Ignatieff calls it!

[fellowtraveller]

Bring on the talk of a coalition I want to watch the Tories bounce off the walls!

I really doubt that anybody in the NDP or Liberals want to hear anything about any coalition.... but the Tory war machine will ensure that every Canadian hears about it many. many times.

Bet on it.

"A vote for Jack is a vote for Gilles"

[punked]

I really doubt that anybody in the NDP or Liberals want to hear anything about any coalition.... but the Tory war machine will ensure that every Canadian hears about it many. many times.

Bet on it.

"A vote for Jack is a vote for Gilles"

I bet there are plenty of People who would vote for Gilles if he wasn't in a Separatist party.

[nicky10013]

So you think if Ignatieff delivers 80 seats he will stay? How about 85? 90? I think he needs 100.

I think he gets another kick at the can as long as he doesn't do as bad as Dion as another poster commented. The real reason behind this is because there isn't anyone other than Ignatieff that actually has a shot at winning government. There's Romeo Leblanc, Justin Trudeau which might do well but the biggest name out there as we all know is Bob Rae and there isn't a hope in hell of him winning seats in Ontario and there goes the election.

I don't think Ignatieff will do anywhere nearly as bad as Dion however. The party is already infinetly more organized than it was under Ignatieff. They have all their candidates lined up, the party is finally debt free and actually has a few million in the war chest, they've got a campaign plane on standby and just finalized a massive ad-buy for next week.

Furthermore, having a leader that actually speaks english is going to be a boon for the party (no offense to Mr. Dion, but we all know thats a pretty big reason for the past failure). Not to mention the fact that if Jumpin Jack destroyed Harper in the last election debate, how much easier will it be for a Harvard/Oxford professor? A lot of negativity swirls around Ignatieff simply due to doubt. People haven't heard much from him. Due to this fact I think for once the debate is going to be the swingpoint of the election. There's a possibility of 3 results. 1) Hey, this guy is actually smart and articulate I'm going to vote for him. 2) I don't care what he has to say, he's smug and arrogant and I don't need him lecturing me form his ivory tower. 3) He's not a Canadian and I was never going to vote for him anyway.

I hope it's number 1 but time will tell. Anything can happen. The polls are essentially tied. It's going to be a tight election and unless there's a MAJOR scandal we'll have another minority parliament. Should be an exciting two months!

[nicky10013]

I bet there are plenty of People who would vote for Gilles if he wasn't in a Separatist party.

People like him because he says what he thinks and he says what he thinks because he has nothing to lose. It's not like he has the chance to be PM. Same goes with Jack Layton. He can sound like a dick because in the end he doesn't really have to worry about pissing voters off. He's going to get the same 10% as he always does.

[punked]

I think he gets another kick at the can as long as he doesn't do as bad as Dion as another poster commented. The real reason behind this is because there isn't anyone other than Ignatieff that actually has a shot at winning government. There's Romeo Leblanc, Justin Trudeau which might do well but the biggest name out there as we all know is Bob Rae and there isn't a hope in hell of him winning seats in Ontario and there goes the election.

I don't think Ignatieff will do anywhere nearly as bad as Dion however. The party is already infinetly more organized than it was under Ignatieff. They have all their candidates lined up, the party is finally debt free and actually has a few million in the war chest, they've got a campaign plane on standby and just finalized a massive ad-buy for next week.

Furthermore, having a leader that actually speaks english is going to be a boon for the party (no offense to Mr. Dion, but we all know thats a pretty big reason for the past failure). Not to mention the fact that if Jumpin Jack destroyed Harper in the last election debate, how much easier will it be for a Harvard/Oxford professor? A lot of negativity swirls around Ignatieff simply due to doubt. People haven't heard much from him. Due to this fact I think for once the debate is going to be the swingpoint of the election. There's a possibility of 3 results. 1) Hey, this guy is actually smart and articulate I'm going to vote for him. 2) I don't care what he has to say, he's smug and arrogant and I don't need him lecturing me form his ivory tower. 3) He's not a Canadian and I was never going to vote for him anyway.

