I know, I know, you're shocked. I was a little surprised myself. A co-worker gave me a whole speech about it one day, and I thought to myself, 'he likes baseball, he can't be that bad of a guy.' And so I'm going to vote.

Let's be honest - we're lucky to live in the best country in the world. And because we live in the best country in the world, we should probably do what we can to respect the democratic process. It just feels responsible.

The problem is the whole thing turns my stomach. I am supposed to put my good faith in one of these gentlemen. This, in and of itself, is not a problem. Yet from the moment someone shouts 'go', these guys start slinging mud at each other in an endless series of smear campaigns. I thought we could leave all that gossipy stuff in high school, but apparently we've saved for the leaders of our fine nation.

So what's a guy to do? I love Canada. I work hard, pay my taxes, play hockey and drink beer. I'm especially nice to people, even people I don't even like that much, AND I'm polite. It's quite clear there's only one Canadian tradition in which I don't partake, and that's politics.

So I'm researching these guys, trying to get a handle on things without being drilled by a clump of dirt in this he said-she said crossfire. And it gets me thinking; what do I want in a politician? What does leadership mean? I want Canadians to have a great life, I want Canada to be a great country. I am aware that becoming an elected official doesn't mean one can easily implement all the strategies and carry out of the promises made on the campaign trail. I get it.

One word came to mind: Integrity. I want an honest man, someone you can trust to do the right thing, at the right time. Someone who cares enough about others to tell the truth, even if it's difficult.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see a lot of those qualities in politicians. It feels more like which guy can get away with playing the game the best. And if you're the best at calling names and pointing out the flaws in others, then you'll win the election.

But I don't think you'll make a great leader.