If It walks like a duck…

Are we really still debating whether money has any influence in politics? In elections? Is anyone still hoping deep down, that in the end democracy prevails? Try getting elected without a competitive budget to back you.

We live in an age where stats, rankings and other numerical tidbits have become the bread and butter of the media. Money, in an election, plays a starring role when it comes to generating a win. More often than not, winners are created. They don’t get elected on merit alone, on the contrary, with enough cash, you could make enough people believe anything you say. In the United States, the media places a great deal of focus on how much each of the candidates amasses, giving the impression that amount of money is directly correlated with popularity. Not so fast, the vast majority of these funds comes from corporations, or interest groups, not necessarily the voters, but it’s part of the psychological game that’s played, when trying to convince us that they’re better than their rivals. If that doesn’t seem to be winning over the electorate, then they spend some of the cash paying people to find some sort of information they can use to cast doubt on their competitors, as if personal attacks on your rivals were a way to gain respect and votes. But it actually works in some cases. So you don’t have much money? Well then you won’t be heard for the noise made by those who can afford to keep screaming right to finish line.

From what I’ve seen and read, Premier Ford is giving back. Hey, nobody is going to turn their back on 200 bucks, these are times of great stress and hardship for many. 200 is a relatively small amount, but it’s for everyone living in Ontario, if it comes to fruition, that’s a few billion dollars. It should happen more often, people are taxed to inexistence, it’s nice to receive, for a change. But come on folks, politicians are opportunists, they always save good things for times when it’s convenient, meaning if your premier is being generous, then the games afoot! The smell of election must be in the wind.

Apparently for the last little while Ford has been making announcements, here and there, kind of like a campaign without calling it one. I’m sure that there’s hope the 200-dollar cheque might serve as a blindfold to the scandals and broken promises. I’m confident elections will be announced in the near future, for the near future, once the package of goodies has been formally laid out. Gotta strike while the iron’s hot!

Nothing we haven’t seen time and time again from all other leaders and parties.

Here at home, I’m sure things are no different. Politicos talk the same talk as their international counterparts.

Packages of treats for the people are a mainstay, when elections loom. In smaller centres such as the one where I hang my hat, early ‘campaigns’ take the form of fixing roads and beautifying neglected areas. It’s a running gag; if the local government is visibly spending money on improvements, then rest assured that we’ll soon be called upon to vote. To get positive attention, throw around some cash, a stalwart of tactics. Obviously, many of us see right through these moves, and often call them out, such as is happening now with Doug Ford.

Raul Freitas/MS