Canadian Political Polls

[Moonbox]

I can't see that happening. There's way too much bad blood, even though I felt that the economic crisis would have been an opportunity for a "national government".

It won't happen because the Liberals would kill themselves aligning with the NDP. The difference between the Liberals and CPC isn't huge and there are a lot of red conservatives that would bail the second it happened.

[Jack Weber]

It won't happen because the Liberals would kill themselves aligning with the NDP. The difference between the Liberals and CPC isn't huge and there are a lot of red conservatives that would bail the second it happened.

Agreed!

[M.Dancer]

I think a possible scenario is that Jack (fighting bravely) will increase the support for the NDP and NDP support will erode support for the Liberals who have done their darndest to appear as the party of political emasculation.

Fiscal conservatives will align themselves with the Conservatives, socialsist liberals with the NDP, leaving the core Capital L liberals as the decided second party. The bleeding off of 1-3% to the NDP and 1-3% to the Conservatives may add a seat to the NDP but the real battles will be in closely contested Liberal ridings.

The only real question is Quebec, where the NDP is a non entity and the fortunes of the |Conservatives and the Liberals can changes quickly over alomost any issue.

If the Conservatives can hold on to theior Quebec base, the end result of Jack (fighting bravely) Layton will be a narrow Conservative majority.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

I think a possible scenario is that Jack (fighting bravely) will increase the support for the NDP and NDP support will erode support for the Liberals who have done their darndest to appear as the party of political emasculation.

Fiscal conservatives will align themselves with the Conservatives, socialsist liberals with the NDP, leaving the core Capital L liberals as the decided second party. The bleeding off of 1-3% to the NDP and 1-3% to the Conservatives may add a seat to the NDP but the real battles will be in closely contested Liberal ridings.

The only real question is Quebec, where the NDP is a non entity and the fortunes of the |Conservatives and the Liberals can changes quickly over alomost any issue.

If the Conservatives can hold on to theior Quebec base, the end result of Jack (fighting bravely) Layton will be a narrow Conservative majority.

I think the Conservatives will lose seats in Quebec. Conservatives in BC are at peril as well.

[wyly]

I think the Conservatives will lose seats in Quebec. Conservatives in BC are at peril as well.

Quebec for the conservatives is gone...any gain for the liberals in Ontario and Harper if not defeated outright will be done as the leader of the conservatives for failure to deliver...

[Mr.Canada]

Harper is the best commodity we have at the moment. Someone from the Tory benches needs to step it up and start sounding like a leader before Harper can leave.

[Smallc]

The Ipsos-Reid survey, conducted for the CanWest newspaper group, put support for the Conservatives at 34 percent, down from 37 percent in a previous survey from the same company.

The Liberals, the main opposition party, had 28 percent support, down from 29 percent.

Canada's Conservatives lead in opinion poll

[blueblood]

Canada's Conservatives lead in opinion poll

Same holding pattern for the last 2-3 years.

[Topaz]

Has anyone here been called by any of these polls? I wonder if they are asking the same people.

[Dave_ON]

Has anyone here been called by any of these polls? I wonder if they are asking the same people.

That's ridiculous, polling firms are not the same as telemarketers. It's a random sampling and while the occasional poll can be way out at times, they in general align with one another. If you look closely at the support the CPC has now you'll notice it's close to what they had at election time. If another election were held we'd end up with about the same results. These forums are not a good sampling of the general political mood of the country, regardless of what any one of us may think.

/end rant.

[punked]

Conservatives open 6 point lead and NDP polling at 20% high. Liberals up from election as well. Layton still has highest approval rating.

http://www.visioncritical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/2010.03.29_Politics_CAN.pdf

Edited March 29, 2010 by punked

[Smallc]

Who are these people that give Layton such a high approval rating?

[punked]

Who are these people that give Layton such a high approval rating?

Canadian voters I think. It is interesting to note that half of all Canadians disapprove of either Harper or Ignatieff while with Layton it is only a third.

