According to CTV, a new poll paints a devastating picture of a Liberal party completely reduced to a rump in Quebec if an election were held today. The Bloc Quebecois, which has been the province's dominant party, is down to 30 per cent support. The Tories are nipping at the BQ's heels with 29 per cent. The Liberals have only 20 per cent support, and the NDP are at 15 per cent. Among francophones, the breakdown was as follows:
Bloc: 35 per cent
Tories: 30 per cent
Liberals, NDP: Tied at 15 per cent
The pundits were quick to pronounce Dion's leadership dead. For details see:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080330/libs_dion_080330/20080330?hub=TopStories
These results give reason for despair.
The likely outcome of any election now is another, perhaps strenghthened, Conservative minority. I don't think Harper can make any significant inroads in Ontario notwithstanding speculation to that effect by Mulroney's former toadie, Ian MacDonald.
The Liberals have remained tied with the Conservatives in most recent polls despite the Dion millstone. Therefore, they might as well pull the plug and get on with it. The only alternative is to somehow persuade Dion to graciously vacate the leadership but who will bell the cat and make this happen smoothly. Meanwhile two of the leading candidates to succeed him have different timetables. Ignatieff is eager to get on with it; Bob Rae wants to stall to gain time to build his profile and strenghthen his chances against Ignatieff.
2008/03/30
Liberals in freefall in Quebec
Labels:
Liberals,
polls,
Quebec disaster looms,
Stephane Dion
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1 comment:
It is quite something that the Bloc is dropping so much but we saw this a couple of more times in the past, each time before they reversed their fortunes and rebounded to high levels once again.
We often think it would be nice if some unpopular leader would "graciously vacate the leadership" but I cannot ever recall one doing so before losing an election or without getting caught for illicit affairs, bribery, theft, snorting cocaine in the office, etc. So, me thinks, Dion will not "graciously vacate the leadership". And to quote him, "I am not afraid of anything" -- and that includes, I guess, the prospect of a humbling loss at the polls in Quebec and elsewhere.
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