Just say the words “federal Liberals” and most Canadians will still bristle with reminiscences of scandal, corruption, waste, kickbacks, lies and criminal charges.
And yet, in the latest federal poll done by Nanos Research, The Liberals would be the choice of more Canadians … 36 per cent … to run the country. The Tories dropped to 33 per cent and the NDP fell to only 13 per cent.
In vote and seat-rich Ontario, the results were even more astounding: Liberals 44 per cent; Tories 31 per cent; and the NDP 14 per cent.
Even in Quebec, the home of the Liberals’ great disgrace and electoral losses only last election, the party is back … leading all other national parties by a wide margin.
The Bloc Quebecois, according to Nanos, would still capture 36 per cent of Quebec votes, BUT the Liberals would win 32 per cent, well ahead of the Tories at 19 per cent and trouncing the NDP at only 7 per cent!
How could this happen?
Well, I believe there’s a very important message here for the Tories and NDP: Canadians like moderates. Let me repeat that: Canadians like moderates. And if we feel a party is moderate, we are quite apparently willing to forgive almost anything.
The Tories, under Alberta’s Harper, will NEVER achieve a majority government. Why? Because too many Canadians from coast to coast still worry about power and influence wielded by the ultra religious kooks and rednecks in the party … especially in Alberta and B.C.
It’s an image that was certainly not helped Thursday when Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth, incensed over excrement produced by Canada geese near her summer home, suggested they be shot and fed to the poor. And she wasn’t kidding.
The NDP apparently also has two serious problems: Jack Layton and policies/positions clearly rejected by the majority of Canadians.
In the Nanos poll, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, at 33 per cent support, still personally leads Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff at 27 per cent … with Layton lagging well behind at only 12 per cent.
Why? Probably still had a lot to do with Layton’s enthusiasm for doing a deal with former Liberal leader Stephane Dion and Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe in a ill-fated plot to bring down the Tory government.
And it probably hasn’t helped the NDP with most Canadians just this week when Layton again joined Duceppe Monday at a rally of activists backing Hamas terrorist group supporter British MP George Galloway’s attempt to enter Canada for a speaking tour.
Isn’t it about time the NDP realized that, at a time when Canadians are dying fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, it’s not a vote-winning stand with MOST Canadians to support a foreign terrorist group sympathizer’s attempt to come into Canada to spread his message.
Even provincially, I suspect the NDP has just recently turned off a lot of voters after its latest policy of replacing the idea of nominating simply the best candidate in every riding with a quota system favoring women and minorities resulted in the nomination of a radical activist who has publicly voiced her attempts to “battle” Zionists in BC workplaces.
And Leader Carole James continues to allow her to stand as a candidate! An NDP representative! Incredible!
I know many of the lifelong NDP ideologues hate when I point this stuff out … but maybe they should take a hard look at the polls, unless they just like taking radical wacko stands on some sort of revolutionary principle and don’t really want to ever achieve power.
Maybe Layton and James think they can garner lots of votes with Canada’s fast growing Arab/Muslim populations? Perhaps. But I suggest that pandering will cost them many more votes with other moderate, middle of the road Canadians. And the polls seem to be showing just that .. . yet they just don’t seem to be paying any attention.
And if they won’t listen to me … how about these two very recent comments from readers of my Blog:
“When will the NDP go mainstream? We have more important issues here. Health, Education, Wages, High taxes, Justice reform required – at all levels, criminal and civil. Campbell must be laughing his butt off. Way to go Carole, handing the Liberals more desert. Enough with the radicalism. Say something that we can relate to for goodness sake,” wrote LP just a couple of days ago.
“Right on, Harvey! I’m one of those NDP supporters who come every elections finds himself having to plug his nose more and more as I cast my vote for the NDP. It’s a sad state of affairs and only helps Campbell …. We need more NDP MLAs like Mike Farnworth. He’s the most common-sense , in-touch-with-the-voter voice, ” wrote Barrie.
