Ealier this week I previewed the NDP campaign. Today, I’ll look at the Bloc. Keep in mind that a Calgarian isn’t likely the best person to preview the BQ so the analysis might be a tad superficial. I know a lot of the usual suspects in the comments section are familiar with the Quebec situation so I’d invite them to add their two cents on the upcoming battle.

B…Q…

The 2004 Campaign: Popular opinion in 2003 was that the BQ was on death’s door and that Paul would sweep across the province as part of his 200 seat rout. Then Adscam arrived, like mana from heaven. Duceppe had an easy ride during the campaign and drew very positive reviews outside Quebec from his performance in the debates.

The Result: 54 seats, tying a BQ record, and 49% of the vote.

Since Then: The BQ have been itching for an election since the Brault bombshell. They’ve been used as convenient targets by both the Liberals and Conservatives (“The Liberals are working with the Bloc!” “The Tories and BQ are in bed!”) but their popularity in La Belle Province has never been higher. It’s no wonder that Gilles Duceppe turned down a chance to become PQ leader.

The Leader: The aforementioned Gilles Duceppe is the elder statesman of the current party leaders. After a tough 2000 campaign, Duceppe’s popularity has grown, both in Quebec, and in the ROC.

The Team: The BQ have been recruiting more and more ethnic candidates to try and broaden their appeal. They have a haitian lady running against Pierre Pettigrew, no doubt to try and counteract the Michaelle Jean effect.

Unofficial Slogan: “Maudit Libéraux!”

Campaign Song: “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”

The Issue: Adscam and nothing but. Keep André Boisclair out of sight and downplay separatism. Just recycle the 2004 campaign book and Duceppe will be fine.

Other Advice: This one looks like an slam dunk so it’s hard to see Duceppe messing up. Because of that, I can only offer four pieces of advice:

1. Avoid hairnets at all cost
2. Make sure there is always a microphone in front of Jean Lapierre
2. Don’t kill any puppies in public
3. Do cocaine during the campaign. Quebecers dig that in their leaders.

Prediction: The BQ won’t lose any ground and Pettigrew, Frulla, and maybe even Jean Lapierre could be major killings for them this campaign. I’d say 55 to 60 seats seems like a reasonable prediction.