My candidates are a rather interesting lot, overall: the three major party candidates all have at least one potential indiscretion in their pasts, ranging from not actually doing a radio interview (Rahim Jaffer, Conservative) to having been charged (and acquitted) of fraud (Debby Carlson, Liberal) to making at-best questionable comments on USENET (Malcolm Azania, NDP). I've then got three minor party candidates, representing the Greens (Cameron Wakefield), Marxist-Leninists (Kevan Hunter), and Marijuana (Dave Dowling) parties.

We can start by eliminating Ms. Carlson. Not only is she a Liberal and without any reasonable prospect of winning, she's also been an (at best) unmemorable MLA. Add this to her seeming inability to answer questions as seen at the all-candidates' forum, and she's definitely out.

Next, we can quickly eliminate Messrs. Dowling and Hunter. While I'm all for the legalization (and taxation) of the demon weed, and could even be persuaded to support the smashing of the state (by non-violent means, thanks), not even pity is enough to persuade me to put my vote to these ends. Sorry, guys. Maybe you'll break into high triple digits in the vote count --- you'll've beaten my best efforts by then.

We're now left with three prospective MPs, from the Conservatives, NDP, and Greens. As much as I love Malcolm Azania's speaking voice, I would find him rather more useful continuing his radio show on CJSR than being a member of a small third- or fourth-party caucus in Ottawa. I'm not even going to get into discussing how objectionable I find parts of his platform, nor the fact that his party's leader looks entirely too much like a child molester at times.

And that leaves us in the place where I was until recently: Jaffer v. Wakefield. Both of them turned out acceptable performances at the meeting I attended. Both got the right answer ("none, and we can't") to my loaded question (roughly, "what powers do provinces have wrt education and health, and how (if applicable) would you get them to conform to your desires wrt delivery and/or payment?").

I'm a bit more comfortable with the Green platform and especially its stressing of the importance of sustainability than the Conservative platform, though there are some big internal contradictions in it, particularly on finances. However, the difference between the two to me isn't big enough to decide my election.

I'm coming down on the side of the Greens, because in my riding, Rahim Jaffer will (probably) not need my vote in order to get elected. On the other hand, voting for Cameron Wakefield will give them one more vote towards the 2% mark, and puts my $1.75 firmly at work to give Canada another viable national alternative party.

Can I have my cake and eat it too? I sure hope so, but we'll find out later tonight.