Angry in the Great White North

The Conservative greeting names Christmas explicitly, and if it reads a bit like a Christmas card, at least it's short and classy.

Number of words: 58
Number of references to election issues: 0
Number of references to the election: 0
Uses the of word "Christmas": 2

The NDP message is written in prose, reminds us to remember those less fortunate, and to offers a non-denominational prayer for peace and goodwill.

Number of words: 90
Number of references to election issues: 0
Number of references to the election: 0
Uses the of word "Christmas": 1 (plus a bonus point for mentioning Hanukkah)

The Liberal message runs a full page in length. In all of that time, "Christmas" is never explicitly mentioned even once. However, Paul Martin does find time to mention the following issues explicitly:

• child care
• safe communities (no specific mention of handguns)
• job creation
• universal health care
• universal education and skills training

And like Santa Claus traveling from one end of this country to the other sharing gifts, Paul Martin has been traveling and sharing:

During this election campaign, I have had the privilege of traveling across the country, to share with many of you the Liberal Party’s vision for how to make this dream a reality, now and in the years to come.

I thought the point of the Christmas break was to pretend, for just a few days, that there wasn't an election going on.

Number of words: 390
Number of references to election issues: 5
Number of references to the election: 2
Uses the of word "Christmas": 0

When I started this post, I really was intending to merely reprint the holiday message from each of the three major parties. I had not intended to make judgment or criticize. But when I read the Liberal election speech holiday message, well, bah humbug, I just had to say something.