...and no speedos

At the moment, I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to vote in the upcoming election - and I need to figure it out soon, as the ballots are going out from the embassy on tuesday.

I suspect that my dilemma is a pretty common one - do I vote for the party closest to my values, or do I vote against the party furthest from them? In my riding - where I last lived in Canada - which happens to be Orleans - the pickings are slim. I get to choose between the big 3 - it might be the big 4 if I were on the other side of the river, but I'm not. So, NDP, Liberal or Conservative?

Living way over here on the other side of the world, I'm sort of outside of the election goings-on. No signs, no debates, no candidates knocking at my door. I can check them out on the internet, but that's about it. But I do hear rumours that the Conservatives are gaining ground. Ick. I'm sure I won't be revealing much, or surprise anyone, if I say that the NDP are closest to my beliefs. Which I think reveals a surprising vein of optimism in my character, really. A belief that people are actually good, or at least that the good people outnumber the slimeballs. And considering the Canadians that we come in contact with here (Steve in particular, with all of his prison visits) - that's kind of sweet, I think.

So, I could vote NDP - which would essentially be throwing away my vote in Orleans, but it would send some sort of message. And what if the NDP actually wins (just bear with me here)? Could they govern? But then, can any of the partys govern? Things do seem to be deteriorating - guns and scandals and healthcare and all that stuff. But if the Conservatives get in, what then? So, should I vote Liberal to head off that potential nightmare? What's a vaguely cynical, somewhat hopeful and seriously out-of-the-loop girl to do?

What we really need is a party that has a good social conscience, demonstrates solid fiscal planning (don't ask me), and will ban speedos.

Then, voting would be easy.