Fear and loathing: The 2018 election
An objective look at the facts shows that the sheer hatred being directed at Kathleen Wynne is not based on anything logical
There is something happening in this election that I have not seen in over 50 years of participating in elections in the Hamilton area.
In the last month, I have had conversations with more than a dozen white males, over 50. I learned that I can generate a consistent response with two words: “Kathleen Wynne.” The responses often end up with a sentence that generally runs like “I hate that bitch” or “Why isn’t she in jail?” or “What a liar!” These positions do not respond to a calm discussion of facts. It makes no difference that economists say regularly that the cost of replacement hydro generation should be spread out over the years of their usage, like all major corporations do with bonds and homeowners do with mortgages.
It makes no difference to try and explore whether or not we are now paying the real cost of nuclear generated hydro after years going back to one of my favourite premiers, Bill Davis, when we started discounting hydro to keep GM, and Ford and Dofasco in Ontario. The facts do not seem to count.
That our economy is running fully charged. That we have virtually no unemployment. The man with the sandwich board on John Street last week pleading for workers tells the story. The unending streams of trucks on Highway 403 and the QEW tell the same story. As the owner of the small downtown takeout place said to me, “How come when things are going so well, people want to fire the leader?”
Many past premiers of all parties have increased the debt or run deficits. They may be voted out of office or contested hotly, but I do not recall a campaign full of hate. Even when Mr. Davis made one of the most hated decisions of all time, funding separate high schools, he remained a beloved premier to this day. Why the fear and loathing?
The temptation is to say that the answer is that Ms. Wynne is a woman, or a lesbian, or not very tall, or so she smiles too much and that a sixfoot-two male would be disliked or disagreed with or voted out, but not hated. One thing is perfectly clear: what is going on today is clearly personal. Why?
Certainly, the unofficial, negative social media campaign waged outside the election process by conservative organizations such as Ontario Proud have made a difference.
Perhaps, because we are starting to see that the world is becoming a much more dangerous place, we expect more alpha-maleness in our leaders. Perhaps because we now focus on leaders instead of the candidates in our own community.
Whatever it is that is happening is certainly not good for democracy. And just maybe, perhaps, we will surmount the hatred, and vote with our reason and not our stomachs.