Ignatieff vaults Liberals into tie with Tories: poll

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I must agree, he must show he is Canadian.

[gordiecanuk]

I must agree, he must show he is Canadian.

So going abroad and teaching in France, and at prestigious schools like Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard...Now Ignatieff is somehow compelled to show us he's really a Canadian???

I don't think the majority of Canadians are that small minded...I think most will welcome someone with Iggy's intellect and international experience.

[Mr.Canada]

Ignatieff has been in Canada for 2 years and has almost zero political experience and barely public speaks. To boot he has never run anything or organized anything in his life. Just wait til he actually gets speaking to Canada more. Canada will see through him for what he is. Another arrogant professor like Dion. But unlike DIon Iggnatieff has lived the last 28 of 30 years outside of Canada. He's going to fall like a stone once the Tory war machine rolls over him.

[Smallc]

Keep Dreaming Mr. Canada. The big red machine is back in gear.

[blueblood]

Keep Dreaming Mr. Canada. The big red machine is back in gear.

They said that when Dion first was made leader, he also polled very well right off the bat. Just wait a couple of months, and then see.

I will say however, the Liberals are in much better strategic shape than they were with Dion as leader. All the Libs have to do is pass the budget and they have the Tories by the throat.

[Smallc]

They said that when Dion first was made leader, he also polled very well right off the bat.

Ignatieff is not Dion. This is a completely different situation. Ignatieff has a huge and well developed organization. Dion didn't. Things are very different this time.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

It appears that the right wing is already a bit nervous. I will suggest that it is not unfounded paranoia on their part. It has been a while since the Liberals have had a real opportunity to make a difference. Iggy is beginning to wrinkle the skin of conservatives.

[bluegreen]

Ignatieff has been in Canada for 2 years and has almost zero political experience and barely public speaks. To boot he has never run anything or organized anything in his life. Just wait til he actually gets speaking to Canada more. Canada will see through him for what he is. Another arrogant professor like Dion. But unlike DIon Iggnatieff has lived the last 28 of 30 years outside of Canada. He's going to fall like a stone once the Tory war machine rolls over him.

HaHaHaHaHa!

I've known Ignatieff since he was gifted the nomination in Etobicoke Lakeshore by Jean Augustine. This was the remnants of the Chretian teams revenge on Paul Martin. The man who was so obviously his nemesis. Paul ended up being his own nemesis. But Ignatieff remains(Remember PM bounced Jean Augustine from Cabinet, merely because she was a Chretien ally)

You know absolutely less than nothing about the man Mr. Canada. Ignatieff has been a lecturer for how many decades now? And you claim no public speaking experience? Fall like a stone! Tory War machine! HaHaHaHaHa!

[Jerry J. Fortin]

HaHaHaHaHa!

I've known Ignatieff since he was gifted the nomination in Etobicoke Lakeshore by Jean Augustine. This was the remnants of the Chretian teams revenge on Paul Martin. The man who was so obviously his nemesis. Paul ended up being his own nemesis. But Ignatieff remains(Remember PM bounced Jean Augustine from Cabinet, merely because she was a Chretien ally)

You know absolutely less than nothing about the man Mr. Canada. Ignatieff has been a lecturer for how many decades now? And you claim no public speaking experience? Fall like a stone! Tory War machine! HaHaHaHaHa!

Do not underestimate the ability of the Conservative Party to collect massive donations to fill a war chest. Donations are strange things, dinners and the like, speaking tours, there are lots of ways to raise money. Corporate Canada has a vested interest in promoting the Conservative agenda.

[Mr.Canada]

Just wait for the anti-Ignatieff TV ads to start. The smear campaign against Ignatieff will be worse then the one used against Dion. You'll see. The Liberals have no money to have any TV ads at all and therefore cannot fight back...again.

Has Dion paid off his leadership race debt yet? This is the real reason why there was no leadership convention, the LPC cannot afford to hold one. It still has debts from years ago it needs to pay off.

