Properly crafted and validated by the political target, negative ads can be a powerful political tool.
Research by Nanos on the impact of the recent Conservative ads attacking Michael Ignatieff indicates that in the short term they have not had a significant impact. A majority of Canadians consider the ads ineffective and believe that they reflect poorly on the Conservatives.
Of note, the ads have had a marginally negative impact on the impression of Michael Ignatieff primarily among committed Conservative and NDP voters. However, the attack ads have had less of an impact in Atlantic Canada and in battleground Quebec.
One can expect a halo effect from respondents who say that negative ads do not influence their decisions. The views of committed Conservatives are more likely to give an unvarnished perspective on the effectiveness of the advertisements.
Among committed Conservative voters 49.7% consider the adds somewhat ineffective or ineffective while 48.9% consider the ads somewhat effective or effective. Of note, however, 50.6% of committed Conservatives believe the ads reflect either somewhat negatively or negatively on the Conservatives while only 18.3% of committed Conservatives believe the ads reflect somewhat positively or positively on the Conservatives.
Factoring the latest ballot numbers and the last six waves of Nanos tracking since the last election, the Conservative attack ads have not arrested the incremental trend which currently favours the Liberals. The conclusion is that the ads have had no discernable short term impact in favour of the Conservatives. The long term negative impact on Ignatieff remains uncertain and merits further tracking over time. This may well be the first salvo in a narrative the Conservatives are hoping to explore.
Methodology
Polling between May 26 and June 1, 2009. (Random Telephone Survey of 1,001 Canadians, 18 years of age and older). A survey of 1,001 Canadians is accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, plus or minus, 19 times out of 20.
For 626 respondents aware of the ad, the margin of accuracy is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
Effectiveness of Ads Question: Would you say the ads were effective, somewhat effective, somewhat ineffective or ineffective? [Recall Only]
- Effective 20%
- Somewhat effective 15%
- Somewhat ineffective 8%
- Ineffective 53%
- Unsure 4%
Impact of Ads on Impression of Ignatieff Question: Did the advertisement leave you with a positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative or negative impression of Michael Ignatieff? [Recall only]
- Positive 14%
- Somewhat positive 3%
- Neutral 45%
- Somewhat negative 12%
- Negative 22%
- Unsure 4%
Impact of Ads on Impression of Conservative Party Question: Did the advertisement leave you with a positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative or negative impression of the Conservatives who paid for the ad? [Recall only]
- Positive 7%
- Somewhat positive 3%
- Neutral 20%
- Somewhat negative 12%
- Negative 53%
- Unsure 6%
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Most Read Comments
Highest Rated Comments
Ah---those attack ads ! ! ! I believe those negative ads can backfire on the spo... more
Tom Good (British Columbia) 08 Jun 03:49
I think it was too early to do a poll. It is now 10 days old and perhaps didn't... more
mcfarquhar123 (Ontario) 08 Jun 07:12
This poll will hopefully be a dagger to the heart of the Harpercrite nasty team.... more
syld (suspended for inappropriate remarks) (Québec) 08 Jun 03:09
One point that I missed. I personally feel that the rise of negative advertisin... more
HC in AB (Alberta) 09 Jun 08:29
Agreed, all the parties resort to using any "Tool" available to win power. Mone... more
Informed1 (suspended) (Ontario) 09 Jun 09:03
Gordo: I believe our national parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives, have... more
Tom Good (British Columbia) 09 Jun 15:04
Comments
syld (suspended for inappropriate remarks)
This poll will hopefully be a dagger to the heart of the Harpercrite nasty team. When 50% of your own party supporters think the ads are reflecting badly on the party the revolution is just beginning.
The fact he cannot go positive (because there is nothing positive) and tout his own party's achievements is even more damning.
Time for Harper to order the moving van at 24 Sussex.
[updated Mon Jun 08 03:09:50 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 03:09
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Tom Good
Ah---those attack ads ! ! ! I believe those negative ads can backfire on the sponsors more times than not. I would be nice if the authors could use a little humour rather than being just downright dirty that most of the electorate can see through. I recall the Chretien crooked mouth personal attack ad that backfired badly showing the sponsor's bad taste, poor judgement and possible lack of cedibility if that was the brand of mud they wished to sling. I wonder if the same writers are still employed by that sponsor?? Looks like it to me.
