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Election 2015
Media

Tyee's Top 20 Election Stories So Far

Reader-funded coverage tackles abuse of power, swing ridings, vexed vets, fact-checked polls, and more.

Robyn Smith and Tyee Staff and Contributors 5 Sep 2015TheTyee.ca

Robyn Smith is editor-in-chief of The Tyee.

In the month since Stephen Harper called an election, The Tyee has published much hard-hitting reporting and analysis -- all made possible by readers who have become Tyee Builders by pledging financial support.

These are the top 20 most-read Tyee stories covering the campaign since August 2:

1. Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: The Evidence Compiled:
The Tyee's full, updated list of 70 Harper government assaults on democracy and the law. By David Beers and Tyee Staff and Contributors

This ''omnibus'' of Harper government criminal and ethical sins, which built on a previous two-parter by adding reader suggestions, went viral and weeks later persists as one of The Tyee's daily top read stories.

2. Vets Shut out of Harper Event at Legion Hall:
Battle trauma advocate: 'I just wanted to ask him one thing about holistic care.' By Jeremy J. Nuttall

Tyee reader-funded national politics reporter Jeremy Nuttall broke this widely picked up story during a week Stephen Harper was put on the defensive about his government's dealings with veterans.

3. 'Perfect Storm' Engulfing Canada's Economy Perfectly Predictable:
Years ago Andrew Nikiforuk, citing experts, warned where Stephen Harper's priorities would lead us. By Andrew Nikiforuk

While Conservatives hemmed and hawed about a recession and pundits mused why Canada's supposedly well-guided economy was stalling, Tyee contributing editor Nikiforuk revisited his early and regular warnings ''that oil exports would diminish our democracy and expose our economy to uncommon vulnerabilities and increasing volatility.''

4. The Delusions of David Frum's Mind:
Stephen Harper makes you worried and angry? Chill, says Canada's prodigal Republican son. By David Beers

First came Stephen Marche's harsh appraisal of Canada's ''subtle darkening'' under Stephen Harper in the New York Times. Then Harper ally and George Bush aide David Frum fired back in the Atlantic. His ''what's the big deal?'' pose demanded dissection and rebuttal, provided by The Tyee's founding editor.

5. Tories in Trouble in Three BC Battlegrounds: Poll:
Leadnow-commissioned survey offers new data for anti-Conservative strategic voters. By Doug Ward

The poll found that Conservative party support in 13 swing ridings across Canada has dropped significantly and provides data for residents who want to vote strategically in those competitive constituencies to defeat the local Tory candidate.

6. 'You Have Forgotten': Seven Conservative Attacks on Canada's Veterans:
Pensions killed, offices shut, benefits clawed, a billion dollars unspent, and more. By Tom Beaver and Ron Clarke

Two who served in Canada's military and helped found the Anyone But Conservatives campaign list how the Harper government has waged war on its own veterans.

7. Former PCs Aim to Oust Conservatives Via Vote Siphoning:
Unhappy with Harper, 'Progressive Canadian Party' targets sensitive ridings to help Libs, NDP. By Jeremy J. Nuttall

A centre-right political party says it has had enough of Stephen Harper and will run candidates this election in ridings where a Conservative candidate barely won in 2011 in hopes of siphoning off enough votes to allow for a Liberal or NDP win.

8. The Worst-Case Scenario for a Mulcair Government:
Should voters launch NDP to victory on Oct. 19, some not-so-fun realities await. By Crawford Kilian

As polls showed New Dems edging in front at the end of August, Tyee contributing editor Kilian reflected on media's fickle nature and what a new NDP government, minority or majority, would have to face in its first months.

9. Harper's Newspeak:
He loves naming laws with false slogans. (So do fascists.) By Andrew Nikiforuk

"George Orwell, who coined the term Newspeak, understood that political chaos danced with the decay of language and that political language 'is designed to make lies sound truthful and murders respectable and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind'"

10. Must Win Battlegrounds: How New Dems Can Wrest Victory:
Here are the Conservatives' most vulnerable ridings across Canada. By Will McMartin

The Tyee's ace political number-cruncher identifies the most vulnerable seats for Conservatives, including Tory ridings Mulcair's NDP must win in order to be in a position to govern Canada after Oct. 19.