Yes, MAINSTREAM is the path to power in Canada.
And until the NDP and the Tories UNDERSTAND that … and expunge the rednecks and radical revolutionaries in their midst … not just make excuses or seek apologies from them … they will NOT win majority power or support from MOST Canadians.
It’s very plain and simple. Too bad they just don’t get it.
Harv Obefeld
9 responses so far ↓
1 Norman F // Mar 28, 2009 at 6:43 am
Nancy Ruth would have my support if she substituted Senators for geese. Although, the eating quality would be questionable. Most of the old codgers have been lying around idle for years feeding on excessive pork.
More seriously though, I agree with much of your commentary but you are quite wrong about banning Galloway. A strong democracy values freedom and worries not about examining ideas through debate. With that belief, I also would not object if Moshe Yaalon or Avigdor Lieberman wanted to make a speech in Canada. HO, after a career gathering and distributing information, you should support unfettered exchange of opinion.
Galloway is often nutty but he was closer to correct than most when the American neo-cons set out to destroy Iraq in the name of freedom. His debate with Christopher Hitchens was entertaining and informative.
Isn’t it interesting that Harper’s science advisor Preston Manning and science minister Gary Goodyear are creationists who don’t believe in science. Give that crew a majority and women would be in the back alleys again for abortions and school kids would be starting every day with Christian prayers.
(Response: Admittedly this was a tough one. I love free speech, but even that does have limits. If Gallway can come in and rally support for an organization declared ILLEGAL in Canada as a terrorist group …why not White Supremacists too ..or that nutbar U.S. Reverend who wants to picket gay events and shout at them they’re all going to hell,including the young murdered gay Matthew Shepard?? No. I support the right of any Canadian to stand up and peacefully argue for their view on any topic, but I don’t agree we have a duty to let in FOREIGN agitators who support stands/groups that are ILLEGAL in Canada. In these Internet days, anyone who does want to learn all about these views can sure find it all quite easily on the Web. But it is a tough one. And my main point stands: I sure don’t believe it helps the NDP with MAINSTREAM Canadian VOTERS to be seen standing there with Duceppe at a protest calling for Gallway to be allowed in, while 116 Canadians have died fighting terrorism. h.o.)
2 RS // Mar 28, 2009 at 4:10 pm
I agree with HO.
You can’t deport the likes of Earnst Zundel one day ‘n’ champion illegal terrorist groups like Hamas and their supporters the next.
(Response: Very good point. I had forgotten about Zundel (thankfully) ..but you’re absolutely right. How can we deport him after he exercised his “free speech” but invite in another foreigner who would be equally devisive … maybe even aorse with Canadians fighting/dying in the war on terrorism as he would be speaking! h.o.)
3 claudia // Mar 28, 2009 at 5:37 pm
You’re right HO, there is information out there if anyone cares to look for it. Here are some facts I managed to dig up,
Galloway regularly speaks out against the war in Irag, Afghanistan and Israelis subjugation of the Palestinians. I really don’t think that the British public would elect a nutbar FIVE times to parliament. I think his stand against war is what gets him re-elected.
The Canadian chapter of the Jewish Defence League claims to have initiated the campaign to prevent Galloway from speaking in Canada. Our immigration minister decided that Galloway is a ‘terrorist’ accomplice because he helped lead the Viva Palestine aid convoy offering humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza Strip. People are suffering terribly be cause of the economic blockade by the Israel Defence forces. Does this make everyone who helps the victims of war aiders and abbetors of terrorism? Just because Harper has claimed to recognize Hamas a terrorist group does not make it the truth. Both sides of this dispute are guilty of humanitarian abuse. Israel is not the innocent victim here as you claim.
Post 911 saw freedom of speech curtailed in the US. Bush claiming that ‘if you’re not with us, you’re against us’ was very damaging and looking back we can all see clearly why. The Dixie Chicks is a perfect example. Freedom of speech should not be taken away with a label applied by someone who has a different opinion than they do.
