What Dion and the carbon tax couldn’t do for the liberal party, the banking crisis and stock market plunge apparently are. Timing, as they say, is everything and Harper’s seems to be off, in quite spectacular fashion. I believe pundits were observing that this election was hastily called in the fall session of parliament to take advantage of good times economically before things got too rotten. Oops. The Liberals are now painting Harper as being out of touch with what is happening and slow to respond. And that was exactly the playbook the conservatives were running. Things are good, steady as she goes. Current events have relegated that playbook to the dustbin and Harper’s carefully managed election is getting more interesting and unpredictable.
Although his image is one of an academic and not very statesman like, Dion has always appealed to me because he seems genuine. You’re not getting much filtering when you see Dion speak. He’s dropped the teleprompter in his speeches, probably as a way to seem more natural in an unnatural tongue, but I think it also speaks to a growing confidence. In comparison, I always get the feeling that Harper is tightly in control of himself and his faculties and that gives me the willies. It seems odd, but I don’t want someone so sure of themselves in power. Give me some complexity and a willingness to change and adjust.
With about a week to go, the Liberals are gaining ground, and the Conservative are out of majority territory. Jack Layton appears to have the NDP on track for modest gains, but I think his populist message of tackling corporate Canada is misguided. Making ‘big polluters’ pay, Jack? Wake up buddy, we *are* the big polluters. I didn’t catch the televised debates as I was in lectures, but apparently Elizabeth May came off very well in her first go at it. Hopefully the Greens can capitalize and claim a few seats. It’s going to be an interesting final push.
