Three Ways to Actually Care About the Ontario Election
"If you are not involved in making decisions, you are being controlled by others."
If you’re reading this and you live in Ontario, did you know that there’s an election at the end of the month?
If you didn’t know, I don’t blame you.
If you don’t care, I can’t say I blame you for that either.
But, now you know, and by the end of this post, my hope is you’ll care just a little bit more. My blue sky goal is that this will make you care enough to get out and do this one, tiny thing — VOTE on Thursday, February 27th.
It’s truly the least you can do, and that is by design.
As Kwame Ture once said:
"You don’t have to vote every four years. You have to vote every day. Politics is something you do every day. Politics is not just about voting; it’s about being involved in the struggle for justice, equality, and freedom every day. If you are not involved in making decisions, you are being controlled by others. Political responsibility means recognizing that your participation in society extends beyond voting—it's about organizing, educating, and holding those in power accountable at all times."
Read that again.
I’m not saying don’t vote — I’m actually begging you to vote! What I’m saying is that you think that the act of voting is the height of your political activism and advocacy, but it’s more like taking a car for a test drive, and then taking credit for the power steering.
Would you buy a car without test driving it first? Probably not. It’s still important, but it’s a step in the recipe, it’s not the whole meal.
The problem I’m seeing with this current, quickie, election is that people are completely over it, and that too, my friends, is by design.
So here are some tips to get yourself ready, and dare I say, excited to exercise your civic duty in Ontario this month.
One way to actually care about the election is to take away its power over you, which is not to say don’t use your power.
Let me put it this way, Doug Ford is hoping — praying — that you are over it. He knows what’s up. He’s done just enough, and will continue to do just enough, to ensure that you forget that not enough has been done.
And instead of getting anything done, the CFO of Ontario has endorsed and paid for attack ads that are basically a carousel of objectively awkward photos of Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie. What does this tell me about anything?
Dylan Horner posted this video about how there’s a big disconnect out there when it comes to “campaigning” versus “influencing.”
I suppose it tells me that the current provincial government would rather spend money on these commercials than actually doing anything to fix actual problems — problems that folks are all-too-quick to blame the Feds for.
The second way to actually care about the Ontario election is to know who does (and doesn’t do) what.
I’m not saying the Feds don’t deserve some of the blame, but don’t get it twisted. If you’re dissatisfied with the state of Ontario’s healthcare, education, natural resources, housing costs, provincial courts, property and civil rights, infrastructure (like road maintenance), and/or mandates (like the ones we experienced during the pandemic) then you should be looking to the Premier for that.
And while you’re looking at him, he’s trying to figure out how he can remain in power so that he can, I dunno, tear out bike lanes in Toronto and build a tunnel under the 401?
Oh and make sure you can buy booze in more places?
If you ask me, AND NO ONE DID, this guy has gotta go, and what a wonderful time to be alive — YOU can help make this happen!
The third way you can actually care about the election is make it into a game of strategy!
Look, I’ve been watching a lot of The Traitors as of late (which is also why I’m seeing all of these truly terrible burn-book-style election ads). But allow me to put it this way:
Conservative Doug Ford, is kind of like the Boston Rob of it all. Sure, he’s likeable, has been around for a while, and has a winning record, but it’s pretty clear, he’s in it for himself.
Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie is like Danielle Reyes — powerful, calculated, and a little shady. She wants to win, and will do whatever it takes.
Marit Stiles with the NDP is the Caroyln Wiger type. I like her. At times I’ve rooted for her, but I also question her motives, because most of the time, she seems kind of surprised to be included.
That means Bob the Drag Queen would represent the Green Party Leader, Mike Schreiner — a total fan favourite, who was counted out early.
Be more like The Traitors and employ some gaming strategy.
Doesn’t that make the provincial election seem more fun? Wouldn’t it be hilarious if you showed up to vote dressed in a cloak, or better yet, like Alan Cumming?
Regardless of who you vote to send home, or in this case, vote into power, I hope one message came through loud and clear.
Are you watching The Traitors?
Nahhh, I’m playing, that’s not the message I’m trying to get across.
This is all in an effort to encourage you to do the least!
I haven’t been paid to say any of this, and as of writing this, I don’t actually know who I will be supporting yet, but I don’t want the storyline to be about us not showing up.
If you’re of voting age in Ontario, I want you to make sure you’re registered to vote, then make an appointment in your calendar right now for Thursday, February 27th.
On that day, take half an hour, go to your local church, or community centre, or library and fill in a circle on a piece of paper with a cute, little pencil, and then, by all means, get yourself a little treat and watch the new episode of The Traitors.
Great work as always. Feels like what Colbert talked about in 2005 has really taken hold of the culture.
TRUTHINESS: the belief or assertion that a particular statement is true based on the intuition or perceptions of some individual or individuals, without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.
There is deep case of ennui about politics across the province and the nation. The circus to the south is not helping. But I always come back to something I read many years ago about elections: Right now, there are people around the word being murdered for trying to do what we are too lazy to do.