"Historical" Party Leaders' Debates

[PoliticalCitizen]

Don't miss the Party Leaders' Debates!

The French debate runs from 8 – 10 p.m. today and the English from 9 – 11 p.m. tomorrow. Both will be broadcast live on major networks.

This will be the first time the Green Party leader, Elisabeth May, participates in the official elections debates!

This may also be a time of an all-time low for the Liberals...

Don't miss them!

[capricorn]

I would reword this thread title to "hysterical" party leaders' debates.

Thanks for the info PC. I'll be watching.

[PoliticalCitizen]

I would reword this thread title to "hysterical" party leaders' debates.

Thanks for the info PC. I'll be watching.

Hehehe

I hope the 5 spend less time accusing each other and more time answering the actual questions.

Edited October 1, 2008 by PoliticalCitizen

[blueblood]

Hehehe

I the 5 spend less time accusing each other and more time answering the actual questions.

It'll be better than 2006 Q&A session, where everyones a winner. I hope there are some good stumpers pulled in this debate and we have clear winners and losers.

[capricorn]

Something different is that they will be sitting at a round table, not standing at a podium. Think May and Dion will use their feet to relay signals?

[Canadian Blue]

Their might be less yelling, which is a good thing.

[PoliticalCitizen]

Their might be less yelling, which is a good thing.

My personal opinions after the French round of the debates:

Harper held his ground but looked and sounded MUCH humbler than in English;

Dion proved to be quite eloquent (in French) but his behaviour was not that of a politician;

Duceppe proved a formidable opponent (in French);

May was struggling (in French) but still able to get her point across.

I think the round table was an EXCELLENT idea

Edited October 2, 2008 by PoliticalCitizen

[kengs333]

So everybody who thought that five people would be too many now has been proven wrong. I only saw the end, but Dion seemed to handle himself okay. But of the real test is tomorrow; we'll see how much his English will falter. As for Harper, he seemed to almost have a pained look on his face at time and one can only imagine that he was stewing inside. Perhaps tomorrow in English May will be able to better push his buttons. I love her comments after the debate; she's going after the women, and there's nothing women love more than their children and can't stand less than a non-communicative man.

[PoliticalCitizen]

So everybody who thought that five people would be too many now has been proven wrong. I only saw the end, but Dion seemed to handle himself okay. But of the real test is tomorrow; we'll see how much his English will falter. As for Harper, he seemed to almost have a pained look on his face at time and one can only imagine that he was stewing inside. Perhaps tomorrow in English May will be able to better push his buttons. I love her comments after the debate; she's going after the women, and there's nothing women love more than their children and can't stand less than a non-communicative man.

Great points, I totally agree

[PoliticalCitizen]

Interestingly enough, Harper's English performance was worse than his French.

He was probably instructed by his strategists not to attack - but poor guy's eyes got red of unreleased anger

Duceppe was sharp and very much to the point.

Dion had some highs but his English couldn't have done him a worse service.

Layton's attacks were very bold but felt more theatrical.

May delivered an outstanding performance by not just going through the memorized campaing script but bringing some real facts to the table.

Overall I think it was an excellent discussion.

My opinion is that as a result Conservatives may lose some votes and BQ may gain some.

Edited October 3, 2008 by PoliticalCitizen

[capricorn]

Interestingly enough, Harper's English performance was worse than his French.

He was probably instructed by his strategists not to attack - but poor guy's eyes got red of unreleased anger

Harper has asthma. I'd cut him some slack for the redness around the eyes.

Dion had some highs but his English couldn't have done him a worse service.

In parts, he was totally incomprehensible.

May delivered an outstanding performance by not just going through the memorized campaing script but bringing some real facts to the table.

Outstanding? Get a grip. What I'll give her is that she has a sense of humour.

Overall I think it was an excellent discussion.

You call that a discussion? The opposition leaders came across as a bunch of chihuahuas chewing at a postman's leg.

[PoliticalCitizen]

You call that a discussion? The opposition leaders came across as a bunch of chihuahuas chewing at a postman's leg.

Actually I think the moderator has done an excellent job.

Both debates made me proud to be a Canadian as I witnessed Democracy at its best.

[Wild Bill]

I would have appreciated being able to hear most of Harper's answers!

Seems every time an opponent posed a question he and the rest of them jumped all over Harper so I couldn't hear the answer.

Now I wake up to read my morning paper and see lefty critics savage Harper for not answering!

Unbelievable!