So I have to disagree with you on this one as I dislike all wars as well, and the more voices against it the better.
(Response: Yes he has been elected in the U.K. … but THIS is Canada. Judging by the polls … if the Liberals with their recent history … can be favored over both the Tories and the NDP … there is something clearly wrong with them according to most Canadians … the Gallway thing is only a tiny symptom of a clearly much bigger problem. Right? h.o.)
4 Norman F // Mar 28, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Of course, this is not clear cut but let us be careful about what has been declared “illegal.” That status is arbitrary, reflecting political influence on lawmakers.
It may be illegal for someone to use cannabis but I’m not outraged to learn a young member of family tended a plant in the back yard and shared it with friends. On the other hand, Tamil supporters in Ontario raised money and support for years to assist terrorist rebellions and the Canadian Government watched quietly. Those legal but immoral acts outraged me.
I prefer to judge for myself on ethics without too much reference to law. For example, a handful of US soldiers deserted and fled to Canada rather than join in destruction of Iraq. I admired that moral strength despite George Bush’s laws and regulations.
Free expression is so vital. Read Thomas Jefferson’s great essays about the vital nature of this principle. The North American media of today, compared to when you began, is corrupted by economic interests. HO, you probably would refuse to work with Faux News and Sean Hannity to spread Michelle Bachmann’s call for armed revolution against the Obama administration. Nevertheless, you probably wouldn’t want her silenced by dictate of government either.
Sure, Zundel and Keegstra were scum but no adult that I know was influenced by them.
(REsponse: You raise very good points. But the debate seems to be bogged down on Gallway. The main point of my blog was clearly the Tories and NDP are out of touch with mainstream Canadians … the polls tell it all. So what is their solution there? h.o.)
5 DMJ // Mar 29, 2009 at 12:52 am
Why would anyone with political ambitions, utter the word Zionism. If one has a beef with the government of Israel, then say the government of Israel.
The NDP are a pathetic lot of special interest groups that have become “legends in their own minds” and conveniently forget that they are elected to serve Canada, not take on foreign governments. This is especially true of provincial MLA, who should not be involved with international affairs at all.
James should have canned Mabel E., but she lacks the moral courage to take on special, anti-Jewish, interest groups that have festered in the NDP.
It seems antisemitism is the new flavour of aspiring union sponsored politicians. Have they not learned a thing? Do they not read history?
(Response: Judging by the polls..apparently not! And what is almost comical, instead of tasking a hard look at why they are rejected by MOST Canadans, they blame guys like you and me for pointing out where they are going wrong. h.o.)
6 d-o // Mar 31, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Retirement must sure be nice, doing a lot of traveling I see? Hard to keep up on the news from yonder and yither. Apparently Chretien isn’t the PM or leader of the Libs anymore, some guy named Harper is. You heard of him? Apparently promised accountability. Look it up. Yep, he’s a little behind on that promise. Swore that if we were going to have a recession we’d be there by now. Then said he’d never go into deficit — according to some page named Page, we were heading there before there was any talk of a ‘technical recession’. Kind of like all those 10 percenters piling up at my doorstep.
Maybe you just like the cut of Harper’s jib; some certainly do. But I guess that poll — and its just a poll — shows that many people are not feeling Harper so much. He isn’t honest, he has missed the mark on many occasions when its come to governing, and he’s too often mean and spiteful. Chretien was just occasionally mean. Oh, and he apparently knew something about balancing a budget. The so-called accountant doesn’t.
7 d-o // Mar 31, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Mean that Harper is PM; some egghead with some decent communication skills, not pawned from John Howard, is leader of the Libs. Keep us on our toes HO but please stop buying the koolaide from the guy on the corner, ok?
8 Norman F // Apr 1, 2009 at 7:26 am
d-o – Can you bury the kool aid remarks? This banality does not make for intelligent debate.
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