I am angry, the last few weeks I have been paying close attention to all the other students around me at my University (Thompson Rivers) and there have been two big elections. The first was on October 13, the Canadian Federal election, with the outcome with the Conservative Party of Canada winning a third of the seats making another minority government. The second would be the American election earlier this week with as we all know the outcome, the Democrats holding control over the Presidency and both houses. Can you guess which one everyone that I talked to was more concerned about? That is right the American election, most of my fellow young Canadians have such little concern over their own Country and how they are governed that voting in Canada was at an all time low. When ever I would ask someone why they supported Obama (was always Obama by the way) they would tell me because he was better. Nothing about his platform, nothing about his running mate, barely a whisper about McCain's age or Palin's false Populism. Obama was just better. That bothers the hell out of me for many reasons. That is not how you prove something in university, that wasn't how you did it in highschool, I have seen teachers rip an essay in two for remarks like that. But what really bothers me the most is the shameful lack of patriotism I see. I am a feircly patriotic Canadian, I know O Canada by heart, I sing it on my way to school some times. Hell I am even proud to belong to the British Commonwealth and the Francophone.

Okay that is my rant, I will be away this weekend so I won't be able to reply to anyone that has anything to say one way or the other about this.

The Canadian election was rushed in early - I mean, we just had one 2 years ago and 2 years before that. It's still a Conservative minority government, just as it was before. It's not that exciting.

The US election, on the other hand, is a historic moment. The first black American president. A Democratic majority in house and senate. Replacing a Republican leader with one of the worst popularity rankings ever.

I love Canada. I love living here. I vote in every election. However, I can completely see why people are more excited about Obama winning the election in the States, can't you?

I still don't see why they would say they supported Obama simply because "he was better", I mean, my friends in Mexico were divided pretty evenly (at first) on who they supported, some preffered Obama because of his stance on the Iraq war (which is extremely unpopular in Mexico), or because he will raise the taxes on 250000+ income families, or because of the universal healthcare plan (a version of which Vicente Fox created some years ago); the ones that supported McCain did it because of his greater experience and work on the McCain-Feingold Act (anything that reduces the chance of corruption is popular in Mexico); but what I liked was that they all had reasons to support whatever candidate they chose.

I can't say that I know how informed people are in Canada (the Canadian I care the most about was better informed than I was...), but they do live fairly close to America...so I don't think it would be that far off. However, most of the people overseas don't get most of the facts. They only get a few blips here and there, and thus generally don't know the full story. That said, they usually only hear the good things, or the really bad things. Since Obama is rather charismatic (lots of people hear his speeches and if they didn't like him before, they're suddenly in love. o.O ), thats what they see. Palin wasn't impressive in the U.S. so I don't see how she could look good elsewhere when they get less information...

That said, I believe that people out of the U.S. (Canada and Mexico may be an exception, I really don't know.) just don't have the information others do. So their opinion is honestly based off the speeches they got and in their minds, "he is just better." He's good at talking to a lot of people. Almost everyone can agree on that.

Perhaps in poor isolated countries, but we all have access to the same internet. It's a little disputed fact that many Canadians pay more attention to American politics than their own - and more attention than most Americans do as well.

(I should add that everyone should be able to express a basis for their opinions, but that doesn't mean everyone can. Some people are just sheep.)

Ah, but how many people in other countries spend time to look up information (note: trustworthy information, not an article randomly written on the internet by a biased guy who has no credentials or real sources) on an election that is in a different country? How many people in the U.S. take time to look up trust worthy information? In the U.S. we have commercials (see which side is more of a jackass, woo!), the debates (who can lie the best on TV, woo!), and its in the news NONE STOP FOR A YEAR. *dies*

Its just a matter that 'information' is more widespread in America (even if its false, the more often you see it, the more likely you are to check later to see if its true or not). Sure, anyone CAN access it...but a lot of people are willing to base their opinion off of the single speech they saw on TV, or were linked while at work. I realize that its not everyone, but the further you are away from the country/being able to vote, the less likely you are to look up trustworthy information.

The main reason I looked at McCain-Palin with disdain was because, frankly, Palin was daft, stupid, and above all, just childish. She threw "temper tantrums" on live TV during her non-scripted interview with Katie Couric, had no idea who the Canadian PM was (I didn't either, but this is more due to me not watching the news, period, than me being a total nitwit), has no idea what the North American Trade is or which countries are involved (EG, Canada, Mexico, America... duh...), and let's face it, she has a freaking scary smile. Having her as a VP would have been a total disaster; it's bad enough girls here act stupid to look cool/pretty/awesome or whatever, but to have that being represented as a nation on a whole? Ugh.

I'm glad I don't have to move to Canada though, I seriously would've vamoosed up there once I was eightteen if McCain had won. XD

im not so sure of that

most of the people i know in europe are better informed than the vast majority of americans. have you never seen the BBC website or http://www.spiegel.de/international/??

and those are just from england and germany

We Canadians have a tendency to focus more on American politics for one big reason (in my humble opinion): it's kind of shoved in our faces....Most of our television programming is American., especially in our most populated area, Southern Ontario. For the last 2 weeks of the American election, I counted 8 different Canadian channels covering it. I pick up the newspaper and the front page story is about something that happened in Chicago...and to be quite frank, having taken two (count 'em, two) university level Canadian Politics classes at the University of Windsor...Canadian politics are outright, completely and utterly detached from human emotions...and boring. I hated those classes--in my opinion, our system of governing is so complicated that even my professor couldn't explain parts of it.

I've had more fun picking dirt out of my nails than listening to Harper on the telly...

So basically, the general populace doesn't want to get into the nitty gritty details of 'who is a better leader' or 'who's policies will benefit us', it's whoever is the most exciting and easiest to talk about over lunchtime. I pick people I like based on their character, so when I say 'Obama is better' I don't just say it because McCain scares me, it's in his face. Call me freespirited, but I like his eyes; they don't have the same aloofness most politicians have. And he's not going to be my president, so his plans for change are just news to me. I don't and can't vote for him, so it's just enough to 'like him' without reenacting his election speech...

USA will never get a president like President Bartlett from the West Wing...and Canada will probably never stop being governed by a minority government. If I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd say the government in Canada wanted our measly 35 million people population to focus on American elections so they don't have to put as much effort into winning their own elections...

O.o

Americans aswell.
you always see those humanist with signs saying feed the straving children in africa or free the asain slave shop kids..

its like. america needs to mind their own bussiness and bring the troops back home!
however since everyone and their mom has a nuke. we cant do that.

its call politics
everyones in each others bussiness just in case someone goes nutts they kno who to blame

Well my main point was that people I went to school with namely political science students didn't care about the Canadian election, where as the American was all they cared about. I'm not saying that people should only look at their own government but all governments and how they work from within and with each other.

its all good but you have to remember as a "super power" everyone looks at the US to see whats going down.
Its almost like the big brother factor... (Germans can be the dad cause they can spank us with nukes)
The whole election process with a "Black" guy wining was historical and overshadow alot of things

Please don't be attempt being a smart ass with me, I have a rather good handle on America's place in the world.

-.- i wasnt trying to be a smart ass, havent been all day. Now!
I don't doubt your knowledge - Nor will i bother to respond in Flame.
This is why i don't involve myself into politics