Dion and Duceppe weren't too bad but Layton and May sounded like refugees from "babble.com". No manners at all.

[OddSox]

I would have appreciated being able to hear most of Harper's answers!

Seems every time an opponent posed a question he and the rest of them jumped all over Harper so I couldn't hear the answer.

Now I wake up to read my morning paper and see lefty critics savage Harper for not answering!

Unbelievable!

Dion and Duceppe weren't too bad but Layton and May sounded like refugees from "babble.com". No manners at all.

In a way, that gave Harper an advantage. With only a few seconds to answer four different questions (at least) from the opposition, he had the luxury of picking which attack he wanted to address, allowing him to ignore the others.

[PoliticalCitizen]

In a way, that gave Harper an advantage. With only a few seconds to answer four different questions (at least) from the opposition, he had the luxury of picking which attack he wanted to address, allowing him to ignore the others.

In the end I think he held his ground pretty well, didn't even lose that fake smile of his

[PoliticalCitizen]

I would have appreciated being able to hear most of Harper's answers!

Seems every time an opponent posed a question he and the rest of them jumped all over Harper so I couldn't hear the answer.

Now I wake up to read my morning paper and see lefty critics savage Harper for not answering!

Unbelievable!

Dion and Duceppe weren't too bad but Layton and May sounded like refugees from "babble.com". No manners at all.

Politics and manners don't really go hand in hand but I believe Layton's behaviour was too agressive and Dion was the most polite.

[Oleg Bach]

Really - what motivates an NDPer anyway? Are they motivated by great spiritual convictions? I would say not - who they really are is just what is left of the blue collar class that wants to live in Rosedale - they are not angels. Layton wants to show how tough he is - that he is tougher than Harper. This does not come across as he wished. Socialist make lousy street fighters - all are cowards. As for manners - politicans must show civility if they are going to build a civilization. Rude verbal aggressioin indicates a lack of confidence. If they were truely confident they would not need to bully.

[PoliticalCitizen]

Really - what motivates an NDPer anyway? Are they motivated by great spiritual convictions? I would say not - who they really are is just what is left of the blue collar class that wants to live in Rosedale - they are not angels. Layton wants to show how tough he is - that he is tougher than Harper. This does not come across as he wished. Socialist make lousy street fighters - all are cowards. As for manners - politicans must show civility if they are going to build a civilization. Rude verbal aggressioin indicates a lack of confidence. If they were truely confident they would not need to bully.

Yeah...

Comments like:

"Where's your platform? Under the sweater?"

or

"If you say the Canadian economy is fine you either don't care or you're incompetent"

made to the Prime Minister do not come across as a nice thing. And Laton's vision of himself as the PM is a pipe dream...

Now even though Harper was trying to hold back most of his cheap shots he still made a couple:

- He said Liberals would take more in taxes than they would give based on 1 page of their platform but his advisors were either too lazy or wanted him to lie as the rest of the numbers were on another page of the Liberal platform, and toghether made the tax revenue-neutral (at least on paper);

- He said he unlike other party leaders doesn't use private clinics but failed to point out which party leader has

- He tried to promote the "Family Guy" image that his strategists chose for him when asked about cutting arts funds - started talking about his daughter painting and his son playing guitar... (I hope he's at least financing his kids )

[Oleg Bach]

If an artist is the real deal he or she will have success - Good artist make relevant statements that people will buy. Those wanna be artists that need funding simply are not any good at what they do. Take for instance a grant given to an "author" To study the lives of strippers...what's the point? Constantly I find myself saying as far as politicans - not what their platform is but what their purpose for existance is. LAYTON is actually anti-family - He wants to create a soviet style day care nation where woman are NOT allowed to raise their own children. If he was a family guy he would look for ways of re-establishing what was good in the past and what was family...instead he wants to create a utlitiarian hell like China has - what a pesky man.

[PoliticalCitizen]

If an artist is the real deal he or she will have success - Good artist make relevant statements that people will buy. Those wanna be artists that need funding simply are not any good at what they do. Take for instance a grant given to an "author" To study the lives of strippers...what's the point? Constantly I find myself saying as far as politicans - not what their platform is but what their purpose for existance is. LAYTON is actually anti-family - He wants to create a soviet style day care nation where woman are NOT allowed to raise their own children. If he was a family guy he would look for ways of re-establishing what was good in the past and what was family...instead he wants to create a utlitiarian hell like China has - what a pesky man.

I think state-sponsored or owned daycare would be good and give people an incentive to multiply.

Haven't heard that from any party so far...