Hands up anyone who is already sick of the ‘positive’ Liberal B.C. Jobs ads; ‘positive’ NDP Adrian Dix ads; and the anti-Dix Concerned Citizens for B.C. ads on the television.
I say ‘sick’ because we’re more than three months away from a provincial election and already we are inundated with fancy productions telling us all the good one party has done for us and how bad another has been.
I’ve used this space before to vent about election tactics and will do so again.
Please don’t waste my time telling me how much good you have done for me in the past and how much the other guy has screwed me over.
B.C. is entering a pivotal time in its existence. Times are tough, jobs are being lost to other provinces and our provincial finances have never looked bleaker.
In other words we are in trouble and voters want to know what those hoping to lead this province are going to do about it.
We don’t need touchy-feely TV ads about past accomplishments. Especially those paid for through our own tax dollars.
And we don’t need attack ads about something that happened years ago jammed down our throats day after day.
The electorate isn’t stupid. The facts are out there on what the Liberals and NDP have done in the past. Frankly, neither party should be too proud of its record.
But try talking to any politician on what they would do to right the ship, and the conversation soon becomes the party line on how poor a job the other guy is doing.
I understand the tactic and the political leverage it can produce.
Bring up forged memos, casinogate, bingogate and fast ferries enough times and how could a voter possibly even think of sending the NDP to Victoria?
Or with the HST, B.C. Rail, torn up health contracts and Coastal C class ferries on the resumé, why would anyone return the Liberals to power?
Even the new kid on the block B.C. Conservatives haven’t had the smoothest of rides in its early existence.
While I agree voters should keep that information in the back of their minds, they need to press candidates on their plans for our future, because like it or not, those parties – along with the Greens – are going to get the majority of votes.
So if they want our trust, and our votes, they should be prepared to tell us how they plan to lead B.C. out of these tough economic times.
Show me the money and all the good that will take place by spending it. I’m not all that interested in how the other guy spent it foolisly in the past.
Give me something to earn my loyalty and my vote.
***
On a lighter note, I consider myself a man blessed with a great deal of patience.
Not a lot bothers me too much and if something does, it’s not long before I’m over it.
But I have recently discovered one thing that drives me absolutely up the wall is people standing behind news or sports personalities during a live televison feed waving or acting the goof.
They’re busy looking at themselves on a monitor, lining up to get on TV.
When a new angle is required and a different camera goes live, you’ll soon see them creeping into the picture and start over again.
You get the type to stand soldier straight with a big grin and give a salute-like wave every now and then. Or there’s the ones who act up for the camera. Doing their best to throw the anchor off his or her show. I don’t know which one is worse.
Do they not know how idiotic they look?
All so they can phone home and say “Did you see me? I was on TV. How did I look?”
You looked like a giant horse’s ass is how you looked. Knock it off.
Oh well. I guess I can always flip the channel to political ads.
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