Recently, in the British Columbia provincial election, the NDP ran a negative campaign on Campbell and the Campbell government policies / record------Campbell was front and centre in their campaign. The Campbell Liberals focused on Campbell too, but positively. Campbell was well advertised to the electorate and won a narrow third victory which is somewhat like winning political gold at the Olympic Games. The NDP failed to positively promote their policies and failed to show how the NDP could be seen to be POSITIVELY different to the current government.
Ignatieff, who was not widely known to the Canadian electorate, will be well known to the electors by the time the election rolls around especially with the frequency we are seeing that negative ad in the West. No doubt, when the election is called, there will be positive Liberal ads focusing on Ignatieff and the Liberal platform. With both the Conservatives and Liberals focusing on Ignatieff, is there a parallel with the recent BC election?????? I believe it is human nature to feel more comfortable with positive people as friends. I tend to avoid negative people and I wonder how many souls feel similarly???
In my opinion, the Harper Conservatives have chosen to skate on thin ice and I believe their current negative position focusing on the opposition is backwards. Possibly the Conservatives should focus on Conservative strong points, assuming they and their writers are not feeling bankrupt in that regard.
[updated Mon Jun 08 03:49:29 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 03:49
18 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
mcfarquhar123
I think it was too early to do a poll. It is now 10 days old and perhaps didn't capture the full affect of the ads. I think if a poll was done this week, the gap would tighten. This all being said, the full affect of the ads may not be realized until months from now.
Brett
[updated Mon Jun 08 07:12:57 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 07:12
25 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
This is not the only poll that has found the ads are backfiring. All polls say that they are hurting Harper more than Ignatieff by a large margin (Ipsos-Reid says -10 Ignatieff to -40 Harper). In fact there are no polls that say the contrary. Harper is tanking and the CPC needs a new leader, pronto.
[updated Mon Jun 08 09:50:03 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 09:50
Bernie
I can't see why anyone would take a monent to be revolted by negative ads and as time goes by be more angry with those who use them.
[updated Mon Jun 08 09:59:28 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 09:59
mcfarquhar123
I guess we will have to wait until the next National poll comes out to find out it the ads are working. I don't believe you can poll to see how ads are working. The latest polll showed the Liberals beating the Conservatives 37% to 32%. If the gap tightens in the next poll, given the economic conditions, I would say the ads are working...
[updated Mon Jun 08 13:52:00 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 13:52
Bernie
I may be wrong but this is how I see it.
Because one thing happens before something else doesn't mean that the first caused the second. There may not be any causal relationship.
People say that the attack ads influenced peoples' votes against Dion. It's quite possible that the results would have been the same if there had been no attack ads.
we have no proof that they had any effect. I hope not. I hope that Canadian voters are more intelligent than that.
[updated Mon Jun 08 15:41:02 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 15:41
Randy H
Out of about the last 10 polls by various polling outfits the Conservatives have had a lousy 1 that gave them the lead. I would say the ads are backfiring big time as people / voters, are getting all to wise to the Conservative BS spin machine.
[updated Mon Jun 08 16:28:44 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 16:28
Jack
Make that 11 today.
[updated Tue Jun 09 07:32:46 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 07:32
Keep spinning like that and your melon will fly off .
[updated Mon Jun 08 22:01:27 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 22:01
HC in AB
You are all forgetting something here. Any political strategist will tell you that they use attack ads because they work. The way that they work is not to increase support for those who put the ads out, but to decrease support for those who the ads portray in whatever negative light. The whole idea here would be to make a small proportion of the electorate (and it only takes 1 voter out of 20 to turn an election) hesitate to vote for Iggy, maybe just stay home or maybe move to the NDP or Greens.
This is likely just the beginning. Iggy really has no track record to put out there other than the kind of stuff that is in this ad, I would suspect that there will be lots more to come.
Whether or not it works over the next 6 months to a year will be interesting to observe. If it does work and Iggy does return to his previous life, CPC supporters will be taking great pleasure in pointing at this as and saying "I told you so".
