Thursday, December 04, 2008

Use Our Heads

Two polls, both provide disastrous numbers for the coalition. The key word is volatile, but you have to acknowledge what these polls are telling us, because it is crystal clear. There is no real need for analysis or a critical eye.
Ipsos:
Cons 46%
Libs 23%
NDP 13%
Many other findings, all of which are equally bad, there is no silver lining.

EKOS:
Cons 44%
Libs 24%
NDP 14%
Of note, according to this pollster, just last week the numbers were MUCH closer, which again speaks to the coalition losing the frame. Again, the pdf brings more horror on other questions, nowhere to hide.

I believe in my gut, that Harper's actions translate to handicapping any chance at a majority. That belief is predicated on certain assumptions, outlined in my earlier post. Should we carry on with singular zeal, wrongly assuming that "sticking together" will turn this around, then a majority might be in the cards, and Harper will re-think.

It's time to put emotions at the door.

76 comments:

Möbius said...

It wasn't the initial standing up to Harper, which gained huge and embarassing concessions, it was continuing with the coalition talk after he effectively backed down.

Now, how to regain the former reputation of the LPC as a unity party?

FredM said...

Your analysis is spot on. And just think, the platform of raising the GST, gutting the army, and cutting back health care, all things Paul Martin the finance guy may have been looking at again. Not trying to rub it in but the prorogue may have saved what little credibility the liberals had left.

CuriosityCat said...

You are missing the power equation. The fight now takes place in Parliament, and there the Coaltion plus Bloc outvote Harper. Once Harper is voted down, the terms of the Accord put the Coalition in power for at least 18 months. Think of that - what will the polls be after a progressive agenda has been implemented for a year and a half? The polls right now are meaningless.

Anonymous said...

where were these polls taken!?
every single person I encounter in Quebec anyway (federalist or BLOQ)- would not support a Conservative government!!! Even Quebec conservatives! This is insane!

Möbius said...

all things Paul Martin the finance guy may have been looking at again.

Paul Martin apparently wasn't aware he was the new finance guy.

Northern PoV said...

I think that had the gov't changed now, public opinion would shift in favour as they saw decent gov't happening (assuming it did). But the immature state of public opinion will make it difficult to sustain this over the next two months. The polls still show the Cons as better fiscal managers despite all the historical and current evidence to the contrary.

Shame on M. Jean! What a wasted opportunity.

Anonymous said...

I seriously don't believe these polls! and if true, Canadians are dumber than I thought! Keep watching CTV and reading CANWEST!!! UGH!

Steve V said...

anon

We are winning in Quebec, these numbers also bear that out. The bad news, take Quebec out of the equation and English Canada is ugly, especially and most concerning, Ontario.

CC

That is just completely and utterly wrong. The polls are everything, if we don't have widespread support, you can forget the parliamentary argument, because it simply doesn't cut it. You have to have public backing, and it has to be more than Quebec. Period.

It's wakeup call time, let's get it right, before we regret wasted days.

Möbius said...

Dump the coalition, and try to talk the PM into a few bipartisan economic discussions, over the next month. If you have input into the budget, you can hold your head high.

If the PM doesn't cooperate (not concede all, but cooperate to a reasonable extent), then you may have a reason to try to dump him.

Steve V said...

"I don't believe the polls" = "Insert head in sand"

Anonymous said...

And at that point, Cat, some more time will have passed and the likelihood will therefore have increased where Harper, having severly changed his tact with regards to the stimulus package, will say to the GG, "I tried, they weren't willing" and the GG will just grant Harper the dissolution he will ask for rather than let the coalition try. Harper will then go to the people and say, "after three minority governments and one separtist enabled coalition, I know you want stability. All I ask is 12 more seats to make that possible. Then Harper will get his majority.

Anonymous said...

Why are we letting the polls intimidate us when we haven't begun to present the case for the coalition to the public. The coalition has a stimulus package ready to go. Harper prorogues, no stimulus package. How can he argue that voting down his budget in January delays action on the economy?

Steve V said...