I hope it's number 1 but time will tell. Anything can happen. The polls are essentially tied. It's going to be a tight election and unless there's a MAJOR scandal we'll have another minority parliament. Should be an exciting two months!

There are a lot of assumptions for the guy who lost a leadership bid to Dion isn't there?

[Shady]

Oh, I'm certain that Harper was going to pull the trigger before the term limit. He did it before. We know he was capable of doing it again.

That may be the case, but the Canadian people will know that it was Ignatieff who called for the election. Not Harper. Plain and simple.

[jdobbin]

That may be the case, but the Canadian people will know that it was Ignatieff who called for the election. Not Harper. Plain and simple.

And how many times have parties been held to task for calling an election? I can think of maybe one time but never on a federal front.

[Wild Bill]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned a meme that has been slowly building, at least according to the media.

It's about Canadians slowly becoming disenchanted with a minority government! When one goes on too long it starts to appear as if you can't make any significant changes without a majority, since the opposition parties will simply block you.

According to some pundits this meme is out there, small but growing. How big it may become by election day is still not clear.

[capricorn]

Wild Bill, check out the poll at CTV.ca on the main news page asking who you would vote for in a federal election today.

Edited September 1, 2009 by capricorn

[Smallc]

Such a scientific poll too.

[punked]

Such a scientific poll too.

I think though the CBC would be more tilted the Liberal's and NDP's way but 60% there say no election. Although in the end there is never blow back for calling an election those Canadians who don't want one just don't vote.

[capricorn]

Such a scientific poll too.

I voted twice. Once on my desktop and once on my laptop. No harm having a bit of fun.

[punked]

I voted twice. Once on my desktop and once on my laptop. No harm having a bit of fun.

You could clear your cookies and vote 100 times if you wanted.

[nicky10013]

There are a lot of assumptions for the guy who lost a leadership bid to Dion isn't there?

It's not like Ignatieff wasn't leading at the convention. Gerard Kennedy decided to play kingmaker and that was that.

[Oleg Bach]

That's not the job of the opposition.

The job is not to oppose the population. I am coming to the conclution that the federal liberal party are actually the new conservatives of this new era...and NDP is very liberal...and the guys holding on in Ottawa are just lackies for the Cheneyites....I hope someone explains to the overly coporate Dick Cheney that he is no longer in control - and I hope that someone sends that message off to Harper and those other twits that did the dirty work for the buisness elite yanks - who wasted some of our finest white anglo males in Afghanistan - I would say between neo-cons speeding though the streets of toronto like drunken rambos.....and the creeps who assist with the sale of war supplies - while having us chant "so a little girl can go to school" - simply just go away - no more crooks please!

[capricorn]

You could clear your cookies and vote 100 times if you wanted.

punked, everyone knows those media internet polls are unscientific, even me. It didn't take long though for a Liberal supporter to point it out.

BTW, I wouldn't know how to clear cookies and not really interested in knowing how. I just have a bit of fun voting on my 2 computers like a lot do. I should really get a life.

[punked]

It's not like Ignatieff wasn't leading at the convention. Gerard Kennedy decided to play kingmaker and that was that.

What does that even mean he doesn't know how to run for the leadership of his own party? He had 1/3rd of the delegates on the first ballot and on the third ballot had only a little more. So his supporters stick he just isn't attractive to others? What this guy lost to Dion nicky. You guys will be playing this up btw when the debates roll around so you can say he won them I promise.

[Vancouver King]

It's about Canadians slowly becoming disenchanted with a minority government! When one goes on too long it starts to appear as if you can't make any significant changes without a majority, since the opposition parties will simply block you.

According to some pundits this meme is out there, small but growing. How big it may become by election day is still not clear.

Nik Nanos recently observed this same factor:

"The sleeper issue in the next federal election might well be minority government fatigue. Prior to the first minority government in 2004, there was a sense that minority governments would have a positive influence on the political process as it would force parties and leaders to work together. Minority governemnt was also seen as a positive factor in the first Harper governemnt where Canadians could try an alternative to the Liberals while minimizing risks.

