Let's Rock and Roll

[maplesyrup]

Ok folks, it is almost Rock & Roll time.

PM Martin was in Winnipeg today trying out his election style stump speech, where he dropped hints about a coming election.

He's just a middle of the road guy, Martin says.

This will be the first time for all three party leaders, Harper, Layton, and Martin, to be leading their respective parties into a federal election campaign.

Signalling that an election call may be just around the corner, Prime Minister Paul Martin told a lunchtime audience in Winnipeg, Man., that it's time to "let the debate begin."

"Combined with the presence of Jack Layton on the left, the selection of a leader for the united right presents Canadians with a very clear choice in the next election," Martin said Friday.

"So, let the debate begin."

Watching the Prime Minister from Ottawa, CTV's Mike Duffy said that for all Martin's rhetorical flourish, so far it's just " a blank canvas that's being offered.

"The ballot question has not been defined... In '88 it was free trade. What's it going to be this year?"

The best way to gauge Martin's next move, Duffy said, is to watch the public opinion polls.

Martin hints he's readying for an election call

[August1991]

I got the same impression, MapleSyrup, when I heard Martin today. I suspect the internal polls on the budget reaction were good.

Politicians of Martin's generation are envious of Trudeau's natural success in 1968. The lone guy who strides in and wins it. Chosen leader in April, elected in June.

In another thread, there was a discussion of whether politicians are "strategic" or "reformers" or some such. IME, they are ambitious - and that's it. And most have extremely narrow interests - politics. No one gets there unless there is an all consuming desire to be the centre of attention.

Conclusion? Martin wants a spring election, bad. And I have a sneaking suspicion that as soon as he calls it, he'll realize he's made a very bad decision.

[willy]

TD Bank CEO announced they are holding investment money waiting on a merger decision. They are working to the assumption that the election won’t go until fall, and the PM wont decided on bank mergers until after the election.

The budget won’t have a lasting impact. It had no legs.

Others say late May to late June. No consensus. Polls show a tight race.

I like to predict things but the evidence is all over the map.

[August1991]

All of the evidence says there will be a spring election, but it doesn't add up.

Why would the Liberals call an election now in the middle of a scandal, when half the population doesn't want them and they're at 38% in the polls (ie. minority gov't)?

Why not wait until the fall? In the summer, people forget politics and they'll forget this scandal. Chretien? Wasn't he a PM before? Gagliano? How do you pronounce that? [And I don't believe the Liberals are afraid of what new developments will come out. They know they can manage this.]

But all the evidence is there that we'll have a vote in early June. Why?

I suspect that Martin's ego wants it and that it's impossible to advise him otherwise. Martin thinks he really can do politics differently. The budget must have been conceived that way. Weird.

[angustia]

I think the Liberals will want an early election since who knows what other scandal will come out from this inquiry. The recent exposure of corruptions may very well be just the tip of the iceberg. All it takes is for more courageous public servants to come out and spill more beans.

[playfullfellow]

The earlier an election the better for Canadians in general. The earlier an election, the more Canadians will remeber this sponsorship fiasco. As 1991 stated, by the end of summer no one will remember any of this, especially the new media. I am sure they will be focusing on other innane subjects by then. So to PM Martin, lets get the ball rolling and the sooner the better so we can see some changes in the number of seats held by the Liberals.

[maplesyrup]

playfulfellow.....no arguement from me there.