Why I love the CBC, and a political rant

I'm listening to Definitely Not the Opera, and Sook-Yin Lee issued a challenge to the political parties, to recruit her as their new celebrity candidate. Of course this was all pre-planned, but this means that she had phone interviews with Jack Layton, Peter McKay and Belinda Stronach, in which each had thirty seconds to tell her why she'd be good representing their party, and in general making themselves ridiculous. (Did I mention that Belinda Stronach rapped Eminem?) (Okay, so I'm still waiting for BQ or Green to call, but there are what? three hours left of this crazy show?) Okay, now she's going to interview a member of the Barenaked Ladies. I love Canadian fame.

And I'm also amused that both Paul Martin and Stephen Harper had their younger and more popular members handle this. (I'm also amused by my own response of hoping that somehow McKay or Stronach would say something about each other.) I'm also amused that Jack Layton would see himself as young and awesome enough to be the one talking with Sook-Yin Lee; I blame the moustache.

Speaking of the impending election: I don't think I've ever felt less convicted about any of the parties. I'm excited to see how this election pans out, and I've had fun getting my students interested. (C'mon: what a better way to get them to understand responsible government and how our political system differs from the U.S.?) But I feel more like an observer and less like a participant.

This campaign's going to be fascinating: who will out-maneuver? How will we look back on this period? (Side note: hahahaha. On DNTO they're now making up their own political party.) Will we see any follow-through to these giant election promises, and what effect would these promises have? (I have to admit that I feel nervous about the idea of cutting back on the GST, because then where will the government get its money to operate? Would that then entail vast cuts? I understand that the government could be using its money better -- that's the entire gist of the Gomery Inquiry -- but I'm too economically socialist to allow for cuts like I'm imagining certain people would bring about.) I would like someone to figure out what on earth we're doing with Free Trade. Is it just me, or have we suddenly teleported back to the Mulroney years? GST, FTA: it's like I'm in elementary school again.

Conclusion: CBC and politics, while drinking a latte? Apparently I'm missing my political-scientist-former-roomate, Meg, this morning. I'm craving the Globe & Mail Saturday edition like nobody's business.