By Michael Chutskoff (Contributor) – Email
Remember back in middle school, where there was that one kid who always lied and made fun of other people? I swear those kinds of kids grew up to be politicians. We all can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of Donald Trump’s antics down in the States, but honestly, we aren’t that much different from them when it comes to politics.
So-called “attack ads” were originally popular in America for the longest time before Canadian politicians picked up on the shade-tossing. Attack ads are supposed to bring a negative light to a political party’s stand on a topic, but now they have degraded to name-calling and flat-out bullying. The most notable attack ad on TV right now is the Conservatives slamming Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, afterwards adding the incredibly stupid line: “Nice hair, though.” Really, Harper? Is your party being sarcastic here, or are you just jealous that Justin does have better hair than you?
I want to know what you are going to do about the economy, the environment, and social services. No one cares about what our prime minister is going to look like; we just want to elect someone who’s going to do a fantastic job running our country, and pull us out of yet another recession. So instead of running attack ads that make petty jabs at others, consider giving us a snapshot on a particular issue that is on your political platform.
Also, for those of you that watched the debate between the major political party leaders and expected an excellent and insightful debate, I’m sorry you were disappointed. While it initially seemed promising, the debate quickly degenerated into Thomas Mulcair, Stephen Harper, and Justin Trudeau bickering and talking over each other. Half of the time I couldn’t hear how one of the leaders answered the question, because everyone else would be yelling out their opinions on each other rather than letting the question be answered before following up with their rebuttal. Another thing that irked me was the absence of Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who wasn’t invited. Ironically, May might’ve won the debate due to her thorough answers. May took to Twitter and posted video responses to each debate question, and was able to answer each question without being talked over by the others.
Personally, I love politics. Ever since I was five, I was up for heated debates about elections and political platforms. These days, many young people could care less about the upcoming election (October 19), or politics in general. I don’t blame them at all. Those that are just starting to get into politics can easily be turned off by seeing the antics that politicians pull. No one likes a liar, yet we are expected to vote for one. For those that want to see a change in political reform, it is up to us: the new generation of voters. Go out and vote, and get involved with political parties, and be the change you want to see.
