QOTD: Who Gets Your Vote?

by Matthew Guy

Published: October 21st, 2019

It’s Election Day north of the border, meaning you can be sure of one thing once all the ballots are counted in the wee hours — no one’s going to be happy.

Regardless of the Great White North’s political carping, we have three automotive topics on which to cast your vote. So sharpen your pencil, step up to the ballot box, and beware of hanging chads.

PROPOSITION 314: Do you support Marty McFly going back in time and altering history so that Ralph Nader never interferes with car safety rules, meaning modern cars will now be equipped with hammocks and dashboard hibachis? (YES / NO)

CEO OF FORD MOTOR CO.: For the first time, Ford is allowing the public to elect its new corner office inhabitant, one who cannot possibly fumble more than its current occupant. Please select one candidate from the following list (LANCE BASS / GRITTY / THAT GUY FROM THE TIKTOK VIDEO)

NEXT SUPERFLUOUS FEATURE: In the interest of consumer research, car companies are permitting a vote on what will be the next superfluous feature that no one wants but everyone includes simply because “the other guy” has it on his car (45″ VERTICAL TOUCHSCREEN / 213 DRIVING MODES / COFFEE MAKER)

It’s up to you, readers. Vote early and vote often.

[Image: Murilee Martin/TTAC]

#QOTD #QuestionOfTheDay

Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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12 of 77 comments

Lorenzo on Oct 21, 2019

Yes, Tiktok, coffee maker. With the last, there has to be one of those coolers from FCA to hold creamer.

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ToddAtlasF1 on Oct 22, 2019

In 1996 I crewed a sailing yacht for a man with an eponymous private equity investment firm. He sent me to Baddeck on Lake Bras d'Or. My fellow crew was a buddy from college. We were trying to cut down on drinking and driving, so we hired a local to drive us around in an eight-door Buick limo. He took to pulling over and drinking our beers, so we gave up and rented a van. When we were ready to leave, we wound up taking a ride with someone employed by the garage we rented the van from. He was a fountain of Canadian knowledge, enlightening us to the level of hatred that existed between speakers of different languages. It was pretty odd, as overt racism was something that we'd been conditioned to reject at that point in US history. I'd seen some shocking stuff between the English-speaking Nova Scotians and 'the guys from the reservation,' but it was clear why we'd not met any French Canadians in our travels after the driver spoke of them. Not that Justin Trudeau's racism is the greatest threat to Canada at the moment, but it is still pretty sorry that the election is remaining in the hands of the backwards. Our driver in 1996 regaled us with stories about how the socialists took control and everything was great until all the jobs vanished. I guess we should have pointed out the obvious to him. Maybe Canada wouldn't be doomed today.

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- ToddAtlasF1 on Oct 22, 2019
  
  In my defense, people who state they are fooled by the lies of the left often sound like they're being sarcastic to the sentient.
  
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- Mopar4wd on Oct 22, 2019
  
  I used to live on the border with New Brunswick (could see it out my front window) and had lot's of friends from NB and NS. Canada sure does have a lot of regional bias, much like the US. (Midwest, vs deep South, vs Coastal cities etc.). Eastern Canada seems to identify much more with England for example. As far as socialism goes, Canada's economy has done pretty damn well overall. But Eastern CA for what ever reason has had major economic issues for a long time. Unlike the East Coast of the US, they never had huge population growth along the seaboard etc.
  
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- Arthur Dailey on Oct 22, 2019
  
  That might be the biggest example of 'fake news' that I have read today! Yes there were 'Two Solitudes' between English and French speakers. But 'hatred' hardly. Quebec is more European than North American and Quebecois are quite proud of their social programs and government enterprises. The economy in Quebec is quite robust. And Trudeau is a product of Quebecois, and Scottish ancestry. He is not 'pure wool' Quebecois and in fact his father is not particularly liked by 'pure wool' Quebecois. As for Canada being 'doomed'. Funny how we have more freedoms than citizens of the USA, less government surveillance/scrutiny of our lives, far less chance of being a victim of violent crime and an exorbitant amount of natural resources.
  
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THX1136 on Oct 22, 2019

Reading through the comments brought a sincere question to mind. Why do folks laud the way Europe, generally speaking, does things, but are seemingly unwilling to move there to enjoy what they perceive to be a better system and/or benefits? If I wanted the US to be like Europe in this area, I'd move there instead of trying to change the US. It's like asking someone who likes the car they drive to change to a car they never wanted nor liked.

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- Mopar4wd on Oct 22, 2019
  
  Well if you have friends family etc here, it's much better to change where you are. You also may have trouble getting citizenship. It's more like trying to change your job. People ask why you try to change policies in the company you work for. There really are several reasons, one is geography, If you live in an area with few large employers just changing jobs is hard unless you move, Next is culture, if you like most of the parts of your job but the health insurance sucks it makes sense to try and at least attempt to change it before you leave, and I guess last I would say you have the changing the world effect. It appears form data there more often we change jobs the more benefits etc get cut. Back in the 60's and 70's companies attracted and maintained workers with long term benefits. Now many have the benefits targeted towards a certain type of worker with more immediate but less long term benefit. Or to put it another way, Do you run from your problems or stand up to them.
  
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- Arthur Dailey on Oct 22, 2019
  
  Well there is the language difference. Very hard to transfer when you don't speak the language. Then their are immigration requirements. Finally the USA was more like this from FDR's election until approximately the 2nd year of Reagan's first term. Incidentally that pre-Reagan era coincides with America's most powerful/affluent periods, with the exception of immediately after the fall of the Soviet Union. The aftermath of which the Bush administration badly botched.
  
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- FreedMike on Oct 22, 2019
  
  So...if another country is doing something that works for it, the best thing is to move there, versus perhaps trying it here? Put differently, in domestic terms: if state ABC cuts taxes, then everyone should move there, versus asking their state to do the same. Non-argument, if you ask me.
  
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THX1136 on Oct 24, 2019

Thanks mopar, Arthur and Mike for your thoughts. I get where you folks are coming from and it does hold weight for sure. I guess for me it's cool to try to effect change, but it seems foolish to bitch and moan after trying if it turns out that it wasn't "the consensus view" (to quote Oh Brother Where Art Thou/Everett) to make that change. People need something/anything to talk about indeed.

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- Arthur Dailey on Oct 24, 2019
  
  @THx: In effect are the mass migrants/refugees not attempting to move to where they believe things are better rather than attempting to change and improve things in their 'own' nations? And what should we do to help them, a) allow this mass migration, b) intervene in their nations domestic politics to force change, c) provide large amounts of financial assistance in order to help create change or d) close or borders and ignore the problems in their nation(s)?
  
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- THX1136 on Oct 24, 2019
  
  @Arthur Dailey I understand you angle, Arthur. If one has tried to effect change to the extent one feels they have done all that can be done, then leaving is but one option. The other would be to accept those "unchanged" things and move on with life laboring under those things one finds unacceptable. To complain without making an effort is silly. To adapt after expending the effort you feel you have within you is wise. That adaptation may be moving - or not. Thanks for your thoughts.
  
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