However, the issue of continued minority governments in the context of an economic downturn, creates a different lens where voters may be more concerned about the distraction of brinkmanship politics and its possible negative impact on any minority government's ability to govern."

Edited September 2, 2009 by Vancouver King

[Oleg Bach]

Afghanistan should sink Harpers boat - but it won't because your average Canadian is to stupid to understand that we have an arrogant Canadian elite that will kill your young men and we will cheer as if it was an honour to sacrafice our own sons to the masters of the manor..

[capricorn]

The NDP could save the Conservative government from a fall defeat if the Tories make strides to boost pensions, slay bank and credit card fees and help the unemployed. Senior New Democrats suggested the 36-member caucus could save the country from an unwanted fall vote if Prime Minister Stephen Harper agrees to support key NDP priorities. “The Prime Minister needs to decide if he wants to call an election or call Mr. Layton,” said NDP national director Brad Lavigne. Lavigne said the caucus would take a wait-and-see approach to the Liberal non-confidence motion expected this fall. The NDP is prepared to fight an election but it hasn’t closed the door to working with the Tories, he said. “If (the Conservatives) want to start making gestures in the interests of all Canadians such as working on pensions (and) bank fees or other things that are of interest to Canadians then I don’t think we will have to foist the fourth general election on Canadians in five years,” said NDP deputy leader and finance critic Thomas Mulcair.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2009/...710436-sun.html

This is a very shrewd move by the NDP. Not committing but keeping the door open to preventing an election is bound to endear the NDP to those Canadians dead set against an election. If they come through and work to keep the Conservatives in government for awhile longer, there may be future dividends to winning over some voters who are displeased with the two leading parties.

[punked]

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/canada/2009/...710436-sun.html

This is a very shrewd move by the NDP. Not committing but keeping the door open to preventing an election is bound to endear the NDP to those Canadians dead set against an election. If they come through and work to keep the Conservatives in government for awhile longer, there may be future dividends to winning over some voters who are displeased with the two leading parties.

It is the same deal we gave Martin, although I bet Harper does not take it. Depends on his Quebec numbers I think.

[Keepitsimple]

Now, by all means tell me that this will result in Harper getting his majority. I don't think it will. I believe it will result in a Tory minority with reduced numbers based on what we see now. After that, I guess the Tories will have to decide if they want to go into another election after that under Harper. That would be a few kicks at the can. I suspect there will be some serious thought abut trying something different.

If Ignatieff pulls the trigger like he says he will, Harper will not get a majority. I've said many times that it's almost impossible to pull off a majority under the current set-up - the cards would have to fall perfectly right across the country. I have little doubt the Liberals will pick up a few seats (they couldn't possibly do any worse....or could they?) but the Conservatives will still have a strong minority and can continue to govern......and that's what it's all about - continuity. The longer Harper stays in power, the more he can cultivate his own image, that of the party and the comfort of Canadians. At this point, any thoughts that the Liberals could regain power in any form is wild and rabid speculation.

[Smallc]

I predict that if an election happens, there will be a weak minority....which party will have it? I can't say. Some of you are really underestimating Ignatieff. He'll give Harper more than a run for his money once he actually starts campaigning, and that's something I expect him to start doing almost immediately. Summers over, and the people are watching.

[jdobbin]

This is a very shrewd move by the NDP. Not committing but keeping the door open to preventing an election is bound to endear the NDP to those Canadians dead set against an election. If they come through and work to keep the Conservatives in government for awhile longer, there may be future dividends to winning over some voters who are displeased with the two leading parties.

You think the base of either the NDP and Tories are going to be happy about this coalition?

[jdobbin]

It is the same deal we gave Martin, although I bet Harper does not take it. Depends on his Quebec numbers I think.

Good luck. Maybe it will be the Liberals who vote the next 79 times in non-confidence as the NDP prop up the Tories.