Justin Trudeau Would Take Liberals to a Majority

[scribblet]

Are Canadians really this shallow, I find it hard to believe that enough people would park their vote with the Liberals simply because of a name.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/30/trudeau-effect-with-justin-as-leader-liberals-would-win-majority-government-poll-finds/

With Justin Trudeau at the helm, the Liberals could instantly bounce from political ignominy to a majority government if an election were held tomorrow, according to new Forum Research poll commissioned by the National Post

[Michael Hardner]

As someone who supported Trudeau the elder as a youth, who shook his hand, I am utterly dismayed with the idea that his son could achieve this type of support with no remarkable ideas - especially at a time when ideas are what is needed.

[Pliny]

Like in the US, politics seems to be more about celebrity than governance these days.

[PIK]

People are stupid. Never count them out when a celebrity is running. Some don't care if they can do anything as long as they are cute or cool, look at obama. The man is a disaster, and he will probably win again. This is where the age limit needs to be raised to vote, the young just don't get it and nor should they at a young age. To easy to be suck in .

[westguy]

it is not obama to blame but rather the republcans - ( the party of NO)

[nittanylionstorm07]

People are stupid. Never count them out when a celebrity is running. Some don't care if they can do anything as long as they are cute or cool, look at obama. The man is a disaster, and he will probably win again. This is where the age limit needs to be raised to vote, the young just don't get it and nor should they at a young age. To easy to be suck in .

Considering conservatives/Republicans were the first ones to vote a movie star into major office (I'll let you guess who that is), you really should just zip it.

[Boges]

Remember Paul Martin and Iggy were supposed to be huge successes too? How did those two guys work out?

[PIK]

Considering conservatives/Republicans were the first ones to vote a movie star into major office (I'll let you guess who that is), you really should just zip it.

Maybe you should get your head checked, comparing trudeau to reagan. But hopefully when there is a debate and justin gets his lunch handed to him, people will smarten up.

[Peter F]

I doubt it - conservatives are still enjoying support

[PIK]

I doubt it - conservatives are still enjoying support

I imagine everyone will love trudeau but in the end will not vote for him, to much on the line. But it shows that the old back room boys of the liberal party are alive and well.

[Canuckistani]

So funny. Presumably somewhere out there are a good number of people who approve of him. But all you read are the right wingers fulminating about him.

He sure surprised people when he defeated Brazeau in boxing. Maybe he'll do the same here, maybe not. But after it sinks in how Harper has sold Canada down the river for trade with China (FIPA), Trudeau's cat could probably be elected PM. Too late by then, tho.

[nittanylionstorm07]

Maybe you should get your head checked, comparing trudeau to reagan. But hopefully when there is a debate and justin gets his lunch handed to him, people will smarten up.

They are both equally terrible. Nevermind the great Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

[Moonbox]

I told everyone months ago this would happen. He'll beat Harper. Canadians are that stupid. I mean, I have nothing against the guy (except his father was our worst PM ever), and I'd consider voting for him if I knew anything about him. Fact is that his credentials begin and end with his father's last name and his good looks. What are the chances he'd have even been LOOKED at for even an MP had he not had the Trudeau name? Close to zero.

[Sleipnir]

As someone who supported Trudeau the elder as a youth, who shook his hand, I am utterly dismayed with the idea that his son could achieve this type of support with no remarkable ideas - especially at a time when ideas are what is needed.

Without his abs, wavy hair and his father's name - I wonder how far he would really go.

[login]

I told everyone months ago this would happen. He'll beat Harper. Canadians are that stupid. I mean, I have nothing against the guy (except his father was our worst PM ever), and I'd consider voting for him if I knew anything about him. Fact is that his credentials begin and end with his father's last name and his good looks. What are the chances he'd have even been LOOKED at for even an MP had he not had the Trudeau name? Close to zero.

He was a teacher in BC before making the move into politics.

He actually strangely I beleive finished his first degree in the arts then moved into the sciences after his Bachelor of education. I beleive he was working on that engineering degree or something at the time as well as teaching or something of the sort.

For his age and position he has toured quite extensively since going professionally into politics, for example his tour of Canadian Universities a couple years ago under his Youth shadow portfolio. Of course his brothers died in that avalanche and that is when people first starting talking about him entering politics professionally.

He is currently trumping a policy of moderation on language, in regard to Quebec's Language Laws being good enough as they are with no need to strengthen them.

there have been others. He positions himself as someone in support of the Status Quo, and middle class centrism. (according to the press)

Edited October 31, 2012 by login

[eyeball]

So funny. Presumably somewhere out there are a good number of people who approve of him. But all you read are the right wingers fulminating about him.

Funnily enough it's the right-wing's reaction that would most likely compel me to vote for him. I'd vote for the most un-conservative party or coalition thereof anyway but anything I can do that gives right-wingers chest pains and diarrhea along the way is a bonus.

Seriously though, if it looks like Trudeau was going to win a majority I'd vote strategically to try and ensure a minority government. Anything that puts the brakes on Parliament is a good thing in my books - if nothing moves nothing gets hurt.

[bush_cheney2004]

Like in the US, politics seems to be more about celebrity than governance these days.

Could it be true regardless of what happens in the U.S. ?

[Bryan]

Initial polls predicted that Ignatieff would get a majority too. As soon as he started talking, that lead evaporated.

Besides, this particular poll is conducted by Forum Research. Check their track record. In the last three elections they have been wrong by the widest of margins. They try to form public opinion rather than report on it.

[BC_chick]

Weren't there similar polls about a hypothetical Iggy or hypothetical Dion? Look where that ended up.

All these 'hypothetical' polls are actually a better testament to Harper's (lack of) popularity than they are for the 'winning' unknown candidate.

Harper is where he is because of the good fortune he's had with the lack of leadership in the LPC, not necessarily out of his own merit.

I know that's a bitter pill to swallow for his die-hard 30%, but it's pretty much common knowledge for the rest of us.

[kimmy]

Weren't there similar polls about a hypothetical Iggy or hypothetical Dion? Look where that ended up.

I was thinking the same thing. Both of those guys polled really high... until Canadians actually saw them in action.

I don't think this is any reflection on Justin Trudeau... I think it's more a reflection that Canadians are generally speaking pretty open to the idea of somebody other than Harper. Trudeau is new, he's young, people don't really know anything about him other than that he's Pierre's son. Whether people are as enchanted with him by the time the next election rolls around remains to be seen.

I also don't think Justin Trudeau is going to steal many votes away from the Conservatives. He'll steal a *lot* of votes away from the NDP.

-k

[eyeball]

delete

Edited November 1, 2012 by eyeball

[WWWTT]

Well it looks like that's it for the NDP.

I guess we had a good run,no?

WWWTT

[Mr.Canada]

Some people are drinking the Kool Aid in the Liberal camp again. Ignatieff was supossed to deliver a majority as well. Same with Dion. We all know how that turned out.

[Newfoundlander]

Are Canadians really this shallow, I find it hard to believe that enough people would park their vote with the Liberals simply because of a name.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/30/trudeau-effect-with-justin-as-leader-liberals-would-win-majority-government-poll-finds/

Well we saw how shallow Quebeckers were last year when they voted for people they never saw before just because of one man.

[Newfoundlander]

As to it being hypothetical, I agree. However, it wasn't just Ignatieff and Dion but also Mulcair. Polls prior to him being elected showed support for the NDP would go into the mid 30s, and they did. John Turner and Kim Campbell were two of the most popular leaders prior to their big election defeats.