I've Said It Before, And I'll Say It Again ...
Calm DOWN, and don't panic.
Needless to say, that sentiment is addressed to my fellow CPC supporters who are in a panic over the current poll results.
Look, I could end up with egg on my face when this is all said & done (won't be the first time, either) but I honestly believe that the CPC is on the right track. Harper et al had to do something to dispell the "hidden agenda" / "he's just angry" nonsense. Putting out the policy platform, one plank at a time, is one way of doing just that.
So fine, the polls either aren't moving, or are moving in the wrong direction. Should the powers that be in the CPC just chuck the whole gameplan and go negative.
Hell no, for a number of reasons, including the following:
- If the CPC simply starts blasting away, it'll be seen as panic, pure and simple. Generally, that's not such a hot idea when you're trying to win votes.
- Furthermore, a panicky, scatter-gun attack mode is much more likely to result in one (or more) really embarassing gaffes.
- An effective fire-and-brimstone campaign can work, I suppose, but it can't work for long. There are still what, 6 weeks left as I write this? No way can a"blast 'em all" campaign be effective or meaningful for that long, says I.
- The Parties are going to get nasty with each other at some point, no doubt about it - and if it's going to happen, the CPC needs to have its full platform out there before doing so. Why? Because for right or wrong, the Tories are seen as the "angry" party. "Anger" in the face of corruption and dithering is acceptable, in certain amounts - it is absoultely fair ball to point out the flaws in the Libs. But it needs to be balanced.
So, as frustrating as it may seem, the advice from this small corner is to keep on laying out that platform - and don't get in a panic.
All of this goes for us footsoldiers as much as it does for the leadership, by the way.
More later.
posted by Jason Hickman @ 7:57 p.m.
3 comments
3 Comments:
I see you live in Toronto -- is there much signage around you yet? I live in Scarborough and all I've seen is Conservative signs (all on private homes) and there are a lot of them. Oh, and one NDP on my street.
Where I live in Vancouver, there are no signs for any party. On the North Shore I saw a few Liberal signs on public property, but I have yet to see a single sign on private property. I think the problem with the polls is each phrase the question slightly differently so due to the high number of undecided voters a slight change in wording of the question can change the outcome. After the debates I think we will get a clearer picture of what is happening. At least each polling company has been consistent: Ipsos-Reid neck and neck; SES and Leger - Liberals in majority territory; Strategic Counsel, Decima, and ekos - similiar to last time around. Also if you look at the actual numbers, the Tories haven't fallen, as the NDP has fallen and the Liberals have risen so I suspect Harper's popular announcements is causing many soft NDP supporters to switch to the Liberals out of fear of a Conservative government. That is the main reason Harper cannot win is whenever it looks like he might win, enough NDP votes will swing over to the Liberals to prevent him from winning.
Canadi-anna:
Sorry for the delay in responding. There are a lot of Olivia Chow signs up in my riding, and a smaller # of Tony Ianno signs (Sam Goldstein CPC signs are on the way!).
Surprisingly, while Olivia's signs are big & bright, Tony seems to be using smaller plastic signs, almost entirely. In fact, a large # of them have the old-school Liberal logo, which suggests that they date from the '00 campaign (at the latest).
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