tuque /tūk/ n Canadian English, var. toque [19th c. Canadian French, from the French toque, from the Basque tauka] 1 A close-fitting knitted cap, often with a long tapering end or tassel or pompom. 2 fig Something quintessentially Canadian.
souq /sūk/ n from the Arabic سوق var. souk 1 An open-air marketplace. 2 fig A central meeting place for the circulation of news and ideas.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Wolves in sheep's clothing: Election results in Quebec, Israel share same metaphor

Two big elections on Monday are now in the rear-view mirror.

Electors in Quebec served up a cold, hard dish of lait caillé to ADQ leader Mario Dumont, as his party went from official opposition to espèce en voie de disparition roaming the Quebec hinterland.

Meanwhile Jean Charest's Liberals won their bid for majority, helped by a near-record-low voter turnout. For the sovereigntist Parti Québécois, a return to second place after the disastrous 2007 election is actually warm consolation. After all, it's only a matter of time before Charest bolts the provincial Liberal party for a federal Conservative job.

Over in Israel, members of the Likud party went to the polls to vote on that party's list for Israel's upcoming Knesset elections. Benjamin "Count Hawkula" Netanyahu actually seemed like a dove in comparison to some of the right-wing maniacs vying for top slots on the Likud list.

Netanyahu didn't quite get a matzo in the face from the far-right. He still heads the party list and will contend for the office of prime minister in the February national election. But that list also has a lot of pro-settler, anti-peace-process names and young Likudniks eager to make the party relevant again at any cost. Early polls suggest Likud may be the winner in next year's general election.

So in conclusion, a day of electoral victories for hawkish conservatives who occasionally disguise themselves as liberals.

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