Polls don't intimidate me, they educate me on where public sentiment lies. Just fluffing them off isn't terribly intelligent, especially when they are this one sided.

Möbius said...

Why are we letting the polls intimidate us when we haven't begun to present the case for the coalition to the public.

Are you kidding? I think the public has heard enough about it to form an opinion.

Go ahead, take another month.

Steve V said...

On this issue, the public is engaged, moreso than anything I can think of recently.

The Rat said...

You are missing the power equation. The fight now takes place in Parliament, and there the Coaltion plus Bloc outvote Harper. Once Harper is voted down, the terms of the Accord put the Coalition in power for at least 18 months.

The GG will take massive public disgust into account when Harper asks for an election. She will take note of the leadership instability in the central party of the coalition. She will see that the NDP will not work with Rae and the Bloq has serious issues with Iggy. There will be an election and the "coalition" ca run on that platform. And best of luck with it, you're gonna need it.

Anonymous said...

1. Write budget and have it ready to go.

2. Vote down the thrown speech, don't even look at the CPC budget.

3. Form coalition - take good ideas from what would have been the CPC budget.

4. Insert new leader.

5. Govern effectively and honestly for 18 months minimum, 20 months maximum. Watch Harper become a bad memory.

6. Have an election and show how much better the last few years were in comparison to the years before that.

7. Have a happy, healthy Canada.

Steve V said...

"She will see that the NDP will not work with Rae and the Bloq has serious issues with Iggy."

You were making sense, up until this turd of a reasoning. Yes, the Bloc hates the guy who first floated "nation". And, the NDP could never work with a left leaning Liberal. Right.

Anonymous said...

that should have been 30 months maximum.

Anonymous said...

As long as the Green party is around drawing votes from the LPC and NDP, things will be disproportionally better than they should for the CPC since they face a fractured opposition of progressive voters.

The main reason the polls a so favorable to the Cons now is because of Dion's littany of false steps, poor communication and weak leadership. All I seen on the tele today is his face again; his prolonged prescence is damaging to the Liberal "brand".

Robert McClelland said...

You really need to stop letting the polls do your thinking for you, Steve. Conservatives usually get off to a good start because they appeal to people's ignorance. However, once the electorates starts to understand what is going on that advantage evaporates rapidly. This time won't be any different.

Steve V said...

Robert

Yawn. That's such tripe.

Anonymous said...

Drop the coalition (it was a good to negotiate concessions but not to actually form a government) and change interim leader (Dion has made too many mistakes).

Steve V said...

kheim

Did you know, that the AR poll showed that more people were uncomfortable with Dion at the helm than Bloc involvement? Hebert brought that up, and it really is an astounding point, when you think about it.

Robert McClelland said...

No it isn't, Steve. It's nothing more than a short term blip. Chill out.

Steve V said...

Robert

Wake up.

I'm completely chilled, COLD in fact. Emotions at the door ;)

Anonymous said...

2. Vote down the thrown speech, don't even look at the CPC budget.

"Don't even look at it." Hmmm, how will you know if what you are looking for is there or not if you don't even look at it? Thats right, don't even try to make things work. So much for coalition rhetoric.

Anonymous said...

"Liberal MP Derrick Lee, meanwhile, compared Harper's move to suspend Parliament to the burning of the Reichstag in Germany by the Nazis." - http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=n120457A&newsitemid=23489019&languageid=1

Just.......wow.......

Anonymous said...

Yawn. That's such tripe.

No, Robert's right. You don't seem to have a grasp of the issues.

Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Disastrous is overstating it quite a bit! Here is a quote from EKOS' conclusion:

The Conservatives are winning the initial public opinion war. There seems, however, to be a modest night-to-night trend that favours the coalition on all measures (i.e., vote intention, three partner coalition). BOTTOM LINE: Despite initial favourable response to the Conservatives, the public are flummoxed and angry. Disput seems to be aggravating existing national fault lines.

Anonymous said...

