Some thoughts on this past week's Quebec election

I have been wanting to talk about the Quebec election results but I have been much too busy with work.  So I will give a few brief thoughts.  

The Parti Quebecois did end up winning the election and given their comfortable lead during the final days of the campaign, it wasn't a surprise.  What was a surprise was how narrow their victory was over the Liberals.  At 54 seats for the PQ to 50 for the Liberal Party, and with less than one percentage point between the two in the popular vote there was little in the results suggesting a mandate for pursuing another referendum on sovereignty.  In fact the combined vote of the three separatist parties: the PQ, Quebec Solidaire and Option Nationale, was just under 40 percent.

As for the CAQ, it was a disappointing night for them considering their standing in the opinion polls taken during the campaign.  With 19 seats they finished well behind the two leading parties.  It seems the sovereigntist-federalist duality will continue in Quebec provincial politics for a while yet.

The night of the election ended on a horrifying note when a gunman shot two people, killing one, just metres away from Pauline Marois while she was giving her victory speech.  There is a tendency, during events like this to analyze possible political motives behind the attack, but despite the gunman's remarks on how "the English are waking up", while he was being led away by police, it appears that this was only a tragic event carried out by a disturbed individual.

Perhaps, if I have time during the next week or so, I will expand on some of my thoughts on this election.  If not, I will probably be moving on to other topics.

Bill Clinton's speech; and the Quebec election results

I just watched Bill Clinton's speech at the Democratic National Convention and I can say I have rarely seen any better.  In his familiar folksy manner he methodically picked apart the Republicans policies and criticism of Obama and countered them by building a case for why Obama's policies have been far better.  Of course if there is anyone who can match Clinton's ability to make speeches, it is Barack Obama.  It will be interesting to see what he says tomorrow night.

Of course, what I really wanted to talk about today were the events of yesterday's Quebec election and of the night that followed.  But there is way to much to talk about and just not enough time to do it.  Unfortunately I have been far too busy.  Perhaps I will be able to touch on some of it in the days to come.