New Poll: Liberals and NDP Tied!

Link to follow. CTV Newsnet is reporting a new poll showing the Conservatives with a 19 point lead, with the Liberals and the NDP tied for second place. (Conservative 40%, Liberal 21%, NDP 21%, Bloc 10%). If Harper can regain his early election numbers in Quebec and hold on to his surging Ontario numbers, he will definitely form a majority government. Its all coming down to the debates.

I'm Dissapointed, Dion is BORING!

As someone who follows politics closely and regards elections as some of the most exciting things to watch, I can't help but notice how boring the Liberal campaign is! On the day that the election was called, I had encountered the Liberal campaign bus parked on Parliament Hill. I hung around near the bus for at least half an hour. I was expecting to see Dion (and I assume the 30 other people standing around were hoping to see him too). I soon grew tired of waiting, so I left the Hill and many others did too - not a good thing by the way Dion!).

After about an hour I returned to Parliament Hill and I was surprised to see Dion leaving the Parliament buildings! We all began to clap, but other than giving a little wave, all he did was stand in front of a TV camera, waiting to be interviewed. He just stood there, for 15 minutes, with all of us tourists looking at him. What I'm trying to get at here is that when you're a federal party leader and you have several dozen tourists starring at you, you should at least say a few words to the crowd. To me, this signalled that Dion was uncomfortable with crowds. What I also noticed was that he resembled my Canadian History professor! If this is the image that Canadians have of Dion - a shy, awkward professor, then he has some problems.

Now, I know many of you will be saying that he was probably nervous to be interviewed. I have to admit that after the interview was finished, he came and shook hands (I wished him good luck). However if he only said a few words to us, a few jokes about the media, or the weather, he would have energized the crowd a bit. I was disappointed. Dion did not give a first good impression, and he did nothing to woo my vote. As a result, I can't hid my disappointment in the state of the Liberal party, I like a fight, not a cakewalk! If Dion keeps this up, the election will be very boring, and no one will vote Liberal, or vote at all - remember Ontario 2007? If this is the state of Canada's so called natural governing party, then I think its time for a new one! I hope many others conclude that as well).

P.S. Dion: You don't win votes when all you do is give boring lectures on some complicated carbon tax, its just BORING!

The Conservative Party's State-of-the-Art War Room is Becoming One Big Gaff Machine

The great, disciplined war room that was supposed to be a model for campaign management and propel the conservatives to new heights is so far a dismal failure. Stephen harper has gone through a lot to improve his image and run an effective campaign, but for the second time in a week the war room has produced a gaff that diverted media attention away from the campaign. First it was the ridiculously stupid pooping puffin - what possessed that web designer to do that? (For the rest of Stephen Harper's political life he will likely be caricatured in cartoons with a puffin pooping on his shoulder!) That was not only stupid and juvenile, but it overshadowed the diesel tax announcement! Also, that Not a Leader website serves no purpose to improving Stephen Harper's image.

And then there's the major gaff a top conservative staffer (the same one who was behind that puffin poop) had suggested that the father of a solider killed in Afghanistan criticised the withdrawal plan because he is a liberal supporter (His criticism of the withdrawal policy is legitimate by the way!) Also, the RCMP being called in to stop reporters from asking Harper questions destroyed any respect he had earned them by breakfasting with them. This had all overshadowed a two-pronged attack delivered by Jack Layton and Stephen Harper on Stephane Dion's Carbon Tax.

Its not that these gaffs help Dion, his campaign is in disarray. These gaffs are threatening to derail the conservative campaign. That Conservative War Room better get its act together, the conservative campaign can't afford any more gaffs!

And They're Off..

The campaign is about to start and the only parties that are starting off on a strong footing are the NDP and the Conservatives. The NDP is seizing the high popularity of Jack Layton, portraying him as a potential Prime Minister! Also, the NDP is planing on a huge advertising blitz this campaign, and apparently they will skip over the Liberals and directly attack Stephen Harper.

I'm not underestimating Dion and the Liberals, but the start of their campaign is an embarrassment to their party. The Liberals do not have a campaign plane ready. The plane that they have rented is an Air Inuit Boeing 737 built in 1979! No offence to Air Inuit, but a plane from 1979 is not necessarily very fuel efficient - I can only see the political cartoons...Dion flying on a gas guzzler while proposing a carbon tax...that is embarrassing and stupid! Maybe they did not intend on renting that plane, but it was the only thing they can afford. Also, if the Green Shift was implemented, that plane would probably be too expensive to operate, and if Air Inuit only has planes like that, Dion's Green Shift, if implemented, would probably bankrupt them!

Now to the Conservatives. They are showcasing Stephen Harper, and their message of it being unwise to risk a change of government is an effective one when we're on the verge of a recession. Stephan Dion's plan of attack is a godsend for the Conservatives. So far, he has tried to compare Stephen Harper with George Bush, which is ludicrous, and when Dion says that voters have to stop Harper from forming a majority he basically admits defeat.

It is to early to call this race, but by the way its starting up, the Liberals look like they are not just going to have a bumpy ride on their campaign plane!