Norwegian parliamentary election, 2013…
who will govern us Norwegians the next 4 years.
A country gets the government it deserves, they say, and here in Norway we don't expect too much to change no matter who wins the election on 9 September 2013.
Politicians always talk about what a difference they will make if we vote them in, but so far – over a timespan of 40 years – very few have managed to impress me in a positive way. Maybe that is what we deserve: “not much”, since that is what we seem to get every time.
Anyway, I keep on voting, since someone is going to be elected no matter what and I may as well vote against those I consider to be the least worthy parties and candidates in each election. Some times that means voting for some people and policies I don't like. So be it … supporting “the least of many evils” is often the only option we have in politics.
one or the other…
Not much of a choice in this election – the prime minister is
gonna be Jens Stoltenberg or Erna Solberg.
We have survived 8 years with the former, and I see no reason why we
should not survive a few years with the latter as prime minister. We
Norwegians are quite resilient, and can overcome the worst of setbacks.
Guess you can sense by now that neither Jens Stoltenberg nor Erna Solberg will get my vote in the 2013 election. I will reveal that I favor a greener profile than these two and their parties stand for, but apart from that who I vote for is nobody's business but mine.
long memory.
I am not particularly affected by what politicians utter across various media before an election – or at any time for that matter, as what they have or haven't done up till now weighs a whole lot more than what they say on any given day. I have a well developed long‐term memory for facts, that isn't easily swayed by political fiction.
Someone is getting my vote on election day, or before if I decide to vote via Internett. Casting my vote is the least I can do for my nation, although I'm not always sure why…
Good thing I know who I will vote for, as otherwise the entire exercise of voting would be pretty meaningless – I mean: even more meaningless than it already for the most part is.
election 2013 over.
Adding this the day after…
No big surprises on election day. With a bit of luck Erna Solberg will be able to put together a working governmental body in the next few weeks. Then we'll see what happens.
sincerely 
Hageland 28.aug.2013
10.sep.2013 - "election 2013 over" addition
last rev: 10.sep.2013
side notes.
democracy.
Yeah, we have these elections every fourth year. If for nothing else, having them shows that Norway is a living, breathing democracy, and it has to be said that there are worse forms of governmental arrangements in the world than our form for democracy.
We have a multi‐party system with numerous political parties, as this list of political parties in Norway shows. Some think there are too many political parties in Norway, but personally I think it's a good thing – a party for every mood of the week (or variation of personal preferences) so to speak.
national vs regional.
I belong to those who in most cases put more weight on national matters and interests than regional ditto. Thus, who rule the nation is more important than who rule more locally – most of the time.
On the other hand, what happens in my part of Norway: Mandal, Vest-Agder, does of course affect me more directly than what goes on somewhere else in Norway or internationally, so I routinely keep an eye on both national and regional political matters that may affect my personal and/or political decisions, both before and after elections.
Governments – national and regional – are only pretty small factors in what affects our day to day lives, so no matter who walk the political corridors we still have to look out for ourselves as no‐one else will. Most good things happens despite what our elected or non‐elected politicians decide, and so do most bad things.