"Don't even look at it." Hmmm, how will you know if what you are looking for is there or not if you don't even look at it? Thats right, don't even try to make things work. So much for coalition rhetoric.

True, that point required an assumption that a) the CPC would release it regardless to show Canadians what they've working on for the last few months, b) having lost government attempt to work with the new government in the best interest of Canadians.

As for making things work, I think that train has left the station. This government is bankrupt in every sense for me at this point.

That said, CPC support for confidence motions would be appreciated ... and that way we would need the "scary separatists" to "prop up" the government, since they will apparently have a "veto" on everything.

bigcitylib said...

A blip. But a good argument to dump Dion. Install Iggy, if necessary. Bob Rae will probably understand. Why blow money on a leadership race he will only lose? I don't give a fuck anymore. Iggy can't do any worse than the stuttering Frenchman.

What the fuck was that last night? Somebody's home movies?

Anonymous said...

The coalition's PR efforts did not fare well this week when people watched Dion in the House of Commons, hence the poor poll numbers. The coalition is still our best hope to govern and prevent the economic pain that Harper will inevitably impose. Harper cannot be trusted to implement a meaningful budget. Rae is squarely behind the coalition and he should garner the support of Liberals who feel as he does.

Robert McClelland said...

A blip. But a good argument to dump Dion. Install Iggy, if necessary.

Who cares. Pick an inanimate carbon rod to lead the party if you want. Liberals just need to hold the bloody line and stop wetting their pants every time Harper glares at them.

Anonymous said...

You guys grossly misread the West and Ontario. Quite stunning actually.

Gayle said...

"Liberals just need to hold the bloody line and stop wetting their pants every time Harper glares at them."

Yes.

Gayle said...

Can someone from Ontario tell me how this whole attack on Quebec might be perceived? My fellow Albertans are the ones doing the attacking so I do not need to ask them. :)

Both national newscasts featured stories on this last night, both said that Harper is giving the separtists a boost. That is the kind of behaviour that concerns me. Do people in Ontario care about this? I assume they care in the Maritimes given the consequences of separation.

FredM said...

Robert says

"You really need to stop letting the polls do your thinking for you, Steve. Conservatives usually get off to a good start because they appeal to people's ignorance. However, once the electorates starts to understand what is going on that advantage evaporates rapidly. This time won't be any different."

If this is true than why did the libs do worse again 2 elections in a row? And what advantage are you talking about? Last I remember they won.

Anonymous said...

"Flaherty's plan prolongs the pain, forecaster says"(G&M today).
We were right last Thursday, we are right today and we will continue to be right. There is no turning back.

Anonymous said...

The Liberals gave any claim to be a centrist party by tying themselves to the socialist NDP and Bloc.

The Liberals gave up the label "National Unity Party" by giving the Bloc a veto on budgets and the legislative platform as it effects Quebec.

The Liberals gave aspirations to again be national party by abandoning the West and its aspirations. It will be at least another generation before the Liberal brand will have any real traction in the West.

The Liberals abandoned fiscal responsibility by planning on spending billions on dollars with no plan and no co-ordination with the US.

I suspect that the Liberal party may well have signed its own death warrant as a political force in Canada. It will follow the UK Liberal party into the dust bin of history.

The right side of the Liberals party will end up in the Conservative Party which is more centrist than the Liberals. The Left wing of the Liberal party will go NDP. Why buy left wing lite when the real deal is available and more electable?

The leading leadership candidates give every appearance of being a continuation of the same old, same old. Arrogant, smug, self satisfied, out of touch with Canadians.

The Liberal Party of Canada is becoming a dead man walking.

Canajun said...

Unless I'm missing something (entirely possible) a coalition only works if the G-G asks them to assume power.
There is no guarantee that will be the case in January or any time after that. And the fact that the G-G acceded to Harper's wishes this time would indicate to me that she is more likely to disband Parliament and call an election rather than hand over control to the coalition. In that case, every bit of energy that goes into propping up the coalition between now and then is energy not being spent on preparing for an election if one comes.
The coalition was a good tactical response to a specific opportunity presented by the Cons. It is not a strategic solution to getting rid of Harper IMO.

