For many Canadians, especially ones whose homes are a reasonably safe distance from the American-Canadian border, the American presidential race is the best reality show on TV.
It has everything – dramatic about-turns no one ever expected, characters and sub-plots the most gifted fiction writer could never make up, and more. Add a volatile mix of big money, a scandal or three, and 24/7 media coverage, and you would have a winner – if this really were one of those remarkably unreal reality shows that fill in the gap between after-dinner beers and bedtime.
This show is the real deal. The outcome will decide who holds the reins of power in what is still (arguably) the most wealthy and powerful country in the world.
Canadians know better than to shrug our collective shoulders and remind ourselves this is an American presidential race, not a Canadian election.
Canada may be a separate political entity, but as then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau said to then-President Richard Nixon in 1969, “Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt.”
The world in general, and Canada in particular, has a strong interest in who has the nuke codes south of the 49th. The United States has a history of poking its proverbial snout, or trunk, if you will, into other countries’ business. Part of the reason is our closest neighbour’s supreme confidence in “the American way.” The other part is the reality of our global economy – nothing in this world in the year 2024 happens in isolation.
Canada recently followed Uncle Sam’s lead (some might say orders) and slapped a tariff on Chinese electric cars, ostensibly to protect Canadian jobs. One wonders how many of the jobs being protected are on our side of the border, and how many are elsewhere. There is no such thing as a Canadian-made car, or an American-made one, for that matter – the North American automotive industry is a homogenized mix of parts manufactured here, there and in Mexico.
Now Canadian canola is in China’s economic cross-hairs. One suspects the real target is Uncle Sam; throwing darts at Canada sends a clear message without the risk entailed in kicking Uncle Sam in the shins.
Without question, the person who ends up as Canada’s prime minister after the next federal election will be treading a very narrow path strewn with pitfalls.
Perhaps the time has come to set aside our fascination with the American presidential campaign, entertaining though it may be, and pay closer attention to what is happening here.
Our next federal election could be coming sooner than Oct. 20, 2025, now that Jagmeet Singh, federal NDP leader, has taken his party’s agreement with the Liberals and fed it through the paper shredder.
The bottom line is, the Canadian federal election that is likely coming sooner than we had anticipated, is a lot more important to our future than what is happening south of the border.
We, the voters, have a vital role to play in choosing our federal representatives, which will, in turn, determine who will lead this country. At the very least, we vote. Some of us may choose to become more involved in the election by actively supporting a particular party and candidate through volunteering or donating funds. A brave and dedicated few will put their names forward as candidates.
The process may not have the makings of a reality TV show, but it is fascinating in its own right, primarily because we play a part in it.
We can only pray our election occurs with less excitement than the American presidential race. We can definitely do without an attempted assassination, and should probably dispense with the legal circus taking place on the political periphery.
Lest we get too self-righteous, Canada has had its share of ethically challenged leaders in the past – something to keep in mind and avoid when choosing the next one.
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Pauline Kerr is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter with Midwestern Newspapers. She can be reached at pkerr@midwesternnewspapers.com.
