My latest 60-second crush is on Liam McHugh-Russell, NDP candidate for Parliament from Toronto’s Etobicoke-Lakeshore riding, which, incidentally, is Lulu’s riding. Why? Well, for starters he’s a grad student running against the Liberals’ fancy superstar candidate, the dude who’s supposedly going to be the next Trudeau. So he’s the ultimate underdog. He can talk a mean streak about everything from local industrial pollution along the lakeshore to Canada’s place in the world. Plus when I met him recently he was wearing the most tastefully understated dark orange (NDP colours) scarf and looked much better than those aging potbellied politicians that are indistinguishable from each other except for their ties, which they wear to remind you which party they’re from and to help you tell them apart. (As you can perhaps tell, Chicklets, Mock Chicken is endorsing the NDP.)
But I don’t really need a 60-second crush in the world of politics because Mr. Mock is more than qualified in this department. Earlier today, it being the eve of the election, we were walking up the street together. He was on his way to an election returns party and I was running to the store, so we parted ways at the top of the street.
He sighed and said, “I can’t believe it’s been 13 years since I voted in my first federal election. And that was the one that saw the Liberals come to power.” He was wistful because of course the Liberals are going to lose, lose, lose. A normal person using that tone would have been thinking back fondly on the first time he met his soulmate/ smoked pot/discovered insulin. You know, something a little more jarring than voting.
Lulu thinks it’s best to date nerds. She says it’s the only proven strategy for long-term happiness. I think she might be right.