Minority Report

Ever since Prime Minister Harper called the October 14 election, the typically more-reserved Canadian party leaders have dug their trenches and attacked. If you didn’t know better, you might think the U.S. presidential election has crept north of the border.

This isn’t to say Canadian politics has never been dirty, it’s just that the context of this year’s contest is, well, different. Similar to the Canadian election in November of 2000, this year’s battle is competing with a U.S. presidential race—only this time around, Canadians and the media are far more enthralled by the political war south of us. Facing this national apathy, what’s a Prime Minister to do? Apparently, the answer is mimic the U.S.

As of late, America has re-immersed itself in the culture war that has plagued many of its elections (the supposedly urban elitist liberals versus the presumably compassionate family-values conservatives). The extent to which Americans buy into the projected images can seem silly at times, and Canada has typically remained above the fray. But the times have changed. Seemingly preempting his to-be-released attacks, Harper predicted the Canadian election will get dirty, and dirty it became. More importantly, Harper’s aides have mentioned the Conservatives intend to ignite a culture war here in Canada, as if some Canadians didn’t have enough beef with Toronto to begin with.

Facing political gridlock in Canada’s major cities, Harper has chosen to paint himself as a family-values father who loves fireplaces while Stephane Dion is being pushed as an elitist professor and an uptight liberal. (Sound familiar?) This is all an attempt to cater to rural areas and the suburbs of Canada’s biggest cities, and it isn’t a bad idea for Harper, considering the election could rest on the 905 and similar areas in Montreal and Vancouver. But before things get all riled up, GTA, let’s make one thing clear: the 416 loves you! We too have family values, and our universities’ professors just might live in your cities. Prime Minister Harper might try to break further into Ontario through you, but he’ll never break our bond with you (geographically or emotionally).

Canadians love to pride themselves on being smarter than Americans, but this election will truly test the theory. Will we fall victim to the Canadian culture war?

Photo by sevennine from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.