Edited March 29, 2010 by punked

[Smallc]

Ok, new question. Why does he have such high approval ratings? I'm usually good at taking the pulse of the nation, and for the life of me, i can't figure this out.

[ToadBrother]

Ok, new question. Why does he have such high approval ratings? I'm usually good at taking the pulse of the nation, and for the life of me, i can't figure this out.

Because he's not in a position to ever be able to lead. Think of Layton as the political equivalent of diet cola.

[punked]

Because he's not in a position to ever be able to lead. Think of Layton as the political equivalent of diet cola.

However there have been plenty of time when NDP leaders and even Layton himself have had very low approval ratings. Doesn't really make much sense, maybe people like him or his ideas. Your answer is very week.

[Mr.Canada]

Liberals support falls to Dion like levels - 27%

Igfest over the weekend had no effect on their numbers.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Ok, new question. Why does he have such high approval ratings? I'm usually good at taking the pulse of the nation, and for the life of me, i can't figure this out.

It may have something to do with the lack of recent gaffs.....the other guys are in the big lime light and subject to a close eyeball everyday, where as Layton is not perceived on the same level.

[Molly]

Ok, new question. Why does he have such high approval ratings? I'm usually good at taking the pulse of the nation, and for the life of me, i can't figure this out.

Likely because 'meh' is being interpreted as 'approve' instead of 'who cares?'.

[Smallc]

Likely because 'meh' is being interpreted as 'approve' instead of 'who cares?'.

That could be.

[ToadBrother]

Likely because 'meh' is being interpreted as 'approve' instead of 'who cares?'.

That seems the most likely explanation to me.

[Jack Weber]

Ok, new question. Why does he have such high approval ratings? I'm usually good at taking the pulse of the nation, and for the life of me, i can't figure this out.

Ed Broadbent used to get the same type of numbers a generation ago.In fact,I remember a poll in the winter of '87 that had the NDP and Broadbent winning a federal election.That was at the height of the free trade debate,though...

Edited April 8, 2010 by Jack Weber

[ToadBrother]

Ed Broadbent used to get the same type of numbers a generation ago.In fact,I remember a poll in the winter of '87 that had the NDP and Broadbent winning a federal election.That was at the height of the free trade debate,though...

There's this old joke here in BC that probably still applies to the BC Liberals, but it was always that publicly everyone you talked to would be pro-NDP and down on the Socreds, but when they went into the booth, they'd still put an X beside the Socreds.

I think, to some extent, people tend to view the NDP as the moral bloc of Parliament. Everyone's happy they're there to hold the Liberals and Tories feet to the fire over social issues, but no one seriously wants them in a position of power. Idealists have their place, but having their hands on government can lead to serious problems. That's why I view the Greens with some fear. There's too much of this "True Believer" syndrome, and politics truly is the art of compromise.

[Jack Weber]

There's this old joke here in BC that probably still applies to the BC Liberals, but it was always that publicly everyone you talked to would be pro-NDP and down on the Socreds, but when they went into the booth, they'd still put an X beside the Socreds.

I think, to some extent, people tend to view the NDP as the moral bloc of Parliament. Everyone's happy they're there to hold the Liberals and Tories feet to the fire over social issues, but no one seriously wants them in a position of power. Idealists have their place, but having their hands on government can lead to serious problems. That's why I view the Greens with some fear. There's too much of this "True Believer" syndrome, and politics truly is the art of compromise.

I think alot of people would rightly think the modern NDP would be a disatrous federal gov't.As you say,there are too many "Libby Davies types" in that party.Sadly,the potentially truly good legislators in that party,such as Thomas Mulcair,Peter Julian,Charlie Angus,get labled with the "lefty kook" label because of the real wacko Marxists they have.

If the NDP ever got back to a Tommy Douglasesque style of social democracy(minus the pacifist stance),I feel they would do alot better in places outside of urban areas.Unfortunately,the ideologues that formulate policy in that party would consider many of positions of Douglas not left enough,or even conservative.

[Molly]

Rhetoric aside, there have been some decent NDP provincial governments. One can afford say a lot of things in opposition that one would never do as government.