Editorial Blog

It struck me then that for many of us voting was just another buying decision, albeit with a limited selection and problematic return policy. After all, what is campaigning but political marketing. And isn't our decision as informed by our emotions and perceptions as our understanding of the issues and policy alternatives offered by the various parties?

It also struck me that if we vote (or buy) on either "leadership" or "brand" we run the risk of overlooking at least one critical factor: when we vote, we get more than a leader, we get a team. I think that on October 14th we should consider not only the question of leadership but the question of who will be on Team Canada aka The Cabinet. If a man can be judged by the company he keeps, what are we to think of some of Prime Minister Harper's cabinet picks: John Baird on the environment; Maxine Bernier; and my favorite, Federal Finance Minster Jim Flaherty, who just about a year ago suggested to Canadians that they should shop in the US--a comment that was a slap in the face to every independent retailer in the country. So in the coming weeks, as the mud gets slung and truth gets spun, consider everything that your vote is buying.