Canadian Political Polls

[Smallc]

Ban making polls public during elections. Period. I'm tired of all these polls and seeming attempt to subtly influence how people will vote.

Freedom of the press.

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

a ) freedom of conscience and religion;

b ) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

c ) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

d ) freedom of association.

They can't be kept from doing it and they shouldn't be kept from doing it. We have one of the most open societies in the world and IMO, it should be kept that way.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Smallc

[jdobbin]

The collapse of the Liberal vote continues.

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/498855

According to The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey, Liberal support slipped to 24 per cent, a full 17-points behind Stephen Harper's Conservatives at 41 per cent.

The NDP and Green party made modest gains at the Liberals' expense, ending the week at 16 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

[jdobbin]

A lot has happened in the past three weeks. I agree that a Harper majority would be bad news, but increasing your font size isn't going to bring the Liberals back. It's also not going to overpower the Ignore feature.

I can only imagine who you are replying to. lol

I don't think I have been the least bit alarmist is pointing out the obvious collapse in Liberal support and indicating that the party is running on borrowed money and borrowed time.

[Vancouver King]

The collapse of the Liberal vote continues.

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/498855

No mistaking the fat lady is warming her vocal chords.

Perhaps voters on the left might consider the Liberal collapse as an oppourtunity to apprentice Layton as Leader of the Opposition. No strategic voting now needed, a sea change in the country's politics is now possible.

[HisSelf]

The election has just started. Let's wait until all the chickens are out and clucking before we count them...

[jdobbin]

No mistaking the fat lady is warming her vocal chords.

Perhaps voters on the left might consider the Liberal collapse as an oppourtunity to apprentice Layton as Leader of the Opposition. No strategic voting now needed, a sea change in the country's politics is now possible.

Layton will have to better than he is now. He is behind the Greens in B.C. by a point.

[Ontario Loyalist]

Freedom of the press.

2. Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

a ) freedom of conscience and religion;

b ) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

c ) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

d ) freedom of association.

They can't be kept from doing it and they shouldn't be kept from doing it. We have one of the most open societies in the world and IMO, it should be kept that way.

We do not have an absolute freedom of the press; the media is prohibited from reporting a number of things, such as the age of young offenders, victims of certain kinds of crimes, profanity, etc. and this is not much different; these polls are meant just as much to influence as they are to inform and as a result the outcomes of our elections are always suspect.

[HisSelf]

We do not have an absolute freedom of the press; the media is prohibited from reporting a number of things, such as the age of young offenders, victims of certain kinds of crimes, profanity, etc. and this is not much different; these polls are meant just as much to influence as they are to inform and as a result the outcomes of our elections are always suspect.

O come on. The age of young offenders? So you really think that we need to know the identity of a 13 year old kid who steals a soda pop from a 7-11?

[Wild Bill]

The election has just started. Let's wait until all the chickens are out and clucking before we count them...

Speaking of chickens, having Jack as the Opposition might be a good thing! Finally we would have a simple clear choice of "left and right", to put it in simple terms.

The Liberals tended to be a mushy choice, never clearly standing for anything but trying to appear to stand for everything!

As Opposition, the NDP would have to become a lot more practical since they might actually be called to govern. This would tend to mollify some of their more "silly" views.

Canada might actually be better served with such an outcome.

[Bryan]

O come on. The age of young offenders? So you really think that we need to know the identity of a 13 year old kid who steals a soda pop from a 7-11?

Perhaps not, but what about someone who is stealing cars, a serial arsonist, or committing violent crimes? The public should have the right to know who is doing these things, regardless of their age.

[Ontario Loyalist]

O come on. The age of young offenders? So you really think that we need to know the identity of a 13 year old kid who steals a soda pop from a 7-11?

My bad. I meant name.

[Smallc]

Speaking of chickens, having Jack as the Opposition might be a good thing! Finally we would have a simple clear choice of "left and right", to put it in simple terms.

The Liberals tended to be a mushy choice, never clearly standing for anything but trying to appear to stand for everything!

Which s why the Liberals have been the party in government for the majority of the time. They don't stick to any kind of ideological line, and can take ideas from anywhere and use them. IMO, the best possible type of government.

[jdobbin]

As Opposition, the NDP would have to become a lot more practical since they might actually be called to govern. This would tend to mollify some of their more "silly" views.

Has that happened to the NDP elsewhere? They still are not exactly centrists in Manitoba.

[Smallc]

They still are not exactly centrists in Manitoba.

I would say that they are. They are more Centrist than the Manitoba Liberal party in my view.