[updated Tue Jun 09 07:12:44 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 07:12
Jack
They work sometimes under certain conditions, they do not work 100% of the time, that is a myth. If they always worked, then why is Obama president?
Do you think "working" is when Harper receives 4x more negative response that Ignatieff? They produced a negaive rating of -40 for Harper and -10 for Ignatieff (Ipsos Reid). I don't see that shifting to a positive because of them in six months either. I think that is wishful thinking and the whole thing has blown up in Harper's face. Especially now with the Raitt disaster, it is going to multiply the damage. Harper is a disaster and is handing the next election to Ignatieff.
[updated Tue Jun 09 07:32:17 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 07:32
Jack are you suggesting OBAMA did not use negative Ads in framing his Democratic rivals (Hilary Clinton) when "money" started flowing?
Are you suggesting he also did not use them against McCain caling him a G.W clone?
Are you really going to suggest that as a fact?
OBAMA won for many reasons, he beat Hilary who had more money initially by building a better organization and micromanaged his campaign to stop her momentum. He outspent the Republicans in every state he wanted to win.
The public information is very clear what party and what leader spent, raised the MOST money,volunteers and MOST importantly put voters inside the BOOTH.
HC is bang on, this is only a first of many "framing" excercises of Iggy to come from the Bloc and NDP.
[updated Tue Jun 09 07:52:03 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 07:52
Jack
Harper is toast now anyway. After this disgrace with supporting Raitt he can implement as many "exercises" he wants. Ths is shwing the Harper gang as creeps and it is going to stick.
New leader, new CPC
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:52:31 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:52
atta boy Jack
keep up the attacks on the PM
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:57:46 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:57
HC in AB
I am a rather dispassionate observer of the political world. This type of political advertising will "cement" the base of both of the major parties. It is really directed to those who stayed home last time with a view to keeping them at home again next time.
IMHO, the next election will see a Liberal minority with movement back to the Libs in the 905 and a bit in the Maritimes, Manitoba and BC. Given the the "right" is no longer split and the Bloc will be good for 40 or 50 seats and the Dippers good for 10 or 15 and that the CPC will have at least 110 safe seats that will only leave 130 or 140 seats for the Liberals. The Liberals will have to govern from the left to maintain Dipper support in the House. Given that Iggy is on the right of the Liberal Party, it will be interesting to observe. The fallout from this in the following election (around 2012/2013) will also be interesting.
The "Raitt disaster" will long be off the radar by the time we get around to an election, which due to the state of Liberal Party finances probably won't happen until late this fall or maybe during the spring of 2010.
I don't post here very often, but do check in once or twice a week, and get a bit of chuckle as I observe all the highly partisan blathering from all sides and very little "big picture " observation on what is likely to happen the the 10% of the voters who are at play and really decide elections.
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:20:29 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:20
Well said. May not agree with 100% of your conclusion but for the most part bang on!
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:59:43 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:59
HC in AB
One point that I missed. I personally feel that the rise of negative advertising over the past 10 or 15 years can be directly corrolated to the decrease in voter turnout, whether the negative ads be "hidden agenda/guns in the streets" from the Libs or the "Dion is an incompetent boob/Iggy is an opportunist" stuff from the CPC. It solidifies the base, but has the effect of making some who might vote for those who the ads are targeted at stay home, thus decreasing voter parcipitation in the electoral process.
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:29:21 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:29
Jack
11 polls in a row, Harper is losing. Latest poll today says ads not working. Ads are not working this time. They don't always work. Another multi-million dollar miscalculation by Harper.
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:54:54 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:54
HC in AB
A fine example of "blathering". I am much more interested in seeing the fallout over a much longer period. It's only been a few weeks. I see it much more as an attempt to "save the furniture" and come out of the next election with continued crediblity as a national party.
The trend has definitely been toward the Libs, will this stem the tide and help prevent an Iggy majority? It will certianly solidify the base in both camps. Your comment should be "the ads are not working yet, will they in the future as more are released?", rather than concluding that the game is over with the first release.
