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In a campaign that was among the nastiest in recent memory, history will record: Stephane Dion had the last gaffe.  Dion’s belly flop in Atlantic Canada came on the last full day of the campaign, as Canadians prepare for the extended Thanksgiving long weekend.  Words don’t do it justice — watch for yourself.

[Read more…] about Dion gets the last gaffe… but shame on all of us.

Just as in 2006, the Conservatives have earned endorsements from both of Canada’s major daily newspapers (The Globe and Mail & The National Post).  We wait with baited breath to see what the Toronto Star will do.  (Rumours have it they could endorse the NDP for the first time.  Odds have it, they’ll back Dion.)

[Read more…] about Endorsements: Harper Wins Again

The Economist weighed in on the Canadian election today, with two separate articles offering a lukewarm endorsement of the Conservatives.  Specifically, the authors suggest "another minority Conservative government would not be a bad result for Canada: neither of the main party leaders has done enough to persuade Canadians that they deserve untrammelled power." 

[Read more…] about Fear Begets Panic: Lessons in Credit-Crunch Campaigning

Darren Barefoot, author of Getting to First Base: A Social Media Marketing Playbook, has taken a novel approach to analyzing what the political parties in Canada mention on their campaign websites.

What with the forthcoming election and all, and being in marketing, I thought it might be interesting to use Wordle to distill each of the four national parties’ websites into a tag cloud. The cloud would reflect the terms that the party uses most frequently on their English-language websites. With an assist from Ask Metafilter, I got them done. I’ll explain a little more about how after the clouds.

[Read more…] about Tag Clouding the Campaign Websites – Unscientific, but Fun!

You only have five days left to post a comment in the 2008 Election Blog on re:politics (formerly, Maple Leaf Web) and enter to win one of two $50 gift certificates to Chapters.ca! Remember, the more you comment the better chance you have to WIN!

See this post for more details…
[Read more…] about Only Five Days Left to Enter to Win! Post a Comment on our Blog.

A lot has been made of Stephen Harper’s inability to empathize with "the average Canadian" during the present economic downturn.  To be certain, Mr. Harper has done little to help his cause.  Last night on The National, he made an off-hand comment about how the stock market decline has opened "opportunities" for Canadians to invest at bargain prices.  Earlier in the day, instead of releasing his platform in a more ‘grassroots’ setting, he opted for a business audience at the Canadian Club.  (No sweater vests allowed.)  In Harper’s defence, however, he faces a unique set of challenges — distinct from those facing opposition party leaders and the two presidential candidates in the United States.

[Read more…] about Harper’s Balancing Act: Confidence & Uncertainty