- Harper no longer Con'g Canadians

"Out, damned spot! out, I say! One; two: why, then, ’tis time to do ’t. Hell is murky! Fie, my lord, fie! a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?" (Lady MacBeth, Shakespeare, MacBeth)

Posted: 7/8/2010 11:43:05 AM The Globe and Mail
'Grave doubts rising in Liberal land' as support hits new low, Gloria Galloway, July 8, 2010, The Globe and Mail
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/grave-doubts-rising-in-liberal-land-as-support-hits-new-low/article1632695/ Tab 42

“The fortunes of the Conservative Party of Canada and Stephen Harper now appear to oscillate more clearly with the national mood. When Canadians now feel better about the country they tend to assign special bonus points to Stephen Harper.”

It is pretty normal that the Party that is in power experience an increase in popularity, whether temporary or not is a different question, when the country feels good about itself.

That, of course, is why Stephen Harper, Jim Flaherty and the Con's have been going around claiming credit for Canada's Banking system and strong economic foundation (when it was, in actuality, directly due to the policies of Jean Chrétien and the Liberals during the 90's when they pulled us away from the brick of financial collapse.)

However, I am not so sure that the results of this Poll can be explained in this fashion.

Harper and the Con's die-hard supporters, epi-centre in Alberta, represent 33%. This poll is statistically in line with this. In other words, this Poll represents the die-hard support for the Con's and nothing more.

There is no spike, up-surge, increase in popularity, in this Poll and given that Canadians may very well be feeling good about themselves it is not being translated into support for Harper and the Con's.

This is particularly significant given the billions of dollars Harper and the Con's spent on the G8-20 precisely for partizan reasons and to boost Harper and Con popularity; and, Harper's making himself front and centre during the Queen's visit.

I suspect that this Poll (and the last one) indicate that Canadians are upset about the way in which Harper and the Con's are making Canadians 'players' on the international scene - spending billions of Canadian hard earned tax dollars while operating with deficits that make Brian Mulroney look like a boy scout. It could also be impacted by the introduction of the HST and its association with Harper, as it should be. In other words this Poll may indicate that the tax payers of Canada are no longer allowing themselves to be Con'd. Now that's significant.

Also, if someone doesn't attribute 17% to the NDP then they run a big risk regarding any predictions made.

This leaves the Green Party and I suggest that the Liberal fortunes are linked to the Green Party. It seems to me that recent polls have put the environment on top of Canadians concerns. The Block support may also reflect this.

You do the math.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html