Anonymous said...

"Arrogant, smug, self satisfied, out of touch with Canadians."

Sorry, Harper has the patent rights to this.

FredM said...

mombius

CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported earlier Monday that a high-profile, four-person economic panel would guide a Liberal-NDP coalition government on finance matters.

The group would comprise Frank McKenna, Paul Martin, John Manley and Roy Romanow.

Gayle said...

gary - I assume you dropped in on the CPC website to collect your talking points before venturing to the blogs.

WesternGrit said...

I'm thinking we paint this "coalition" as what it is: a way to extract more concessions from an arrogant government. No more. We have seen a few too many faux pas' from our leader. I argue, however, that this won't matter, since he is being replaced in May. He's been very brave about it, championing the cause of the Canadian people, and taking a bullet for the party in the meantime, but he is out of his element here.

If Mr. Harper is downright arrogant and concedes nothing, then a coalition, if we must. But, the numbers I'm seeing today (after my last blogpost) indicate that millions of dollars of Conservative negative ads against Dion worked. He has been so snake-bitten by the "not-a-leader" label that he can't even be accepted by Canadians as a leader of a temporary coalition. Harper REALLY has to f up before people will say they support Mr. Dion. I don't think the reaching for words and poorly planned video helped (sad as that "superficial" comment is, and what it says about politics in Canada).

I think Mr. Dion is standing by his words, that he wouldn't let a Liberal leader experience what he did ever again. I think he's doing it by standing up and taking all the flak for the coalition (some of it brought on by he and his office - re: the video). I had posted - prior to the election - that he should smile more and purse his lips less. This is simple stuff that makes you appear friendlier and "in your element". It doesn't require any changes to speech skills, or any disabilities or impediments. He hasn't mastered this. Too bad. We may need another person to be the "point man" for a coalition.

I'm not sure who actually started the coalition talks. It may have been the NDP. I think that MPs on our side, who thought it was a bad idea simply decided to "support Dion", as it would help them avoid any flak for it. Let him take the bullet. I don't think our MPs were lining up to take the risk of being coalition leader. Especially since a new leader is coming.

I believe this thing could well come around, however, due to Harper's dogmatic arrogance. I hope he thinks that being angry, stubborn, and vindictive gave him victory in this battle, and he loses sight of the "war" as a whole. He is still "done", as his story has been written.

Anonymous said...

"And the fact that the G-G acceded to Harper's wishes this time would indicate to me that she is more likely to disband Parliament and call an election rather than hand over control to the coalition."

On the contrary, with only three or four months since previous election, she could approach the opposition parties.

Anonymous said...

Nope Gayle. Just watching the performance of the coalition, the Liberal Party and the latest poll which confirmed what I already saw.

Anonymous said...

Well, if the LPC is doomed anyway, why not go out in a blaze of glory, stick with the Coalition, and take a final shot at defeating Harper?

Anonymous said...

Steve you are being WAY too cryptic here. What SPECIFICALLY do you propose the Liberals do to recover in popular support and bring down Harper's?

I hope you realize at least three things:

1) Abstaining/backing down in the past hurt us, don't see how it can help us now

2) These polls show more erosion of NDP support than Liberal support.

3) As long as Harper remains PM he will call an election at the MOST opportune time and if he gets a majority will bring an end to public financing of the parties IMMEDIATELY (as in no refunds for the election prior).

There is about a 6 month window (anything more likely wouldn't fly) according to TONS of precedents in our system and others that if Harper is voted down the GG is compelled to ask the opposition leader to test the confidence of the House.

I agree she may not do so if there is a big public backlash, but what do you propose we do exactly from NOW TILL JAN 26 and on the budget vote itself?

What steps haven't we taken that we should and what steps should we abandon that we have taken?

ottlib said...

Hmmm, if an election was being held tomorrow I would be worried.

Anonymous said...

Don't believe the polls. It is all a conservative ruse, what Bob Rae called "astro turf". Bob says stick with the coalition and fight and this is seconded by Layton and Broadbent.

