October 14th, 2008
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who bet the farm on calling an early election to try to win a majority government, is going to keep his title, but he didn’t win an outright majority.
The Tories won 143 seats; better than their 127 seat victory in 2006. The Liberals got 76 seats, down from 95 in 2006.
The separatist Bloc Quebecois got 50 seats, the leftwing NDP got 37, and 2 for other.
Needed for a majority: 155 seats.
Without a majority the Conservatives will still have a difficult time enacting their pro-business agenda.
In Canada and the UK, the Conservatives are the “blue” party, the Liberals in Canada and Labour in the UK are the “red” party. The U.S. does it backwards — conservatives are red , liberals are blue.
Don’t be tempted to draw too many parallels between the Canadian and U.S. elections. The issues are different; indeed, the conservative Harper has been drawing distinctions between his country and the U.S.; he’s boasted that unlike the U.S., Canada’s banks are strong and that his country’s economy is in much better shape than the U.S.
October 14th, 2008
My Tuesday column talks about the hot 69th House District race between Democrat Greg Tuite and Republican state Rep. Ron Wait, of Belvidere. Read it here:
October 14th, 2008
“There are millions of people around this world praying to their god — whether it’s Hindu, Buddha, Allah — that (McCain’s) opponent wins, for a variety of reasons. And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation because they’re going to think that their god is bigger than you if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name in all that happens between now and Election Day.” — Rev. Arnold Conrad, former pastor of an evangelical free church in Davenport, Ia., saying an opening prayer before a John McCain event Saturday.
I have some problems with what the pastor said:
First of all, the reverened apparently believes in polytheism — the existence of many gods. But Christians believe there is one God — others aren’t there, so people who pray to them are wasting their time.
Second, there is no god named “Hindu.” Hinduism is more a way of life than a religion. And Buddah isn’t really a god in the sense that we in the West use the term, either.
Third, and this is most alarming, Conrad presumes to tell God what He should do. He’s saying, hey, God, if you don’t make sure McCain gets elected, you’re going to look bad in the eyes of all those nonChristians. That’s a threat. It is also a suggestion that the minister thinks he knows more than God, who has to be told what to do by a member of his creation. God does not have to guard His reputation. He’s God, for heaven’s sake. (no pun intended.)
Also, God already knows what is going to happen on Nov. 4th.
The Rev. Conrad should know better.
