Tunnel to Nowhere

There's still plenty of time left in this absolutely massive political cycle. There's nearly three weeks left in the federal election, more than a month in the territorial election and 40 whole wacky days left in the US presidential election. So I don't want to name the stupidest thing this cycle because, hey, there's lots of time left. Something stupider might actually come down the pipe.

I mean, today alone we had VP candidate Sarah Palin try to explain how being near an isolated part of Russia counts as foreign policy experience. If I'm the Democrats, I want her explaining that all day long. That's too much fun. There's no way it sounds any more intelligent or reasonable the more she explains it.

And hell, whatever John McCain is up to in Washington may well be the stupidest thing that we're likely to see in quite some time. But the jury is still out on that one.

But for right now, the winner for the stupidest things I've heard so far, goes to Canada. To which we can narrow it further to Newfoundland, and specifically Walter Noel, the Liberal candidate for St. John's East. Because with discussion happening in the United States about the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska, maybe now is not the time to raise the idea of a Tunnel to Nowhere.

I'm sure the people of Bell Island would argue that they're nowhere, but a tunnel that would sure cost tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars to an island with a population of 2,400, well, it might as well be nowhere. Hell, we can't get a tunnel built from Newfoundland to Labrador and that one almost kind of makes sense (Hey, how is that study going Danny?). This? This is the sign of a truly desperate man who just took a long walk off the edge of a wharf.

There was a time I liked Walter Noel. He's still the subject of one of my all-time favourite photos that I've taken, which would be this one.



Why do I like this photo so much? Because it was taken about a week before the 2003 provincial election. And while the other two candidates that I photographed for that riding profile flashed the big politician smile, this is what Walter gave me...an honest, tired look of a man who knew he was well and truly fucked in that election. And he was. It's an honest look, which is why I like it so much.

However, that lost and the past five years have clearly eaten Noel's mind. A tunnel to Bell Island. Dear God. It's that stupid and crazy I almost wonder what the hell he's thinking.

Fortunately, there's no need to dwell on it too much. Noel has virtually no chance of winning that seat and there are two other far better candidates running in Craig Westcott and Jack Harris. Still, always a bit of a shame to see a half decent man clearly have lost it that badly.

Last Five
1. Clocks - Coldplay
2. I am talking to this flower - Camper Van Beethoven
3. Tonight tonight - Smashing Pumpkins
4. Past in present - Feist
5. Put your hands on me - Joss Stone