[Progressive Tory]

Do not underestimate the ability of the Conservative Party to collect massive donations to fill a war chest. Donations are strange things, dinners and the like, speaking tours, there are lots of ways to raise money. Corporate Canada has a vested interest in promoting the Conservative agenda.

I'm not so sure that's true. Ignatieff is more of a Red Tory than a Liberal when it comes to business and industry. He has a lot more support from Corporate Canada than people think. All thoughts of a Harper majority have gone up in smoke, and so has his integrity. In an article giving reasons why Harper should resign: "Mr. Harper is ultimately responsible for this unhappy state of affairs. It is the byproduct of his machinations, and the product of a failure of his leadership." http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto...gam_mostdiscuss

They may have more money, but what are they going to spend it on?

1. Ignatieff is too American? He is aligned with Obama (Canadians LOVE OBAMA), a Harvard Graduate who finished top of his class. Iggy taught there. Harper is aligned with Bush, whose family had the money to send him to Ivy League schools, but he was a C student, and hardly the pride of the school. Harper has a masters in economics, hardly a rarity, but never worked as an economist. Besides, if he didn't see this coming I'm guessing he was probably a C student too.

2. He's too smart - Yeah we know.

3. He supported the War in Iraq - Yeah but so did Harper, and with stolen speeches.

4. The coalition - all of Harper's cries of 'I'm being picked on', went up in smoke, when his whole campaign to save his job turned out to be a COMPLETE FABRICATION. Iggy was not a fan of the Coalition but knows that it needs to be kept breathing so Harper does his job. He will only take power if Harper FORCES him too.

5. Karl Rove has left the building, and dirty ugly campaigning only scares Canadians into staying home. However, Obama avoided it and Americans couldn't get to the polls fast enough. Iggy is our Obama.

Tory War machine. Ha ha ha.

[Vancouver King]

Just wait for the anti-Ignatieff TV ads to start. The smear campaign against Ignatieff will be worse then the one used against Dion. You'll see.

Nik Nanos from yesterday's shocking poll:

"I think if the Conservatives embarked on what I'll say is a significant initiative to attack Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals, it will probably backfire because what it shows is Stephen Harper focusing more on politics as opposed to jobs and the economy".

[bluegreen]

Just wait for the anti-Ignatieff TV ads to start. The smear campaign against Ignatieff will be worse then the one used against Dion. You'll see. The Liberals have no money to have any TV ads at all and therefore cannot fight back...again.

Has Dion paid off his leadership race debt yet? This is the real reason why there was no leadership convention, the LPC cannot afford to hold one. It still has debts from years ago it needs to pay off.

To Add to Progressive Tory's response above,

I'll say that Mr. Canada is reliving the past. Tut tut. You're worse than the lazier macro-economists who claim it happened before therefore it will happen again. What are the causal factors? Smear Campaigns are of limited use. They need working material, and the most effective smears will redound onto the Conservatives.

The Liberals will have buckets and buckets of cash next time. Even if the election is in two months, the Liberals will raise a ton of cash for it. They have more membership, and a much much broader potential base than the CPC. All the tools are there, and they will use them.

Also, Dion was inarticulate in English. If Ignatieff ridicules, then it will stick because he's very smart, and will be well supported by the likes of Kinsella. Dion had a poor team at best, and was consequently an easy mark. Lastly, who cares about Dion's leadership debt? What on earth does that have to do with Liberal Party fortunes moving forward? That is evidence only of Dion's personal infrastructure and support, not the Liberal Party's.

I am a Green Party supporter, so it doesn't please me to say it, but the Liberals will skewer the ploitical centre under Ignatieff, while the CPC will be forced to retreat on their extremist base. Can you spell MARGINALIZED?

[bush_cheney2004]

...5. Karl Rove has left the building, and dirty ugly campaigning only scares Canadians into staying home. However, Obama avoided it and Americans couldn't get to the polls fast enough. Iggy is our Obama.