11. How Leadnow Will Push Strategic Voting to Defeat Tories:
To avoid splits, organization asks supporters: 'Vote with your head, not just your heart.' By Doug Ward

Leadnow, modelled on American group MoveOn.org, is polling, organizing and sharing info to promote strategic voting for the New Democrat, Liberal or Green with the best chance to defeat the Tory candidate in their riding.

12. Whew, What a Turn Off!
How polarizing tactics can tranquilize voters and win elections. By Andrew Nikiforuk

"The Harper approach to governing and campaigning shows how extreme, ideologically driven minorities win elections these days. With deft propaganda they polarize the debate, energize partisans and turn off non-ideological voters."

13. Canada as 'Denier and Outlier':
Joe Clark on Harper's Foreign Policy: Timely excerpts from the former Tory PM's book 'How We Lead.' By Joe Clark

"An essential question for citizens of lucky countries is not simply who we are or what we earn, but what we could be. That question implies others: To what do we aspire? What are our talents and advantages and assets? How can we be better than we have been, in our impact on events both inside and outside our country?"

14. Matthew 6 Has Some Words for Harper's Tories:
It's one of the most anti-Conservative chapters in the Bible. So why did Nigel Wright cite it? By Crawford Kilian

When Nigel Wright, as a witness at the Mike Duffy trial, cited the Bible as his motivation for writing a $90,000 cheque for Duffy without telling his boss Stephen Harper, was he really sending a coded warning?

15. Everyone's a Winner with Tyee's Election Debate Awards:
Most adept wonk? Best use of staccato? Our contributors break down the zingers and gaffes. By Various Contributors

Congrats! All four leaders garnered prizes, awarded for both style and substance, in the first and only Tyee Election Debate awards.

16. What Mulcair's Pre-election Autobiography Doesn't Say:
No mention of JT? And more telling takeaways from 'Strength of Conviction.' By Crawford Kilian

Who does Thomas Mulcair want us to think he is? Tyee contributing editor deftly cuts through the spin and raises some tough questions.

17. Covering the 'Great Wall of Harper Campaign':
After a stint in Beijing's state media, reporting on Conservatives is déjà vu. By Jeremy J. Nuttall

''The more I cover the Conservatives this election,'' writes The Tyee's national politics reporter, ''the more I feel back in Beijing, where for a time I worked inside state media.''

18. Let Me Be Clear: Fact Checking Leaders on Democracy:
We took a slice of last night's debate and asked who was telling the truth. By Katie Hyslop

Tyee reporter Katie Hyslop narrowed down a few choice statements leaders made about the whole concept behind election season: democracy. She found some leaders were guilty of stretching the truth, others were spot on.

19. Understanding Harper's Evangelical Mission:
Signs mount that Canada's government is beholden to a religious agenda averse to science and rational debate. By Andrew Nikiforuk

One of The Tyee's most read election-related stories this past month is enjoying a revival after we first published it more than three years ago. Nikiforuk makes his case that "Canada's government is guided by tribalists averse to scientific reason in favour of Biblical fundamentalism -- or what some call 'evangelical religious skepticism.'"

20. Move Over May and Trudeau, BC Is NDP-Conservative Battleground:
Pressure not to 'split' anti-Harper vote will hurt Greens and Liberals here. By Bill Tieleman

Tyee columnist Tieleman breaks down why ''British Columbia is a battleground province in this federal election -- and there are only two parties actually fighting it out -- the governing Conservatives and the official opposition New Democrats.''

Stay tuned for much more Tyee coverage of the 2015 federal election. A good way to get all election related headlines in your email inbox for free is to sign up for our daily e-news or our weekly national e-news (with breaking news updates when appropriate).

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