The Ontario Election and the Campaign From Hell

It's voting day in Ontario, and I must admit I have no idea who is going to win this weird election.

The last polls are in, but while some have the NDP and the Cons running neck to neck.

Most are predicting a Ford majority.

And one thing is clear, only a large turnout can save us from the bestial Dougie.



But even though he is obviously unfit to hold public office, I wonder whether we will see that turnout in a province where only about 50% normally bother to vote.

Especially after what was the most uninspiring election campaign I have ever seen.

A campaign from Con Hell where Ford was even allowed to get away with not having a proper campaign platform...



By claiming that he didn't need one because he had a PLAN...



And was allowed to pose as a man of the people, and a Great Economist Leader...



Even though he is a millionaire, and his own sister-in law is claiming he couldn't even run a small label factory.

He is also a man who is surrounded by some of the worst religious bigots in Canada.

A man who is bad for women. 

One who threatens LGBT and other bullied kids in our schools....



A man who bad for the environment...



A corrupt political thug who will almost certainly privatize much of our medicare system, fire thousands of nurses.

And by closing down safe injection sites will be directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of mostly young people...



But despite that, and as far as I could tell, none of the progressive parties made the slightest effort to reach out to the millennial generation, even though they are now the biggest voting bloc in Canada.

Which made the job of those of us trying to motivate them even harder.

Attention millennials, Ekos has released this alarming prediction.https://t.co/tAR8uWoSrx And you know who is going to be blamed if it turns out to be true. So get out there and VOTE!!!! Don't let this beast destroy our future. #OntarioVotes #onpoli pic.twitter.com/5jE321vr7W

— Simon (@montrealsimon) June 6, 2018

Especially since school is out, and many of the younger ones are out of their ridings working at summer jobs.

And then of course there was the role of our shabby Con media, who let everybody down.

By trumpeting Ford's propaganda like the Toronto Sun...



Or by repeatedly claiming that he was not a Trumpling... 



When he clearly was a cheap homegrown version, as produced by his ghastly handlers at Team Harper...



And as if all of that wasn't bad enough, the media somehow managed to gloss over Ford's long list of scandals.

Which had the media pursued them, with even half the zeal as they went after Justin Trudeau in India, would have left Ford waist deep in the swamp where he rightfully belongs...



And will no doubt find himself eventually.

Along with the media who enabled his victory.

Yup, as I said, it has been a depressing campaign, and I wouldn't be surprised if many people decide to enjoy the warm weather, and didn't bother to vote.

But I hope I'm wrong, for as Martin Regg Cohn writes, a vote is a terrible thing to waste. 

If you want to throw the bums out, you can’t just sit it out — you have to vote them out. And if you want to keep another party out of power, you have the power to vote against them. 

Be careful who you vote for, and what you wish for. Be mindful that if you don’t, and feel non-voter’s remorse over the results, you’ll have only yourself to blame.

I voted, and brought two friends with me, and since in my riding the Cons don't stand a chance.

I know that whatever happens in this riding at least we'll be celebrating tonight.



While hoping that millions of others will also vote to save this province, and our decent Canadian values.

From those who would destroy them...