Would Bob lie to you?


FredM you might want to check out the accuracy of that list of advisers and not listen to CTV.

Anonymous said...

Just to complete the trifecta: the Strategic Counsel has the Tories at 45%, the Liberals at 24%. If what you've got to pitch to people just how very, very, very, very much you hate Mr Harper, I just don't see that moving the football for your party.

DM DeCoste

Anonymous said...

"the Bloq has serious issues with Iggy."

What gives you that idea? Ignatieff was an early champion of recognizing Quebec as a nation etc...the BQ has way more issues with Stephane "Clarity Act" Dion.

Anonymous said...

Steve,

I concur with thinking smartly and strategically. Of course we should.

However, I also believe Robert has valid points. Things happened so rapidly this past week that I do think any poll taken within a few days would have read as a blip.

I'm not saying that a blip couldn't become a firm standing. But I don't think you can assume that in a situation like this. I was surprised at how quickly the ground seemed to shift even today - on the street and in commentary - from the momentum Harper seemed to gain starting Tuesday morning to a new narrative that Harper was ducking and running.

Some of these poll numbers came even before Harper started slashing and burning, a strategy that I think wears well for a day or two and then quickly fades - recalling similar periods in the past couple of years. And keep in mind, it was only Tuesday - 2 days ago! - that he started that despicable campaign.

I just think you're going too far if you read polls this week as requiring some type of capitulation strategy. You say your calm, Steve, but you certainly sound frantic.

Harper flared up again this past few days, and he was called on the carpet in many ways over this past week.

I think it is a positive. He burnt so much capital and standing and gained nothing. He actually harmed his image in many ways, when all he had to do last week was be competent.

He just couldn't resist the sucker punch. He never can. That should be seen as a strange gift, as much as it pains the country to have to endure it.

Make note of this, yes. But don't capitulate. Dion was right about one thing. The world would be a lot different today if the parties had not found their collective voice and singular voices this past week.

I think the ground was set for some real progress this past week. The Liberals and all progressives should build on that, including fundraising and outreach.

Heck, even Dion showing his off-key notes this week presents an opportunity for a clearer message from a cleared leader in the not so distant future.

I conclude with again reiterating, as Robert did, that you should chill - even if you think you already have ; )

Anonymous said...

Steve, I wasnt aware that C Hebert had pointed out that Canadians were more disturbed at Dion heading the coalition than the Bloc being part of it, but that makes sense as we have had decades now to become used to the Bloc's (divisive) presence, -- but the majority of Canadians see Dion as having overstayed his welcome.

Given the circumstances (and time and money), I wish that the LPC could avoid having to wait till convention, and just let caucus decide on a new leader *and* offer a strong, decisive economic policy that can transcend this bloody mess :)

Anonymous said...

The Achilles heel of the coalition was that it didn't want to face the voters. Canadians have a certain sense of fair play: Harper violated that by trying to cut off the $1.95 per vote. But the coalition violated it by trying to take power when everyone knew that the Conservatives won the election: all the Coalition leaders made speeches to that effect on election night. Once they made those speeches, they conceded to the public that they would let the Conservatives govern, and go back to the voters if they wanted to overturn them. No Liberal leader could have sold this without an election.

And now, the Liberals might as well keep the coalition. They won't exactly be able to claim during the next election, whenever it comes, that they wouldn't do exactly the same thing again if the Conservatives fall short of a majority.

ottlib said...

These polling numbers are a reflection of the fact the coalition only had a PR strategy up to their announcement.

After that they had nothing, ceding the PR battle to the Conservatives.

These numbers are probably a high water mark. The word out of Quebec tonight is Mr. Harper's scorched earth campaigne against the Bloc has the Quebec Liberals worried. It has generated some buzz for sovereignty and breathed new life into Ms. Marois' campaign.

There is no expectation that the Liberals will lose but Ms. Marois could close the gap and make that campaign much closer than it would have been.

