All we can say is it couldn’t have come a day sooner. The amount of BS and vitriol was amazing. Not to be unexpected as the coarsening of public discourse has been getting greater by the day in the last twelve years. The “Trump Effect” where the opening of the flood-gates in Racism, Islamophobia and Homophobia has gradually seeped into everyday conversation. Where the social norms of “knowing what you speak” have long gone. It is quite common to hear racist labels applied in conversation but countered by the speaker – “Ooops that’s not politically correct is it?”. The “Freedumb Convoy” people  coupled with “anti-vaxxers” here in Canada made it commonplace to fly flags with the “F” word prominent. All of this has seeped into the local election with a vengeance. One exchange that appeared in “Politics in Northumberland (a FB group well moderated by a friend of mine) with 1600 members is printed here as an example of the stuff floating around. It should be noted that the individual sending the first post is the same person who sent alarming messages to another person in the early stages of the campaign. The vehemence is coming from one side, so often that they probably would deny that they are doing it. Private Facebook Groups, private where known opponents were not allowed to join or booted out if they expressed a negative remark about the current Mayor. In an environment where people who did not support the criminalisation of the unfortunates who hangout on the streets and look untidy are labelled “criminal advocate enablers” what can you expect in a campaign where the lack of civility has completely vanished.

Time for a confession – Ben Burd has not voted yet! – he did it this morning did so reluctantly. You can be sure he will lose his vote he has never voted for a winning candidate in most of the elections he has participated in. His reticence comes from procrastination but also in knowing that the candidate that most inspired him is a “Dark Horse”.

The BR, having watched Cobourg elections for decades and having seen trends in voting come and go can honestly say this one is different. Although it must be said that about every that every fifteen to twenty years a clean sweep usually occurs public sentiment says we are due for one this time! Most Municipal elections are popularity contests as no candidates have winning ideas that can be carried through to fruition and all candidates say the same things with a little variation. So people usually vote for  people not ideas. This one is different the motives are driven by anger and some of the candidates appear to be angry people (hence the AI piccie at the top) – come on down Johnny! Anger at trumped up issues – “Who supported a 20% budget” “Who can clean up the streets” “Who has the best TikTok presence” and the list goes on and on.

Nice guys will not win this election!

At the time of writing – Sunday afternoon it is possible that over 50% of votes have been cast, if that is the case then the figures people of the campaigns have already calculated the winners by examining the names of the voters who have voted against their known supporters. The rest of have to wait until 8pm for the Clerk to read the instantly uploaded tallies from the server that holds the date. So by 8.01 pm we will have a winner. The instant gloat from Mr. Cleveland’s team will be nauseating if they win, the losers will feel bad for a while but I can guarantee in a week the feeling will be “There but for the grace of God go I”. 

The first casualty of the campaign may be Adam Bureau – he announced his resignation as Chair of the Police Services Board today read his statement here. Of course the keyboard warriors are already speculating – the gloat has already started see the pic.

Note to reader, the BurdReport will be doing a wrap-up post but don’t expect much more than that we are off the Mexico to celebrate the “Día de los Muertos.” – day of the dead (wiki ref here). Pics will be posted on FB, maybe the Travel Site.