[jdobbin]

I would say that they are. They are more Centrist than the Manitoba Liberal party in my view.

You think the Liberals are more left than the NDP in Manitoba?

[Smallc]

You think the Liberals are more left than the NDP in Manitoba?

I would say that John Gerrard is to the left of Gary Doer. Gary doer seems to have ideas that resonate more with the main stream. The NDP in Manitoba are really more Social Democrats than Socialists.

Edited September 14, 2008 by Smallc

[Bryan]

You think the Liberals are more left than the NDP in Manitoba?

I would say that John Gerrard is to the left of Gary Doer. Gary doer seems to have ideas that resonate more with the main stream. The NDP in Manitoba are really more Social Democrats than Socialists.

That's certainly been my perception. I think that's a common belief that has a lot to with why the Mb Liberals fail to get any traction, even when the federal Liberals are in majority.

Edited September 14, 2008 by Bryan

[jdobbin]

I would say that John Gerrard is to the left of Gary Doer. Gary doer seems to have ideas that resonate more with the main stream. The NDP in Manitoba are really more Social Democrats than Socialists.

The NDP is a social democratic party. You are trying to say the Liberals are socialists?

Gary Doer, by the way, is a populist.

You would have to explain to me how Gerrard had ideas to the left of Doer.

[jdobbin]

That's certainly been my perception. I think that's a common belief that has a lot to with why the Mb Liberals fail to get any traction, even when the federal Liberals are in majority.

Your perception is that the Liberals are socialists in Manitoba? I am scratching my head on that one. What policies specifically?

[jbg]

A lot has happened in the past three weeks. I agree that a Harper majority would be bad news, but increasing your font size isn't going to bring the Liberals back. It's also not going to overpower the Ignore feature.

I am mocking a particular poster's use of the "ignore" feature, since I never meant her or him the slightest harm and she or he knows it.

[jbg]

I can only imagine who you are replying to. lol

Me.

I don't think I have been the least bit alarmist is pointing out the obvious collapse in Liberal support and indicating that the party is running on borrowed money and borrowed time.

All campaigns borrow money against incoming governmental election funding, or so I am told

[jbg]

As Opposition, the NDP would have to become a lot more practical since they might actually be called to govern. This would tend to mollify some of their more "silly" views.

You already have such a party; the Liberals.

[jdobbin]

Latest Decima poll.

http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/499142

On the election question, the Conservatives led with 40 per cent support nationally, opening up a 14-point edge over the Liberals with 26 per cent.

The New Democrats stood at 15 per cent, the upstart Green party at nine and the Quebec-based Bloc Québécois at eight per cent. The poll is considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Latest Ekos poll:

http://www.ekoselection.com/index.php/2008...-slipping-away/

National federal vote intention: CPC 35%, Liberal 25%, NDP 19%, Green Party 11%, and the BQ 9%.

Latest Nanos poll:

http://netnewsledger.com/index.php?option=...4&Itemid=26

CPAC-Nanos nightly tracking completed last night (September 11th) shows the Conservatives seven points ahead of the Liberals among decided voters. (CP 38%, Lib 31%, NDP 14%, BQ 9% GP 9%). The Tories and Liberals continue to be statistically tied in Ontario (Lib 40%; CP 39%) with the Tories extending their lead in the West to 18 points (CP 45%; Lib 27%).

The trends still show the Tories moving to a large majority and the Liberal vote collapsing.

Edited September 15, 2008 by jdobbin

[August1991]

ONTARIO BATTLEGROUND RIDINGS

Stephen Harper: 37%

Stéphane Dion: 12%

Jack Layton: 14%

Elizabeth May: 9%

Other answer: 28%

G&M

It is the collapse of Liberal support in Ontario (and specifically Dion's inability to connect to Ontario voters) that is the main Liberal problem in this federal election and explains a possible Conservative majority.

I think that there are two explanations for this: 1. the Liberals for too long have taken for granted the 905 immigrant vote. (These people hate taxes.) 2. There are large number of Ontario voters (immigrants/anglos) who will vote for the "national" party. That is, they vote for the party perceived as being popular in French Canada. These voters want Canadians to get along, they want peace and they want "national unity".

Harper's success in Quebec might give him 10 more seats in Quebec but it will also give him another 10 seats in Ontario.

Edited September 15, 2008 by August1991

[Jerry J. Fortin]

The election is a long ways off yet, and with a little luck the Conservatives will continue to hinder their own efforts. I don't think anything else will stop them.