Refreshing Slug Fest

Finally the fun part of the election campaign had arrived. The phoney smiles and “let me buy your vote” rhetoric had given way to all out nastiness. No more distractions, it is “Liberals are corrupt” and “Conservatives are un-Canadian” all the time. Most people, television tells us, dislike the negativities of these ads. Personally, I like them a lot better than the bold face lies and pure fantasy of a few weeks ago. They were making promises that they knew they could not and would not uphold. Now, they are at least telling us what they really think. The funny thing is that they are right: the Liberal has been corrupt and the Conservatives look to the US right for their political models. The unique thing this time around is that the parties do not even try to defend themselves with any hints of vigour, as if they are admitting the opponents’ are correct in their attacks. They are surprisingly honest. Unlike most sports, this all offence no defence game is ugly and gritty, and it is strangely refreshing.