It’s been a particularly interesting week in the Ontario provincial election, sparking many conversations. Not surprisingly, I’ve chatted with many people about the election. With the press coverage surrounding Anthony Marco’s podcast fresh in their minds, everyone brings up the subject of smear campaigns in elections. Some recounted the smear campaign directed at Jack Layton in the final days of the federal campaign. A few brought up the attacks on Jean Chretien.
The one thing that’s common in all of the conversations, though, is that this past week swore everyone I spoke to off considering a run at political office. Most spoke in general terms. One young woman said she’s now abandoned plans for a run at municipal politics. Noone I spoke with wants their life put under the microscope or taken out of context. The millennials were particularly firm in their stance. With so much of their lives online, none feel their country is worth the scrutiny. In fact, two young people said they’ll no longer vote in elections as they feel a vote is an endorsement of smear tactics.
Photo: Forest Fire uploaded to Flickr by elissameyers.
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