Spencer Mckay
@spencermckay.com
Democratic theorist, giant lobster enthusiast, former public servant
Ah, I see you're once again at a Homesense/Winners?
November 28, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Ah, I see you're once again at a Homesense/Winners?
"The victim's last words were 'look at minifig Riker's little trombone!'"
November 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM
"The victim's last words were 'look at minifig Riker's little trombone!'"
I just checked and I did 4 reviews as ABD, for a variety of poli sci journals (some better, some worse). Plus a couple reviews for top journals very shortly after I defended. FWIW. But I never did a review for a prof under their name - I agree that would be inappropriate.
August 18, 2025 at 9:52 PM
I just checked and I did 4 reviews as ABD, for a variety of poli sci journals (some better, some worse). Plus a couple reviews for top journals very shortly after I defended. FWIW. But I never did a review for a prof under their name - I agree that would be inappropriate.
We're blaming Disney, right?
July 22, 2025 at 11:45 PM
We're blaming Disney, right?
From my vantage point, he looks pretty good in comparison to the couple guys who followed him! Maybe not a ringing endorsement, but, hey, this is politics we're talking about.
May 13, 2025 at 4:34 PM
From my vantage point, he looks pretty good in comparison to the couple guys who followed him! Maybe not a ringing endorsement, but, hey, this is politics we're talking about.
Not obvious Robertson will be terrible in this portfolio (although he might be). From someone who is v. good on Vancouver housing: bsky.app/profile/pwal...
A lot of the discussion about Vancouver's housing crisis is shortsighted. The primary cause of today's crisis is the collapse in housing production in the 1970s. Gregor was just the one holding the hand grenade when the accumulated shortage reached catastrophic proportions.
May 13, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Not obvious Robertson will be terrible in this portfolio (although he might be). From someone who is v. good on Vancouver housing: bsky.app/profile/pwal...
Bust out the lift locks pin!
April 29, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Bust out the lift locks pin!
I suspect the Commission is twice bitten, third time shy. The Commission refused to accredit Rebel in both 2019 and 2021 and both times Rebel got an injunction. The Commission wrote it up a bit here: www.debates-debats.ca/en/report-20... . As for 2025, Justin Ling wrote it up in the Star:
April 17, 2025 at 1:05 AM
I suspect the Commission is twice bitten, third time shy. The Commission refused to accredit Rebel in both 2019 and 2021 and both times Rebel got an injunction. The Commission wrote it up a bit here: www.debates-debats.ca/en/report-20... . As for 2025, Justin Ling wrote it up in the Star:
The Commission refused to accredit them in both 2019 and 2021 and both times Rebel got an injunction. The Commission wrote it up a bit here: www.debates-debats.ca/en/report-20... . As for 2025, Justin Ling wrote it up in the Star:
April 17, 2025 at 1:02 AM
The Commission refused to accredit them in both 2019 and 2021 and both times Rebel got an injunction. The Commission wrote it up a bit here: www.debates-debats.ca/en/report-20... . As for 2025, Justin Ling wrote it up in the Star:
April 17, 2025 at 12:51 AM
"Canada's old relationship with the United States is over, except for the safe 3rd country agreement" - Carney, probably
April 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
"Canada's old relationship with the United States is over, except for the safe 3rd country agreement" - Carney, probably
All the pundits who already filed their 'French debates should be called the Quebec debates' columns can rest easy now.
April 16, 2025 at 11:15 PM
All the pundits who already filed their 'French debates should be called the Quebec debates' columns can rest easy now.
Came to say the same thing. It's a stop sign E-W on 10th. If they mean to say entering the intersection when it's not clear, say that. But the very conception of 'crossing against the signal' doesn't exist here unless you're moving NB or SB on Clark and you don't have a green light.
April 7, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Came to say the same thing. It's a stop sign E-W on 10th. If they mean to say entering the intersection when it's not clear, say that. But the very conception of 'crossing against the signal' doesn't exist here unless you're moving NB or SB on Clark and you don't have a green light.
(Grace, Too *is* a banger though)
March 27, 2025 at 12:35 AM
(Grace, Too *is* a banger though)
Should I anticipate dining at a Montana's on Friday?
March 18, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Should I anticipate dining at a Montana's on Friday?
Yes, for sure. Some of what I know re: protest and DD has had a different substantive focus (IIRC, advancing racial justice in Anna Drake's work) rather than defending the 'normal structure' pieces. But I was attracted to DD for similar reasons so happy to continue to chat!
March 16, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Yes, for sure. Some of what I know re: protest and DD has had a different substantive focus (IIRC, advancing racial justice in Anna Drake's work) rather than defending the 'normal structure' pieces. But I was attracted to DD for similar reasons so happy to continue to chat!
Yeah, that sounds right. To put a finer point on it, I think in some sense DD is ill-prepared to fight (too adversarial) for parties, elected legislatures, civil service, news media etc b/c it has pointed out their 'deliberative' faults. But maybe democracy's future does lie somewhere different! 🤷🙏
March 16, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Yeah, that sounds right. To put a finer point on it, I think in some sense DD is ill-prepared to fight (too adversarial) for parties, elected legislatures, civil service, news media etc b/c it has pointed out their 'deliberative' faults. But maybe democracy's future does lie somewhere different! 🤷🙏
(All that being said, it may be unsurprising that I have increasingly focused attention on material that is not so clearly tied to DD and so maybe I've missed something in the last couple years, or forgotten something else important).
March 16, 2025 at 4:16 AM
(All that being said, it may be unsurprising that I have increasingly focused attention on material that is not so clearly tied to DD and so maybe I've missed something in the last couple years, or forgotten something else important).
This ended up much longer than expected but I guess what I'm saying is that I think DD remains useful, but the 'normal structure' pieces seem to have been of less interest to deliberative folks and more to those who may be sympathetic to DD but who are thinking about 'democratic systems'
March 16, 2025 at 4:16 AM
This ended up much longer than expected but I guess what I'm saying is that I think DD remains useful, but the 'normal structure' pieces seem to have been of less interest to deliberative folks and more to those who may be sympathetic to DD but who are thinking about 'democratic systems'
Moreover, I'm unaware of a really good explanation in the DD lit for what to do with unrepentant, bad faith interlocutors, esp in the current attention economy. When people self-select into mini-publics, you don't really have these problems. So empirical lit on deliberation is positive!
March 16, 2025 at 4:16 AM
Moreover, I'm unaware of a really good explanation in the DD lit for what to do with unrepentant, bad faith interlocutors, esp in the current attention economy. When people self-select into mini-publics, you don't really have these problems. So empirical lit on deliberation is positive!
For instance, undermining of the press is an attack on deliberative ideals of publicity. But I think deliberative democracy in its current form is somewhat ill-placed to address this because I think 'the press' has become a bit of a neglected topic in the field.
March 16, 2025 at 4:16 AM
For instance, undermining of the press is an attack on deliberative ideals of publicity. But I think deliberative democracy in its current form is somewhat ill-placed to address this because I think 'the press' has become a bit of a neglected topic in the field.