It ain't easy being Green?

Lawrence Martin remains one of the few Canadian national current affairs columnists keeping a cool head while others all around are losing theirs, and I say this not just because he agrees ($) with everything I wrote on Tuesday.

On the Green Party: whether it can succesfully maintain its high level of public support through an election campaign and into seats is an open question.

-Points in favour: a) Elizabeth May is a credible and apparently likeable type who made quite a splash in her London by-election try, and b) both andecdotal and polling evidence suggests a large segment of the Canadian population (my mother included) are taking to a sort of hands-on, lifestyle-oriented environmental custodianship in their daily lives, and would like governments to follow suit.

-Points against: a) as Martin notes, the Green Party's support is distributed in a way meaning our decrepit FPTP electoral system will ensure votes aren't necessarily translated into seats, and b) without increased media exposure (read: the frikkin' televised leaders' debates) many Canadians won't be inclined to get knowledgeable and comfortable with the Green platform and will revert to their previous party of choice in the polling booth.

It's interesting to note that according to even the Strategic Council the Liberals have lost the least support to the Greens relative to their numbers from the last election - 1% or so, compared to 2% from the Conservatives and 3% from the NDP. All these numbers are admittedly rounded and imprecise. But even if the mainstream parties gain back 4% of the Green vote, the Greens would still poll at 8%, and have oodles of federal money to play with for the subsequent (it's not going to end, folks) national vote.

Moreover, 66% of Canadians would vote for a party that supports the Kyoto Protocol and all that it represents.

All this being said, the Libs still need win over around half a million folks who voted Conservative last election. It's gonna take some English lessons for Stephan, and a coherent, authentic policy platform supported by what I think should be a very positive (and as a bonus, funny) ad campaign. Get on it, people!

Meanwhile, our "decisive," "visionary" Prime Minister is using shock-and-awe tactics to smear backbench Liberal MPPs on the floor of the House. No wonder Jack Layton scores higher on charisma...