Thread: 5 week election.

So Canada's Prime Minister called an election. He called it on September 7th. The election is on October 14th. That means the entire election will run 5 weeks, from the initial announcement to the closing of voting.

I realize different countries have different systems and apples and oranges and blah blah blah... but is there any advantage or disadvantage to having an election last 18 months like in the US (less in most Republics) or a month and a bit in most Parl. Systems?

Is 5 weeks too short? Is a year and a half too long?

I heard Dion butchering english. hahaha, what a joke this guy is.

Originally Posted by Dr.Knuckles

So Canada's Prime Minister called an election. He called it on September 7th. The election is on October 14th. That means the entire election will run 5 weeks, from the initial announcement to the closing of voting.

I realize different countries have different systems and apples and oranges and blah blah blah... but is there any advantage or disadvantage to having an election last 18 months like in the US (less in most Republics) or a month and a bit in most Parl. Systems?

Is 5 weeks too short? Is a year and a half too long?

American elections are far, far, far, far, far, far too long. Is there anybody here who still cares who the next President's going to be by now?

I can see the argument for longer elections periods being necessary in a system like America's, however. In a Parliamentary system, party is much more important - you don't even necessarily have to know who your candidate is to make an informed vote. I'm applying for an absentee ballot to vote in the next British elections, and unless something dramatic happens to the political scene I already know who I need to vote for.

For a Presidential election, however, you aren't just voting for a big bloc of people whose general positions are already clear. You're voting for one specific person, and there's a fair argument you need more time to figure out who these people are and exactly what they stand for before making them the most powerful person in the world.

18 months is absurd though - the two-party primary system makes it all a lot more difficult too; which is another consequence of the Presidential system. There's no need to pick a presidential candidate in a Parliamentary election - everyone knows who the party leader is; and if the party holds fairly open elections for the position this would have been dealt with as and when necessary - not as a buildup to the general election.

Nitpick: republic / parliamentary is not a dichotomy. Many European countries, like this one, are Republics with parliamentary systems of government. We just have a powerless, indirectly elected President instead of a powerless, unelected monarch.

2 major party leaders can't even speak bloody English running for PM of a G7 nation.

It's canada... i don't see any reason to care... but yeah the elections do take forever here... For-Ev-Er!

Originally Posted by Dr.Knuckles

So Canada's Prime Minister called an election. He called it on September 7th. The election is on October 14th. That means the entire election will run 5 weeks, from the initial announcement to the closing of voting.

I realize different countries have different systems and apples and oranges and blah blah blah... but is there any advantage or disadvantage to having an election last 18 months like in the US (less in most Republics) or a month and a bit in most Parl. Systems?

Is 5 weeks too short? Is a year and a half too long?

Go and tase the bastards, pain compliance and all that, get them to run things right will ya.