The 2006 election really turned over the Christmas holidays when families got together and chatted politics around the dinner table (or, for New Democrats, “around the kitchen table“). If we assume that the same thing will happen when Canadians watch football and talk turkey this weekend, that certainly ads an intriguing element of uncertainty to […]

Stephen Harper: “Only two men can become Prime Minister“ Stephane Dion: “Only two men can become Prime Minister“

After much nagging from Gauntlet, the seat projections have returned. If you want to read up on the methodology, click here. Subsequent updates can be read here and here. I’ll be posting the final projections this weekend, once all the companies release their final polling numbers. As always, the usual disclaimers apply – if the […]

In uncle Steve’s latest “fireside economy chat” commercials, he has ditched the sweater vest for a suit jacket.

Just got back from Dion’s big Toronto speech (although you wouldn’t know it was Toronto given the way he was playing to Quebec voters hard during it). All in all, a solid effort – lots of passion, a touch of empathy, and his English wasn’t that bad. Most importantly, he went hard against Harper on […]

Random thoughts throughout the evening, as I flip between the US presidential debate and the Harper-Mansbridge interview: 9:28 – Obama channels Jack Layton, railing against “big oil” and “corporate tax cuts”. I suspect we’re in for a “kitchen table” before the night is done! Tom Brokaw reminds the candidates to manage their time…he’s like their […]

The Tory platform has finally arrived!

Initial Reaction: That’s…different. Ad Intent: These ads are basically Jack reading off the NDP strategy verbatim (with pictures!) so I don’t think it takes a political mastermind to crack the intent behind them. Tag Line: “For strong leadership on the side of everyday families blah blah blah“ Things That Work: They certainly get the message […]

With all his talk of “incremental change”, who knew Harper meant change, as in a few loonies. [Harper] was in Nepean, outside Ottawa, announcing a plan to index the Universal Child Care Benefit payout to inflation, meaning it would rise each year to match increases in the prices of key goods in the economy. The […]

Quick! Somebody call in the RCMP!