And we feared it would never end.
But it soon will, and once again Canadians will have elected hundreds of politicians to sit in Ottawa and do whatever the bureaucrats tell them.
That’s our system and it’s here to stay.
This has been the longest federal election campaign in history and so where are the social redeeming factors?
Will the results be better for us because we’ve had longer to study the various platforms?
Are the candidates better qualified? One would think not because more have been dropped by their respective parties than ever before.
It has been an interesting campaign and as much for what didn’t become an issue as what did.
Now take the niqab for example.
Prior to the campaign most Canadians couldn’t spell it, didn’t know its purpose and could really care less.
Then the Tories decided that would be good election fodder because they could convince Canadians anyone wearing a niqab obviously had something to hide and could well be a terrorist.
Don’t you love the thinking of a bureaucrat?
Keep in mind that this same government passport office says when you have a photo taken for your passport you musn’t smile.
Imagine wearing a niqab and smiling for your passport photo — you’d never get to leave the country, and if you did, you’d never return.
Some predicted that the provincial NDP victory would have a significant impact on the federal election, but that certainly isn’t true.
It hasn’t helped the federal NDPs and it didn’t help the fear mongers who would have us concerned about the social horde at the gates.
The Alberta election result just wasn’t a factor.
Then we have the Canadian Senate and the Duffy and Wallin debacles.
They should never have become a problem because anybody with more than 20 minutes experience with media knows the imminent dangers when they have access to expense accounts.
We call that creative writing.
But the Wallin and Duffy scandals hardly surfaced in the election campaign, no doubt to the chagrin of Liberals and NDPers.
Social media played a larger role in this campaign than ever before and in a manner that few if any suspected.
Background checks on candidates proved to be the undoing of more than a few.
You put something stupid on social media and years later it can come back to haunt you as a few candidates discovered.
Is that fair? I’m not so sure.
I’m not so sure a person who wrote or said something stupid in college should be penalized when they’re 35 or 40 and want to run for public office.
Personally, since I wrote a column five times a week for more than 17 years for the Calgary Sun, I no doubt said some things that would make me uncomfortable today.
I couldn’t get elected dog catcher with that record.
Then we come to the leaders of the three major parties.
Prime Minister Harper’s hair reflects his leadership.
Tidy, well organized, sufficient grease to keep it in place, yet not appear slippery, but totally organized and totally in control just like he would like to run the country.
The democratic part of this process appears to be just another hurdle in his grand plan.
Then we have Justin.
There are those who instantly dislike the kid because of his last name, Trudeau, which of course means he’s the son of a former prime minister better known in these parts for the national energy program.
If the success of young people was dictated by the sins of their fathers, then I have two sons who will never amount to much.
But they have and I’m grateful, but it just seems unfair to judge a guy by his father and the politics of the era.
Justin’s hair tells his story as well.
It’s big and disorganized, or at least appears that way.
But the helter-skelter look is carefully orchestrated, and beneath the mop is an intelligent, quick-thinking young man who surprises people with his intellect.
Just the way he likes it.
Then we have Thomas Mulcair, whose hair is undecided.
Is it long to reflect youth or is it short to reflect experience?
He’s just not sure, so his hair is standard for most Canadian men between 55 and 70 who are afraid to go home to their wives with fancy hair.
His hair causes him angst because he wants to look good, yet he doesn’t want to be different — just accepted.
So vote Oct. 19.
Vote for the hair.
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Just a quick aside for poetic justice — this is this paper’s editor Derek Clouthier’s last day with the Eagle, and he’s been a good one.
I wish him well.
