HARPER, “YUCK”; IGNATIEFF, “MEH” - February 25, 2010
HARPER’S MANY DETRACTORS CAN’T FIND A CHAMPION
[Ottawa – February 25, 2010] - Stephen Harper has a couple of things going for him, according to a new EKOS poll on political leadership: Conservative supporters approve strongly of his job performance, and though most other Canadians may not, they haven’t found anyone to rally around.
The poll, conducted for release by the CBC program Power and Politics, shows that more than half of Canadians disapprove of the way the prime minister is doing his job. That’s substantially worse than the last time EKOS asked the question in mid-autumn.
Just 33% of Canadians approve of the job he is doing – not entirely coincidentally, about the same support his party currently has. Indeed, Harper is a deeply polarizing figure: He gets overwhelming approval from Conservative supporters but almost as strong disapproval from everyone else. Even those who are undecided as to which party they support generally don’t approve of the job he’s doing.
That might be a recipe for Liberal ascension, except that Michael Ignatieff is not exactly grabbing voters either. As Harper’s approval has fallen, Ignatieff’s has failed to rise. Ignatieff’s disapproval rating is almost as high as Harper’s, and his approval is even weaker. Strangely, nearly a third of Canadians won’t express an opinion about him – almost as many as when he took over as leader just over a year ago.
However, Ignatieff’s situation is quite different than Harper’s. He does not inspire anything like the degree of approval that Harper does among his own supporters. On the other hand, nor does he inspire anywhere near the level of disapproval among the supporters of other parties that Harper does.
Jack Layton, meanwhile is the only national leader with a positive rating, and one that is improving. However, his party, despite being a strong second-choice for many voters on the centre-left, hasn’t budged from its third-place spot, far behind the front-runners.
Click here for the full report: full_report_february_25
February 25th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
What else would you expect from a poll conducted for release by the CBC? Of course you will see the CBC focusing on information disapproving of a Conservative government. This feeds the CBC “elitist” arrogance for being pro-Liberal and anti-Conservative. For example, listening to The Hour’s George “bubbleoffofus” you would think there was not one thing Stephen Harper and the Conservative government has done right. George is a great host of an interesting media spot. He devalues his position by his “opinions” deriding the current government. Keep the political comments out of the program George. Get away from the comforts of your couch and enter politics. There you can really go head to head and do your trash-talking in the arena you seem to think needs so much improvement. Go ahead George, put on the armour and go to battle to free this country from the ravages of a government that is working so hard to correct the issues and corruption left behind by the previous government that we have so conveniently forgotten about. Or, you can try to look at the good that is being attempted and continue to enjoy your popularity. Could the CBC shed the Ontario blinders that “if it isn’t Liberal, it isn’t right”? Give that a try CBC!
February 26th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Ed, let’s not forget that Harper appointed Conservative Senator Pamela Wallin also worked for the CBC.
February 26th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
I am curious what Canadians think of Elizabeth May and Gilles Duceppe.
February 26th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Watch how the CBC conducts themselves on the air..they are constantly wagging their tongues against the concervatives, they never show the positive things Harper is doing, only negative reports from the people who want more welfare and free houses. The CBC alone spend millions of dollars of my and your money every year.
Of course they are negative on Premier Harper because he wants to cut funding to the CBC welfare company. The CBC also leads the empty headed canadians that dont know what the government is doing..they just read poles , and listen to the left wing media (80-90 % of media is leftwing) Harper is busy working through this whole season,The fact the Liberals just block every good change the Premier is trying to enact completely escapes the so called media adolescents that report. I watched the cbc THE HOUR with Georgo Monogopolis , and listened to him lie about a good man whom he new nothing about. But his remarks were derogatory and he thought no one knew better, they do this constantly, it will catch up to him one day.
February 26th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Ed says “This feeds the CBC “elitist” arrogance for being pro-Liberal and anti-Conservative.”
How exactly is CBC elitist (a term which denotes power/talent/wealth)? Is it because they support canadian culture, and produced more than perhaps any other venue to create a Canadian heritage? Compare this with CTV’s terrible olympic coverage, which is all superficial hype, triviality, no depth or pervasive look the athletes and the sports. In fact, many Americans have voiced that they miss CBC’s coverage at this Olympics, for its approach. So, you say elitist, I say thorough and professional.
As for liberals and corruption, please, that was under a completely different regime. Take a look at the conservative government and you will see the lack of government of transparency. Here is a bone-chilling list of some of Harper’s media “achievements. They muzzle anyone not within their dogmatic structure: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=260348091419&topic=13108&start=0&hash=b8c0854661a284f0f2638d63fffaf224
And don’t even get me started about the 25 million dollars spent on the “Canadian Action Campaign.”
The conservative government caters to those who do not check their facts. Blind patriots. So I guess in that sense they do not cater to the elite, rather they maintain their elite position by doing just the opposite.
February 27th, 2010 at 10:31 am
I think it is a complete fallacy and a myth to say that the CBC is pro-Liberal and anti-Conservative. On the otherhand the media (and even the CBC) has been very much on-side for Harper in the past. In reporting his prorogation of the Parliament they have not been really condemnatory, and indeed seemed even supportive for the one he did more than a year ago. They don’t highlight the lack of climate and green initiatives of the Harper adminstration and are altogether too weak in criticizing his policies and outlook as a right-wing Conservative.
Its typical that Harper and Conservative supporters want to blame the media for the shortcomings of this current Prime Minister.
Its serves as a convenient way of taking the pressure off the mans misdemeanours.
As for the voters polls on the two leaders, Ignatieff and Harper, I would say that Canadians still need to evaluate Iggy. They should realize that here we have a sincere, principled and caring person who would make a much better PM than our current double-dealing, secretive and dictatorial one.
Come on Canadians, vote Liberal and lets improve our country!
March 9th, 2010 at 10:31 am
Ed do you live in canada? if you do start reading something other than tories trash. they never did and never will improve our country its time to get real
April 15th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Here’s the thing. I was a dyed-in-the-wool liberal for years. Until I really started to take a look at how the party operated, and to whom they were really focusing their attention. And maybe it’s because I took a good look at my own values and ideals for this country, but I realized I was not a liberal. (And Conservative I have NEVER been.)
I switched in the last two years to the New Democratic Party.
I find all these polls very interesting:
Jack Layton scores on just about every count when it comes to: likability, knowledge of the issues, and professionalism. It makes me wonder, then, why all the pros for him are ALWAYS discounted with the simple: “But he’ll never lead.”
They said Mandela would never lead. They said a woman would never win an election in Great Britain (Didn’t she win THREE???). Hell, it was said no African American would every become President of the United States.
People, the rest of the world has made a shift. Don’t we always smuggly think we’re the most enlightened, most forward thinking?
Sadly, by continuing this negative-speak we are just perpetuating a situation we REALLY hate.
Take a chance, folks. Others have done it. Why not us?