That is going to piss off alot of Quebec Liberals and they are going to talk. In all likelyhood that talk will not be to praise Mr. Harper.

Some have already begun to connect the dots between Mr. Harper's attacks on Bloc supporters and a sudden surge in sovereigntist sentiment in Quebec. If that surge continues you will see a sharp drop in support for the Conservatives in both Quebec and Ontario.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of connecting dots, I am not sure it is valid but I had another thought today.

I think there is another layer to Stephen Harper's throw-them-under-the-bus strategy this week.

I just have a sense that any minority group is going to feel a bit of newfound (or re-found) hesitation about Harper. It is always a bit unsettling to see a politician venture into shrill rhetoric.

And Harper is a virtuoso at such episodes. On some level, I think his "performance" this week will damage his standing with individuals who - even if only on a subconscious level - might wonder about how expendable they might be as campaign tokens if the dear leader thought it might help his cause out.

It has always been that trait that leads me to see him as Bush-lite. It's not so much policy (of which there are plenty of examples) as it is character. I told a friend in Bush's administration once that I always felt like all Bush wanted to govern 50% + 1 of the US when I felt it would have been easier and wiser and just "better" for him to govern a broader majority with decent policies for all. Harper governs the same way. I think he'd write off anyone if he thought doing so might give him gains with some other group to achieve 38.2% of the vote in just the right places. I think he'd set policies to do just that, and toss others under the bus.

Yes, all politicians may be adept at some calculations such as that - I am not naive. But for some - like Harper - it is the end all strategy.

This week he sliced up Quebec because he needed to. I just think that kind of wholesale trash and burn strategy sends ripples to the other more sensitive or more vulnerable populations.

It may be wishful thinking, but I do believe it. I honestly believe he unsheathed something this week that he tries to keep hidden, but it is just his nature.

Anonymous said...

I do agree with you, Ottlib. To me it was crystal clear - even at the time really - that the PR started and ended with the announcement Monday.

I felt reminders of the last campaign all over again. Cat would call it framing. They just don't get the need to frame issues and promote those frames.

Anonymous said...

Ipsos had the Tories at 49% in Ontario, Liberals at 27%. I don't have to tell you what a 22% lead in the most populous province in Canada would do to the LPC next election.

Anonymous said...

The Liberals need to dump Dion and now. He is a good man but a liability to the party and the coalition. He does not do well under fire. The home video should have been canned and not even shown. The libs need to move up their leadership race or just get together and decide amongst the 3 of them.

These are crazy times and time to be bold. This is the libs to lose. If we don't unite we will lose the country.

Gayle said...

I am going to repeat what I said over at RT's.

Today, our Prime Minister abused his power in a manner that no PM before him has ever done.

Instead of hammering away at this, Liberal MP's made Dion the topic. Some did so on the record. More did it off the record.

Whatever else you have to say about the coalition, and Dion, the behaviour of these MP's today has left me completely disgusted with this party. Here was their chance to paint Harper as the bad guy and they let him walk....again.

I give up. I have enjoyed your blog Steve but I am going to find a new hobby.

Dame said...

These polls are saying one thing only none of the 3 opposition party can do anything ALONE..at this time...
So what is the Conclusion ??
there is a need to combine the common goal. CRASHHARPER!!!!!

Did any one expect the Liberals get high Number in the Polls???

Anonymous said...

I don't disagree with Gayle but it is Dion's performances that are distracting the Canadian public and giving unforgivable behaviour of Harper a pass.

Dion is a distraction for the public as they truly have rejected him and lost confidence in him. It is just wrong to have him lead the coalition. He can't perform. He's a great man but the attack ads worked and even lib supporters I know don't support the coalition because of Dion.

Dion is the talk and needs to go. It should have been him pointing out to the public your very salient points but he can't articulate his ideas to the public. He doesn't connect and ends up in a muddle.

We need someone who can throw back Harper's punches or the coalition loses all credibility. The country does not want Dion as leader period. He should have the grace to resign.

Anonymous said...

Gayle,

I really appreciate your insights, very much.

