You know I care. I do care. I care deeply for all those foundering in the world of Federal politics, each participant unable to get a foot hold, make a good impression, get their heads above water let alone the fray. So it was with some interest that I read the latest poll on who we like amongst the Ottawanians...the Ottawaites?
Nationally, Prime Minister Harper's Tories remained stuck in a dead heat with the Liberals. Liberal support was up slightly to 33 per cent, statistically tied with the Tories at 32 per cent and followed by the NDP at 15 per cent and the Greens at 13 per cent.
Hmmm. Tories stuck. The lesson there may be no one like warms to people who jerk around Parliament. Hmmm. Greens at 13 percent. It'll never happen and the Liberals may have cleverly (did I just write that?) set up a green bleed towards themselves when the campaign is on...if they ever make it happen. Hmmm. NDP at 15. Where has Jack been? He is so quiet this year. Why? Hmm - the last one, I promise. A slim Grit minority. How disfunctional would that be.
But, really, has Dion's putting up with the insults, chiding and jibes actually paid off? Has the Tory strategy of presenting themselves as something between moody governors and disruptive bullies finally flopped?
Comments
Alan - August 14, 2008 8:53 am
...not to mention oddly fixated on bits (but not other bits) history...
Cam - August 14, 2008 8:55 am
Maybe there will be an apology to Franklin for leaving the Arctic there.
Ben (The Tiger) - August 14, 2008 10:41 am
Polls move in campaigns.
But if the Liberals think they can win, well, let's have an election this fall.
I like elections. I've been hoping for an election since spring 2007.
Come on, Dion -- give me a Canadian federal election!
Renee - August 14, 2008 11:32 am
Bah. Election eschekshion. It's gonna be a tie. I wanna see Harper and Dion in a wrestling ring, face to face, like men. Harper's got the weight, but Dion looks like he'd be wiry enough to escape even the most treacherous holds. Those little guys, they're tough.
Maybe that's why they don't let me write election rules:
Canada Elections Act, 2000. Part 20
525. (1) The following courts are competent courts for the purposes of this Part:
(a) a court listed in subsection (2) that has jurisdiction in all or part of the electoral district in question; and
(b) the Federal Court.
(c) the THUNDER DOME
Ben (The Tiger) - August 14, 2008 11:38 am
Harper could totally take him.
(He's been in training this year -- dropped forty pounds. :p)
Renee - August 14, 2008 12:44 pm
A whole new field of science could be born: election probability as a function of waist circumference.
Hans - August 14, 2008 1:11 pm
Where has Jack been lately? Renee, is there anything you are able to tell us?
Al, your post makes me wonder about an NDP-Green merger? Could that work? How many seats might that get?
sean - August 14, 2008 2:20 pm
IMHO, a Green-NDP merger would not work. Although both have a more left/green bias when it comes to the environment, the Green party is less likely to support labour when there comes a decision that would put people out of work versus reducing emissions (for example). Even though they have a few flakes running for them every election, their non-environmental policies are too close to MgcGuinty Liberal policies for the likes of Jack.. And honestly, who knows Jack more than Jack. (oho!)
Hans - August 14, 2008 3:08 pm
Certainly, I don't know Jack....
Renee - August 14, 2008 7:10 pm
Jack has been preparing the party to fight the September 8th by-elections. They are the scale upon which all future election calls get weighed.
Officially? I don't think a Green/NDP merger will work, there's been too much bad rhetoric on either side. The Green Party has taken great joy in baiting the NDP about "working together," despite the fact that their policies are very fiscally right of centre - the rhetoric has been painting the NDP as uncooperative and not willing to "play nice," when in reality the Green Party's platforms have never been close to the NDP's, and the NDP's environmental plans have been ranked higher than the Greens' more often than not. Then there's the fact that the Liberals' Green Shift was basically written by the Green Party.
So... I really don't think there's any chance of the kids playing nicely in the sandbox. :)
Renee - August 14, 2008 7:12 pm
(Also, he's been busy recruiting star candidates. Everybody thinks an election is on the horizon).
Sean - August 14, 2008 7:39 pm
Harrumph.. he never called me.
Ben (The Tiger) - August 14, 2008 7:44 pm
I'm counting on that four-way vote split on the centre-left...
Alan - August 14, 2008 8:29 pm
Too bad there is only a five-way split on the centre-left available.