The dog days of summer are upon us, a lazy, languid time for swimming, beaches and a break from the grind.
August heat — it makes so many of us want to engage in serious debates about pressing national issues. Or perhaps not.
But an election is upon us, wanted or not.
For many Canadians, we suspect the barbecues will continue minus the barbecue circuit. Participating in politics, especially two months out from an actual election, isn’t mandatory.
One likely result is that only a certain segment of the population will be engaged in the early weeks. The rest of the country will check in after Labour Day.
It’ll be a marathon rather than a sprint this time. By October, a portion of the electorate will be sick of the whole shebang.
But while an extra-long campaign may not inspire Canadians to swap beach reading for policy handbooks, it does up spending limits, giving an advantage to parties with bigger war chests.
Most pundits agree that spending their opponents under the table is part of the Conservatives’ game plan.
When folks do get around to tuning in, this election could prove more interesting than some. In B.C., the NDP is riding high in the polls, and some Tory strongholds are facing serious challenges. But the Conservatives also excel at campaigns, and over two months is an eternity in politics.
Much can change in that time. Just ask the B.C. NDP.
We’ll be pacing ourselves, for the long road ahead.
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