[updated Tue Jun 09 09:13:09 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 09:13
Jack
What trend they might have made is going to be vaporized by the disgrace unfolding before our eyes. This will stick as the optics of not caring for cancer patients is over the top. Harper is going to need more than ads to survive this one.
[updated Tue Jun 09 09:30:25 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 09:30
HC in AB
blather, blather
[updated Tue Jun 09 11:21:17 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 11:21
Jack
Blather means it scares you and you don't want to hear it.
Yes, pay no attention to the Harper failure and blundering, its not important. Lets change the channel.
“But it's sexy. ‘Radioactive leaks. Cancer.'"
Harper supports minister who values partisan politics over cancer patients after a string of 11 losing polls.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 11:23:01 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 11:23
HC in AB
Not scared, just amused by all the the partisan talking points on all sides. For you try to insunuate that your blatherings are not partisan is the most amusing all. We have nothing to be scared of under any circumstance. Our system, over time, will let the voters decide the direction of the country.
[updated Tue Jun 09 11:34:09 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 11:34
Jack
I'm a conservative who believes Harper is ruining the party. I want a better CPC and know the only way to defeat the Liberals is by dumping Harper and moving on. I am not alone on this point among conservatives. After the Raitt fiasco, there are even more of us now. Harper has failed us as conservatives and is now driving the party into the ground. You are right, the voters will decide, but right now Harper is encouraging them to vote Liberal with his blundering. Harper has turned out to be a disaster for the CPC.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 11:55:01 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 11:55
atta boy Jack
Keep repeating "I'm a conservative" , it makes me laugh everytime you tell everyone your party affiliation by rehashing Liberal talking points the Liberal resurgence and resignations for the "mean-spirited evil neo-cons" in every post.
Keep it up!
Thank you.
[updated Tue Jun 09 12:05:17 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 12:05
Jack
Yes, pay no attention to the Harper failure and blundering, its not important. Lets change the channel.
“But it's sexy. ‘Radioactive leaks. Cancer.'"
Harper supports minister who values partisan politics over cancer patients after a string of 11 losing polls.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 12:24:51 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 12:24
Agreed, all the parties resort to using any "Tool" available to win power.
Money and "balkanization" of political regions has been growing with voter dissatisfaction.
In many parts of Europe turnout is lower.
[updated Tue Jun 09 09:03:25 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 09:03
Bernie
IMO attack ads are effective in undermining the support for those who use them.
The attack ads give me a more negative opinion of Harper. It would take away any chance of support for the Conservatives.
It increases my opinion of Ignatieff (sympathy, I guess) but not enough to get my vote.
I don't divorce politics from other forms of human activity. I demand that my political representative behave the same as in any social or personal relationship.
Being decent, fair, honourable is of high requirement, no matter what situation you are in.
being civilized and furthering a higher form of civilization is paramount.
Attack ads only sets us backward. I oppose anyone who uses them.
[updated Mon Jun 08 09:46:51 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 09:46
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
larryl
The Liberals don' need to stoop to attack ads. They can sit back and let the C.R.A.P. cabinet ministers attack each other. Raitt in an effort to get herself out of trouble is attacking the minister of Health and saying she is "not very competent" according to the latest reports.Lisa is in the headlines but is hoping we will concentrate on the other incompetent minister.More news about Baird and his attempts to cover up for Raitt while she was head of the Toronto port authority will certainly help Iggy in seat rich GTA. Who needs attack ads? Just let the press report the truth and the C.R.A.P will surely hit the fan.
[updated Mon Jun 08 19:09:05 -0400 2009]
08 Jun 19:09
19 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Dear Nik,
I find the questions very interesting regarding the Poll as they lead me to believe they are asking us to identify with our voting intentions regarding this specific AD buy.
I would like to see a Poll asking the information/questions that are raised in the "ADS"
Did you know the leader of the Liberal Party was away for 34 years, most of his adult life?
Yes or No
Do you think being away from Canada for 34 years has any significance in your decision when voting for the next PM?
I would be very interested in what Canadians think about those two very specific questions.
Another question I would love to see asked was if the Liberal leader lost the next election would he leave Canada and return to Harvard?
I am fairly confident if we leave out Party and 'Identity' out the Poll, you might suprise a large number of people. I believe the CPC strategists analyzed what were the biggest areas to exploit, they raise regarding the Liberal leader being "fit" for PM.
