Connections: The American Election Explained

QFT:

For Canadians, it was a night that was thrilling to watch. And a little depressing, too. Contrary to all the Billy Bob caricatures of the U.S. we smugly hold, we watched a young, vibrant electorate set course for a new future.

Meanwhile, here, an autocratic government leads a somnambulant electorate in the opposite direction.

For what it’s worth, the Vancouver Sun paywall blocks articles for readers that have the temerity to read more than 10 news articles a month.

To me, the discussion of the consequences of ignoring and ostracizing the very demographic groups that are growing most quickly in American society, and the incredible peril of insulating oneself in an ideological bubble and assiduously avoiding reality-based news, are the two most interesting outcomes of this US election. They are every bit as relevant here in Canada and in Vancouver’s local political environment.

I worry a lot about the negative effects of paywalls on news sites, like the Vancouver Sun and Globe and Mail, especially when these aim to be our newspapers of record. The New York Times has all-but abandoned its paywall and, among other benefits, that opened the door to broad readership of Nat Silver’s contributions to the election, which are central to the discussion about the conservatives’ surprise at Romney’s landslide loss.