(just wanted to say that in case you disappeared forever).

It will run its course. I understand what you are saying, but the Liberals really do need to resolve the leadership issue. As long as that is hanging over the heads, it does limit the ability for a sustained focus on anything else. It's just the nature of situations like that.

That is why Harper will try to press what he can in the interim, unfortunately.

But the pain in the party now are what will lead to its recovery. Those seeds are already being sewn.

Bottom line is this has been a bad week for Canada, thanks to Harper's demagoguery.

But the Liberal party made great steps to finding its voice again, and steps towards finding common ground with other progressives.

Gayle said...

OK, one more post :)

I am not disagreeing about leadership - but that is something to be discussed in the privacy of a caucus meeting. When you are speaking to the media you talk about Harper, not Dion.

Larry Gambone said...

These results show the strength of bigotry that still remains in this country. Start raving about Quebec and the "separatis" and the sheep will follow the shepherd. It also shows the profound ignorance of our political system, nothing the coalition wanted to do is unconstitutional.

One thing though, the Harpocrit can forget about ever getting any Quebec seats after this exercise in xenophobia

Shawn Kalbhenn said...

I think that this break could be good for the liberals. We can use it to replace Dion and rally behind an interim leader that Canadians can support. Installing Dion as PM we would only be replacing a leader that has lost the confidence of parliament, with a leader who has never had the confidence of the people. How could we go to the polls in good conscience and ask Canadians for their vote after that? This mess has also weakened Harper's economic cred. We pick someone with a strong finance background as a steward PM and carry on with the leadership race.

RuralSandi said...

Well, the writing is on the wall:

Among the findings:

- 72 per cent said the economy would be worse under a Dion-led coalition

- 65 per cent said inflation would be worse

- 61 per cent said the standard of living would decline

- 70 per cent have the most confidence in Harper as Prime Minister (Michael Ignatieff came second, with 19 per cent)

Dion has to go.

Anonymous said...

Here's a TV and radio ad the coalition should run during this break: Harper/Flaherty LIED about the economic numbers. They can never be entrusted with power again. We set up a fund to pay for these ads.

Jerry Prager said...

The polls tell me that the middle class is frightened, and when the middle class worries that they will lose their place in the TV-inspired consumer bubble they don't care if they are led by a thug and a liar.
Canadians - and especially Ontarions - are only progressive when they are prosperous.
The coalition is the last best hope. And while I have supported Dion in many ways, and was astounded by his ability to pull this coalition together, he seems jinxed, and that's his tragedy. The PR war must be won.
Because this is just going to get worse, and as the environmental crisis worsens as it will on a day to day basis for generations, economic recovery will be hampered and possibly relegated to oblivion. This is the beginning of the downward spiral and the middle class will get nastier as they lose everything they cling to. The poor and the working poor, as always, will be the first to suffer because of the willingness of the middle class to sacrifice everything but their delusions. If the Coalition loses the PR battle, Harper - the America-follower - will ride Obama's centre-right coattails and be here for the long haul. After him, the darkness.

Anonymous said...

The two major weaknesses of the coalition seem to be Dion personally and the (horror of horrors) links to the BQ (I don't get the impression that anyone was bothered about the NDP being part of this and you notice that the Tories very quickly dropped their socialist-bashing approach and stuck with the "separatist" line.

The Liberals would have been way better off having someone like Ralph Goodale as the front-man for all this - former cabinet minsister and being from Saskatchewan it would have blunted the western anger over what happened.

Anonymous said...

The enormity of getting rid of the Harper government should not be lost on any progressive. It would be like getting rid of Nixon before he could do the major harm. One hss to hold on to an opportunity like this. They don't come often. Any progressive movement around the world would weep if they had the odds we're looking at.

Anonymous said...

..but I am going to find a new hobby.

don't make me laugh, you'll be back.

Adam Hinton said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Adam Hinton said...

The primary task is done though, Harper will find it hard to recover from this. It is Harper's Katrina. Would be best for MacKay to take the reins once all this is realized.