Sure...we all new that "Canada's Obama" would never be a "visible minority".

[Smallc]

Sure...we all knew that "Canada's Obama" would never be a "visible minority".

There's no reason that it would have to be. People are simply people, after all.

[bush_cheney2004]

There's no reason that it would have to be. People are simply people, after all.

Of course not...but there is more to Obama's meteoric rise to political stardom than just getting A's at Harvard.

Canada has no Obama....and likely never will.

[fellowtraveller]

If, on the other hand, Ignatieff votes no confidence in Harper, he'll be the next Prime Minister and will govern until the economy improves, say three years from now. At which time, he'll claim credit for the improved times and likely win a majority. He'll govern to 2016 and beyond.

If Ignatieff takes power via the coalition, he will hand Canada to the Tories for a generation or longer. The only question will be how long Iggy can withstand the humiliations that will be forthcoming regularly from Duceppe and less often from Layton.

But... he is too smart for that, though Harper may well put him severely to the test with a big fat greasy poison pill in the next budget.

[Smallc]

But... he is too smart for that, though Harper may well put him severely to the test with a big fat greasy poison pill in the next budget.

If Harper does that, I would almost bet that Ignatieff would echo the calls of the Prime Minister to have an election. Remember, the Liberals have almost no where to go but up.

[blueblood]

If Harper does that, I would almost bet that Ignatieff would echo the calls of the Prime Minister to have an election. Remember, the Liberals have almost no where to go but up.

Really, it appears public opinion these days turns on a dime. It's whoever can spin the best that comes out on top. Harper put the kibosh on the coalition on that. Harper has a tightrope to walk for the next couple of weeks. Harper is playing into the fact that Canadians want gov't to all work together to deal with the economic problems. If Harper slides in poison, he has the initiative by saying "Blah blah blah, Ignatieff doesn't want to work cooperatively to solve problems, blah blah blah, Ignatieff only cares about gaining power just like the rest of them, blah blah blah, The tories are listening to Canadians by trying to work together, the Liberals are not" and so on and so forth.

The Liberals have a narrow window of opportunity to seize power, and in that window they will have an easy job of it. The Tories now have to work on closing that window.

[Barts]

Of course not...but there is more to Obama's meteoric rise to political stardom than just getting A's at Harvard.

Canada has no Obama....and likely never will.

You clearly don't know your Canadian history. We already did "Obama"; his name was Trudeau, and the movement was called "Trudeaumania."

[blueblood]

You clearly don't know your Canadian history. We already did "Obama"; his name was Trudeau, and the movement was called "Trudeaumania."

And we are still paying for it today...

[gordiecanuk]

Nik Nanos from yesterday's shocking poll:

"I think if the Conservatives embarked on what I'll say is a significant initiative to attack Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals, it will probably backfire because what it shows is Stephen Harper focusing more on politics as opposed to jobs and the economy".

Never underestimate the Conservative's devotion to gutter politics.

[bush_cheney2004]

You clearly don't know your Canadian history. We already did "Obama"; his name was Trudeau, and the movement was called "Trudeaumania."

Not the same thing because of circumstances...the "world" didn't give a crap whether PET / party won or lost.

Edited January 10, 2009 by bush_cheney2004

[Barts]

And we are still paying for it today...

... reaping the benefits if you're someone who just happens to respect fundamental human and political rights.

[Barts]

Not the same thing because of circumstances...the "world" didn't give a crap whether PET / party won or lost.

The world doesn't give crap about anything that happens in Canada. Consequently your objection to my observation is, typically, specious. You never fail to disappoint b/c 2004.

BTW, when Obama won the presidency I e-mailed the White House to thank George and Dick for making the Obama presidency possible. Had George and Dick run even a marginally successful administration, I doubt Obama would have won. But, of course, I digress from the topic.