Okay, I’m going “pie in the sky” today. Like many voters in the developed world, I’m just so tired of all this populist/rightist/personality-cult politics we’ve been suffering through, I’d like to daydream a bit. The penchant for right-wing parties to choose leaders based on paternalistic qualities, combined with the evolution of new and complicated economic systems, has put millions of voters through a decade or more of instability verging on slapstick comedy. Add COVID, refugees and a couple of nasty little wars, and we’ve all had a pretty rough time of it.
However, the pendulum may be finishing its swing to the right, and sanity may yet prevail.
Britain
The people have spoken in one of the birthplaces of democracy. After the inanity of Brexit and the revolving door of wacky Conservative Prime Ministers, an overwhelming majority of voters has chosen a Labour leader who is, by all accounts, boring. Well, it’s worth a try.
France
Beset by racism, refugees, and the same inflation as the rest of us, France seemed in danger of electing Marine Le Penn’s National Rally. The polls even suggested a clear majority. However, in the second round of voting, smaller Leftist parties pulled more than 200 candidates and threw their weight behind the anti-Le Penn vote, relegating that party to third place.
Heartening to see that when it becomes necessary, left-wing parties can put personal benefit aside in favour of what’s best for the country. It would be nice to think that certain other leaders could to the same.
Which brings us to…
United States
…where Joe Biden was sewered by his own party. Remember, the issue of his age wasn’t important until his Democratic opponents in the primaries made a big song and dance about it. At the moment, he has to stay strong, but eventually he may have to take one for the team.
Otherwise, it may take four more years of chaos before American voters wake up.
And speaking of another term of idiocy…
Canada
Well, traditionally, we are governed by the Liberal Party until that group gets too big for their britches or until the public gets tired of them. Then the Conservatives take over for a brief stint in which we discover that they really don’t have a decent agenda, and away we go to the Left again. The situation here is not as clear as in the US. Trudeau might eke out another minority government or need to endure a more official arrangement with the NDP. (Contrary to what the fear-mongering Conservatives say, coalition governments work just fine in many countries.)
Second best would be a minority government (traditionally, they don’t last long) for the Conservatives, giving Poilievre enough time to show his lack of substance. Chrystia Freeland would have a couple of years as Leader of the Opposition to practise her chops and bolster her public image before having to fight an election.
The Bottom Line
One thing we can be sure of; the polls will probably be wrong. The way the pollsters gather data is skewed by the effects of social media and changing news media. Their predictions should read, “correct to 66% accurate, seven out of ten times.”
However, maybe that’s a good thing. Voters need a wake-up call.