How We Vote

Funny how the decency and magnanimous nature of a political leader can exonerate the snivelling, weasly, worm-in-a-rat that is the Liberal candidate in our riding. I voted Liberal. I voted that way because I don't want Harper to form the government, and despite his dithering ways, I like Paul Martin the man. Yes, the fact that he helped a woman get home years ago helped.

I know that my father used to vote Liberal. My mother, when she bothered to vote, voted NDP. I heard them argue once about which party to support. Dad said Liberal because he's loyal to Lester Pearson, who supposedly helped him immigrate to Canada. Mom said NDP because she likes the egalitarian nature of the party. After my dad badgered her, mom'd agree to vote Liberal. But I don't know which box she actually marked on the ballot.

In later years, when I told dad I voted Green, he said, "Each to his own. Your mother votes NDP. I vote Liberal."

For this election, mom said to me the other day, "Are you voting? You must vote you know. You must vote NDP." Who got to her?

I asked her why she was voting NDP. She pointed to her NDP candidate's sign and said, "She's Chinese and will help us."

"What if they put in a Chinese Liberal candidate?"

"Her still, because she's a woman."

"What if they put in a Chinese Liberal woman candidate?"

"You can't work with so many what ifs. You just deal with what is at the time."

My neighbour the plumber came over the other day to fix our kitchen sink. He said, "I'm voting Liberal because when the Conservatives were in, things were tough, man. There was high unemployment, interest rates were high, everything was expensive. The Liberals have made life better."

"But the NDP also wants to make life easier for Canadians."

"No, no, they make things too easy. You gotta work for a living. The NDP just wants to give everyone free money for doing nothing. You can't work 'cause you got a headache? Here, have some money and be sick. That's what they do."

Many of my friends in the arts community keep sending me e-mails about supporting the NDP. Many of the party candidates are known supporters of the arts.

A feminist friend sends out e-mails to not vote Conservative.

At the beginning of the election campaign, The Boy had said, "If I could vote, I would vote for Stephen Harper because he wants to cut taxes. That means I get to keep more of my money." Straight from a campaign ad.

We talked about how taxes fund essential services and what would happen if certain services were cut. A few weeks later, he came home and said, "I would vote Green."

"Why?"

"All my friends are saying how awful Stephen Harper is and they all like NDP or Green. So I choose Green."

"Do you want to find out why they like NDP or Green?"

"Nope."

He's stuck to Green ever since. Last night, I said to him, "If you were to vote Green or which ever party you vote for, you should know what your party stands for and how your vote will affect your country. You should know why you are voting for that party."

He said, "The truth is, I would choose Green because my parents vote Green. Even though you may not vote Green this time, I know you are Green at heart."

Every once in a while, he reminds me how my behaviour and political outlook really do influence him.