Earlier today, VanRamblings posted a Decision Canada Macromedia flash presentation — which you’ll find directly below — a sort of tongue-in-cheek ‘bashing’ of the various leaders of Canada’s federal political parties. Turns out that not only are participants in the Whack The PM game afforded the opportunity to ‘bash’ the Prime Ministerial candidate whose answer to a question s/he least likes, after answering a handful of questions, the Whack The PM website asks the player to place their postal code into a box provided.
Whack The PM then takes you to your electoral riding, where the site builders have created a facility whereby a checkmark is placed beside the leading candidate in the riding who would be most likely to defeat the federal party lead by your most ‘bashed leader’.
Of course, all of the above offers incentive enough to play the game below, if you haven’t played it already. Have fun.

Leaders Prepare for Upcoming Television Debates
Today is a quiet day on the campaign trail, as the four federal leaders to be included in the television debates (RealPlayer required) this Monday and Tuesday (Green Party leader Jim Harris, despite his protestations won’t be along for the ride) prepare for what is shaping up to be an ‘election changing’ exchange between Canada’s Prime Ministerial aspirants.
So, even though VanRamblings had planned a major Decision Canada update for today, we’ll instead simply reflect a bit on the upcoming debates.

In Gatineau, Que. this morning PM Paul Martin had better find a way to smile before the TV debates take place this week.

While Prime Minister Paul Martin mingled with vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables and shoppers at Ottawa’s ByWard Market yesterday afternoon, and participated in a Gatineau, Québéc pancake breakfast this morning, the remaining leaders remained huddled with their advisors preparing for the upcoming debates.
The four major party leaders have their work cut out for them.
Martin has to find a way to dissipate the public’s anger over the sponsorship scandal, remind voters of his record of fiscal prudence while Canada’s Finance Minister, and somehow convince Canadians that not only is his vision of Canada our vision of Canada, but that he will, in fact, set about to implement his programme of progressive social change.
Stephen Harper — even though he’s leading in the polls and has so far managed to run a ‘teflon campaign’ — has the most to lose. If Martin, Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, and NDP leader Jack Layton can tag Harper with both hiding his agenda of regressive change to Canada’s social structure, and not only tolerating but supporting the racist, bigoted, homophobic, and increasingly disturbing remarks of an ever-growing contingent of regressive Conservative candidates, Harper could be done like dinner. The upcoming debates are Harper’s to lose. Cool, calm, collected and re-assuring, or it’s game over for Harper and co. (at least in terms of winning a majority of the seats in Parliament).
Plain and simple, NDP leader Jack Layton has to convince Canadians that a vote for his party is not a vote for the dreaded Conservatives.
Duceppe will be Duceppe, ever the Québéc nationalist. Still, as a potential coalition partner, Duceppe’s performance will be closely watched.

Raymond Tomlin

Raymond Tomlin is a veteran journalist and educator who has written frequently on the political realm — municipal, provincial and federal — as well as on cinema, mainstream popular culture, the arts, and technology.

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