous former NHLer, he will also appeal to the working class of the centre and centre-right as well. He's genuinely intelligent and well respected, and I don't see the other parties being able to attack him as a person that they can with Ignatieff or Rae.

 

[Microchip]

He can also just be all "I beat those damn dirty soviets in 72, so you people owe me this!", but still he's untested on that stage whereas Harper has led Canada through the recession with arguably vastly better results than the rest of the world had. Our dollar is pretty good too, and Canada is finally pulling out of Afghanistan. I don't know all the issues of the election but it would seem there isn't going to be much ammunition against him. That probably wouldn't be the best time for Dryden to make his run for the top spot.

 

[Pink Ranger]

He can also just be all "I beat those damn dirty soviets in 72, so you people owe me this!", but still he's untested on that stage whereas Harper has led Canada through the recession with arguably vastly better results than the rest of the world had. Our dollar is pretty good too, and Canada is finally pulling out of Afghanistan. I don't know all the issues of the election but it would seem there isn't going to be much ammunition against him. That probably wouldn't be the best time for Dryden to make his run for the top spot.

Scuttlebut is, though, that Harper will not run for another term if he winds up with just another minority government again (which is most likely going to happen; I just don't know where the Conservatives can pick up enough additional seats to win a majority, even a slim one).

If that is the case, then the next election after this one would be a perfect time for Dryden or another new Liberal leader to try his or her luck against a new Conservative leader.

My dream election for 2014 will be Ken Dryden leading the Liberals, against Gordon Campbell leading the Conservatives and Thomas Mulcair leading the NDP (the Bloc Quebecois can just go baise themselves). There's a million reasons why none of these candidates are possible, but a political junkie can dream.

 

[Microchip]

Gordon Campbell from BC? He's a partially disgraced Provincial Liberal, I doubt he'd be running for the Conservatives.

 

[Pink Ranger]

"Disgraced" is a bit strong. What killed Gordon's career was a basically policy decision, not any kind of criminal activity or real scandal. And the HST was actually sound economic policy, it was just very unpopular and poorly received, just like the GST under Mulroney (which, as you might have noticed, we still have even though Mulroney left in "disgrace" as well).

IMO, Gordon would be the perfect conservative leader because:

- He's unpopular in BC, but then the Conservative seats in BC aren't going anywhere. Having a BC'ian as a potential Prime Minister might give him some shine back too.
- He's a Westerner, so the seats in Alberta are safe.
- He's a big business guy, so the moneybags in Ontario will like him.
- He has a strong progressive record on social issues. He was pro-gay before it became fashionable, since the time he was mayor of Vancouver in the 1980s, so the leftists won't have a leg to stand on when trying to create the image of the scary conservative.
- In time, he'll be recognized as one of the best premiers BC has ever had.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Come on, Canucks! The election is just 3 days away and this thread has already died!

Is anyone voting? I did, in the advanced polls over Easter.