Excuse my cynicism, but have politics in Canada and the U.S. become the theatre of the absurd? There is a reason why political satire found in Saturday Night Live and CBC’s 22 Minutes has become so popular. After all, one has two countries whose wealth and world status are well known. Then one takes a closer look at the candidates for leadership in both countries. In the U.S., you have the likes of Donald Trump, Canadian-born Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush for the Republicans; and Hillary Clinton (protégé to Bill Clinton) and Bernie Sanders for the Democrats. In Canada, we had relatively-young Justin Trudeau (son of formerly much-loved or much-hated Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau), former PM and control-freak Stephen Harper and dull-the-senses Thomas Mulcair.
We have to ask if these were the best candidates that political parties could offer, or the best that big money could buy? In the U.S. in particular, it seems that you almost have to be a multi-millionaire just to run for President, supported by so-called Super Pacs and all. Canadians, known for their frugality and timidity, having a cheaper brand of candidate seems to satisfy the general electorate. Whatever the reasons, there does appear to be a shortage of interesting and less connected candidates. Indeed, Canadian politics had become a lot duller than American politics, especially given our tendency toward making safer and calmer choices.
On the other hand, the current U.S. parties’ primaries have literally turned into a veritable circus — much to the delight of American late-night comedians. Trump hates everyone and everything (except money apparently), Cruz has a love-hate relationship with the Party’s ‘establishment’, and Jeb Bush likes to play with Barbie dolls. Hillary Clinton wants to be the first female President with male hormone replacement. Bernie Sanders actually believes that he could become the country’s first ‘socialist’ President before ice freezes over in hell. Even Walt Disney couldn’t have dreamed up a better scenario than this — perhaps based on Snow White and the seven dwarfs. So, all bets are off.
Now that we have ‘selfie’ loving and endlessly hugging Trudeau in office in Canada, I can’t wait to see who the ‘greatest nation’ on earth elects as their leader. After all, we are the mouse that sleeps next to the elephant. If Americans sneeze, Canadians catch a cold. Yes, after the last ten years, maybe it’s time for change — but what kind of change?
FROLITICKS 
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