Can You Smell The Panic?

The Tories released their platform amid polls suggesting they are losing support in central Canada. Did they stand behind their principles and give the finger to those cheese-eating cultural types, especially in Quebec? They did not. They folded like a cheap umbrella. I suspect it is too little, too late. Duceppe will claim (correctly) that this is a desperate move from a desperate party and that Harper can't be trusted to keep his word (and I am sure Danny Williams is on his speed dial for back up). Flip flopping in the last week is seldom a wise move.

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Kady's Confusion Over Dion's "Plagarism Scandal"

I must admit, I share Kady's confusion:

I have to confess to having suddenly been struck by bout of bepuzzlement over who, exactly, it was who uncovered this “story” in the first place. Was it Steve Janke, or Trusty Tory correspondent Paulsstuff? Although the two posts appeared at roughly the same time — yesterday afternoon — neither appears to have credited the other. Is it possible that the source may have been an unknown third party, who sent along a friendly tip to more than one blogger? The alternative scenario — that Janke and Paulstuff independently, yet virtually simultaneously, stumbled over the same speech, and came to the same conclusions — would seem to be a coincidence so statistically unlikely as to be impossible.

Is it possible Janke and Trusty Tory have cracked the secrets of time travel, and like Hiro and Ando, are right now out, saving the world? Or, could it be that the Tory war room is using the dynamic duo to leak a story so stupid, that they wanted to have some plausible deniability when, not if, this story self-destructed in a blaze of retardedness? Occam's razor will lead you to the right conclusion.

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Good Advice From Gerry Caplan

In today's Globe, Gerry Caplan writes:

If I were Mr. Layton, I'd hammer the deregulation theme to bits. In every area, from Bay Street to food inspection to water inspection, first the Liberals, then the Conservatives, allowed the foxes to take over all the hen-houses. Those chickens have come home to roost, and we don't yet know the political consequences either here or down south.

I think this is really good advice.

Layton's line should be "Where were the other parties when your food was being poisoned? Where they when the banks and Bay Street were practicing all kinds of economic voodoo? And where will they be when the economy falls apart? With their friends on Bay Street, not with you. My friends, both of the old line parties believe regulation is the problem, when we can see tangible proof, with 20 dead citizens and an economy in free fall that regulation is part of the solution. Both the Liberals and Conservatives are wrong and your own eyes and common sense are right. Vote for us and you will elect a party that is on your side, for a change." It is a pretty good line of attack. The question is, will voters believe Layton will be the agent of change they desire?

Update: Interestingly, Liberal Party supporters have a different take. Support the banks y'all. After all, the banks supported the Liberal Party for years.

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Ballot Question

Which party do you trust to get you through a depression? The answer to that question will determine the winner.

Update: Someone close to the PM should tell him that every time he says:

“Let's be clear: the prime minister of Canada isn't going to go around the country predicting a recession when we're not in a recession now,”

voters in central Canada hear: "Alberta is not in a recession, so there is no need to worry." Ontario and Quebec are in bad shape. Just because Alberta's economy is ticking along enough so that "overall", Canada is not technically in recession, does not change that fact. I know it drives Albertans nuts and I am sorry, but the sad fact is, there are more voters in central Canada than Alberta. For the PM to deny the economic reality of the two biggest provinces is stupid politics. The perception here is that he is either divorced from reality or he just doesn't care. Neither perception is a useful one, one week from an election.

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Junior MacKay: When In Doubt, Make Shit Up

Junior is on the defensive over the British Commander's remarks about Afghanistan being unwinnable:

He said Mr. Layton was wrong to interpret Carleton-Smith's opinion as support for the NDP's stance.

“Jack's off base as he is on so many issues,” said Mr. MacKay, who was also in St. John's to shore up support for the Conservatives.

“Mr. Layton's position has been that we should completely capitulate and somehow sit down and talk with the Taliban, which is impossible for the Canadian government to do.”

Mr. MacKay did not say whether he agreed that the war in Afghanistan was not winnable.

But Mr. MacKay said he read Carleton-Smith's remarks in the Sunday Times of London “with great interest” because the British commander supported the Conservative position that the Afghan government must lead any discussions with the Taliban.

However, the newspaper did not quote Brig.-Gen. Carleton-Smith saying that.

Of course the newspaper did not quote Carlton-Smith saying that. Junior is cornered and so is making stuff up on the fly (which, for someone operating on half the normal brain function of a regular person, is not a good practice).

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Don't Expect Any Thanks, Jack

They will hate you even more for being right.

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The Next Week Is Going To Be Fascinating

A new poll suggests the Conservatives are sliding further away from majority territory while the NDP are closing in on second in the wake of the two leaders debates.

From the Globe and Mail.

Update:For example, expect to see more like this, in the coming days. I almost feel sorry for Liberals. It's like they are living my life, four years ago. Strategic voting is evil and needs to be ended once and for all.

Update 2: My God, the Liberals' internal numbers must be showing free fall, if they are pulling out these old chestnuts. Dion will be calling Layton "Red Jack" by the end of next week.

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