We the Disenfranchised Wish to be Heard

We are totally disconnected from our leaders.

One of the key components of leadership is the need to have followers willing to follow. In the current federal political structure each party has it's built-in followers -- party workers, wannabes, hangers-on, multi-generational party in-breds -- lots of followers. But in the end, the percentage of those willing to follow is small, static or decreasing. These people will always be there. They are the lemming followers; not sure why, just know with all the moral certainty of the cosmos that they are right in their choice.

For the average voter, it isn't as easy as knowing they are right. There are a growing number of people who no longer have a connection to one of the traditional parties, and they don't really care. The demographics will show us that particular groups will vote for particular parties; old white men, traditionally the most scared demographic group in society, will vote for the party that focuses their need to fear and makes them feel secure in their narrow-mindedness. These old white men, will vote Conservative because the Conservatives, like the Republicans in the USA, know how to make you feel insecure, and then present themselves as the best choice to manage. Now don't get me wrong, I hope to be an old white man later in my life...just not that particular closed-minded, scaredy-cat version.

The other day, I was standing in a hockey arena with a group of individuals who I am sure are also aspiring to be old white men. I hate political discussions, mostly because having been in government and seen it work, I have little patience for those who bad mouth democracy because they are too lazy to learn. This discussion was different, and the difference was interesting.

There was general agreement that this election is unnecessary and nothing more than a ruling party trying to get a majority before the wheels fell off the economy. Interesting. The other interesting thing was total agreement that the quality of leader of the political parties is less than it should be. This was not a "back in my day," or "it was better in my father's day" kind of discussion, this was an inability to connect with any of the leaders seen in the recent English Language debate.

"The NDP sound exactly as they did back when I was a kid. There is nothing new, and Jack Layton looks more like a high school gym teacher then he does a Prime Minister," said one.

"Dion just strikes me as a guy who is warming the seat for someone else. I have always voted Liberal, but this time I think I am voting Green -- The Green Shift to vote Green," said another.

"Stephan Harper can't even pretend he cares about the middle class. He doesn't care. He's never been middle class -- really middle class -- not just middle class for the photographers," said a third person.

"I just don't feel comfortable voting for any of them. There are no plans, hell, the Conservatives didn't even think to present a platform, there is no idea where we are going," said yet another.

"Afghanistan, the economy, climate change these guys all just think that it's about getting elected and they don't have any vision past the end of their next minority -- because that is what it is going to be," said the last.

While the leaders and their parties scurry around to gather votes, they might be missing the fact that they are squandering their futures. In the rush to get elected, and the techniques they have been using of late, have so disenfranchised the average voter, that when they turn around while leading they will see that no one is following. I doubt they really care whether anyone follows or whether anything gets accomplished during their term. It is about getting power, and making sure the other guy doesn't get power.

Perhaps a string of minority governments will finally let the leaders and their parties, that they are bordering on the brink of irrelevance. They can then take a step back, and instead of placing a bet on every square to ensure that they don't appear the loser, they can place their bet on Canada's future and give us something to believe in -- and a leader to follow.