I suspect "most" people will continue to vote along with their historical party preference regardless of ads from any political party.
What about the "soft" centre voters. The fight is for the "Radical Centre" voters.
I don't think the AD framing the new leader as an "absentee landowner" are factually incorrect but are asking the question and informing the non-committed voters of the facts regarding his decision to live abroad for most of his adult life.
Some Canadians think having worldly experience and living abroad for 34 years might be a positive.
If you remember Liberal rivals in Montreal raised the exact same questions and comments about his qualifications.
I think chipping away and framing excercises work if they are FACTUAL and resonate with the public.
The famous zinger with Brian Mulroney reminding Canadians that John Turner had a choice regarding the patrongage appointments.
[updated Tue Jun 09 08:35:36 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 08:35
18 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Frustration mounts as the Harper crew tank. the wheels are falling off.
John Baird drops the F-bomb on TTC streetcar request
Posted: June 09, 2009, 9:20 AM by Shane Dingman
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 11:27:29 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 11:27
6 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Why are the Liberal afraid to indentify the four liberals who failed the PBS fundraising test by Iggy?
1)MPs were required to either have 400 party members signed up or a number of party members equal to two per cent of the Liberal vote won in the riding in the last federal election.
2) MPs were either required to have 40 members who paid $10 memberships for the Victory Fund or 10 per cent paid-up members of the total riding association's membership.
Floor crossing, retiring, absent from their riding?
What 4 Liberals arre not playing nice with Iggy and his PBS funding challenge?
http://www.hilltimes.com/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=2009/june/8/liberals/&c=2
[updated Tue Jun 09 12:16:06 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 12:16
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
From a former conservative Cheif of Staff:
"Having fired staff myself for embarrassing their ministers, I did not lose any sleep last week over Ms. Raitt's decision to accept the resignation of her director of communications. And I've certainly not changed my mind in light of the latest example of her aide's sloppy work habits. But one of Ms. Raitt's comments on the recorder left behind in a washroom do make me think Mr. Harper would now be well advised to accept the minister's resignation:
"When we win on this, we get all the credit. I'm ready to roll the dice on this. This is an easy one. You know what solves this problem? Money. And if it's just about money, we'll figure it out. It's not a moral issue."
No apology to cancer patients, no nothing. What a disgraceful mess.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 14:54:20 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 14:54
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
New exerpt from the Raitt tapes to be released soon, where she bad mouths Jim Prentice. This thing has legs and it ain't going away. Apparently there is five hours of goodies that are going to be released everyday or so.
Harper should have fired her last week and got it over with. If he had, it would have been a dead issue by now. Now it is going to drag on and drive the party into the ground. Another bad blunder by Harper. Incompetance, failure and sellout.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Tue Jun 09 21:40:47 -0400 2009]
09 Jun 21:40
14 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Ignatieff has blown chance to dethrone Harper
’If Jean Chretien was somehow magically the Liberal leader right now, does anyone doubt that we’d be in an election?’
Says it all.
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Opinion/1126455.html
[updated Wed Jun 10 08:48:21 -0400 2009]
10 Jun 08:48
7 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
CPC losing Poll # 12 in a row.
Just wait until the Raitt crap is factored in the polls. It's going to get worse. Harper is handing the keys to 24 Sussex to Ignatieff. he doesn't even have to campaign. Harper is doing everything he can to give it to him. New leader time.
Tory support in Ontario sliding: poll
By THE CANADIAN PRESS
10th June 2009, 12:08pm
OTTAWA — A new poll suggests that Conservative support has been eroding in a vital Ontario battleground targeted by all three federalist parties.
The Canadian Press Harris-Decima survey indicates the lead the Conservatives enjoyed in the 905 area code of southern Ontario during the last campaign has vanished and the Liberals enjoy a substantial advance in the region.
The Conservatives, the Liberals and the NDP have focused the majority of their resources on a handful of truly competitive ridings across the country. The 905 horseshoe of suburban ridings around Toronto stretching down to Niagara Falls are among the most hotly contested.
The poll contacted just over 1,000 people between May 28 and June 8 as part of an omnibus phone survey that is considered accurate to within 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
On a national basis, voter intentions give the Liberals 35%, the Conservatives 31%, the NDP 15%, the Bloc nine and the Greens 8%.
Across Ontario, where the margin of error is higher, the Liberals have a double-digit edge over the Conservatives.
New leader, new CPC
[updated Thu Jun 11 08:02:55 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 08:02
No replies yet. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Note to failure Harper: Attack ads failed in Nova Scotia.
Rodney Macdonald was the only candidate to run negative attack ads in the Nova Scotia election. He got punished badly. Attacks don't always work.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Thu Jun 11 08:05:51 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 08:05
1 reply so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Losing poll #13. Its getting worse by the day for Harper. All he has left is the west.
Ekos poll June 10 2009
"For greater perspective, we note that a 12-point Conservative advantage in the October 2008 election has turned to a nearly 5-point Liberal advantage. This is a significant turnaround in a fairly short period of time. Moreover, the modest LPC advantage masks a more significant regional advantage.
The Liberals now have a 10-point advantage in the crucial Ontario battleground and they have moved back to the height of voter support they enjoyed in Quebec when Mr. Chretien was reeling off successive majority governments."
Dump failure Harper before he destroys our party.
New leader, new CPC.
[updated Thu Jun 11 14:08:41 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 14:08
4 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
Even Alberta is slagging Harper now. They even praise Iggy over Harper. I'm not, they are.
Alberta Tory memo reveals rift with Harper
Jason Fekete, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, June 09, 2009
The talking points, prepared by the provincial Conservative government's caucus office and distributed to party MLAs, argue that federal Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff is doing more to champion the lucrative oil sands than Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
[updated Thu Jun 11 14:25:53 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 14:25
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
Jack
More on failure Harper. He is tanking fast.
Raphael Alexander: Stephen Harper's new 'fast-acting' stimulus. Cures recessions before they occur
Posted: June 11, 2009, 3:00 PM by NP Editor
Full Comment Canadian politics, Raphael Alexander
New leader, new CPC
[updated Thu Jun 11 16:32:13 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 16:32
2 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
RonaldODowd
Any Reasonable Person Would Say...
It isn't easy taking a decision that could change this country profoundly, either for the better -- or the worst.
Once you've digested 234 pages, you have to keep a number of things in mind:
-voting 71 times with the government meant something;
-voters haven't expressed a burning desire to go to the polls;
-priming the stimulus pump, by necessity, required an efficient and effective flow of funds in a timely manner;
-putting out your own platform is a sacred obligation as an alternative government;
-employment insurance: drawing a line in the sand means eventually crossing it;
-health services and medical isotopes: a government must be held to account as lives potentially hang in the balance;
But a few of the things which must be considered...may God's wisdom shine upon you.
[updated Thu Jun 11 22:37:20 -0400 2009]
11 Jun 22:37
5 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.
"The Liberal leader's bigger problem may be how to back away from an election gracefully."
"Which brings us back to Mr. Ignatieff. A significant chunk of the Liberal caucus wants to bring down the government too, exhilarated by polls like yesterday's from Ekos that suggest that they may be five points ahead of the Conservatives. But, if the Liberal leader decides to pull the plug on Parliament based on such flimsy evidence, it could set up the most delicious revenge for all those Canadians sick of political spin."
"He said he will take a few days to review the mini-budget-like report card and decide whether it is in the interests of Canadian taxpayers to have another election. For some reason, this conjures up the image of Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreeing to have a battle, because Tweedledum said Tweedledee had spoiled his nice new rattle."
"How long does it take anyone not living on the other side of the looking glass to reach the conclusion that another $300-million general election, only eight months after the last one, is not in the interests of anyone, with the possible (though not inevitable) exception of one M. Ignatieff Esq.?"
Slow spending, quick spinning-John Ivison, National Post Published: Friday, June 12, 2009
Another Liberal friendly pundit pointing out Iggy is looking for a way out of his threat to topple the gov't.
[updated Fri Jun 12 08:57:30 -0400 2009]
12 Jun 08:57
23 replies so far. Join this conversationHide this conversation.