[Ottawa – September 2, 2010] – For the second time in a month, the Conservatives and the Liberals have moved into a statistical tie. While Michael Ignatieff’s travelling redemption show may have brought him and his party back from life support to fully fledged contenders for the next government, the demographic patterns suggest that the new parity is as much a product of Tory largesse to their competitors as any action on part of the Liberals. Indeed, in a frankly incomprehensible manner, Stephen Harper may very well have resuscitated the Leader of the Opposition with his decision to cancel the… [More...]

Posted on September 2nd, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: None

[Ottawa – August 5, 2010] – First of all, everyone seems to focus on the last week and it is the more interesting but the first week of the two week period was much better for the Conservatives and more consistent with previous weeks. The last week, however, clearly seems to show a significant shift in the voter landscape

As the Conservatives slip below the 30-point margin, it might be time for Stephen Harper to call in. This is really a very bad poll for the Conservatives. They have slipped back into a virtual tie with the Liberals and now have… [More...]

Posted on August 5th, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: 2

This statement was written as a response to “Give Me Back My Compulsory Long Form Census Questionnaire“ by Dr. Alex Himelfarb, Director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs, at York University.

[Ottawa – July 16, 2010] - As a professional researcher, I am dismayed by this development. But I believe that this latest episode is just a symptom of a broader malaise which is increasingly infecting our society. Ironically, some 50 years after the coining of the term Post Industrial Society, where knowledge and intellectual capital occupy… [More...]

Posted on July 16th, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: 6

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS BY FRANK GRAVES

[Ottawa – June 24, 2010] – One way of looking at the current political landscape is to compare relative political fortunes today with those at the outset of parliament in the fall. Think of this as a melodrama in several distinct chapters:

CHAPTER ONE: HARPERMANIA!

Stephen Harper delivers a compelling Michael Bublé impersonation at the National Arts Centre and soars to clear majority territory.

Michael Ignatieff tries a Trudeauesque gunslinger showdown with Harper by threatening election but the Trudeau redux manoeuvre leaves him gasping in the dust 15 points down and with his approval rating plummeting to George… [More...]

Posted on June 24th, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: None

[Ottawa – June 17, 2010] – What a mess! An increasingly muddled political landscape has few points of clarity. Perhaps the only clear conclusion we can draw from the most recent poll and the marked patterns of recent trajectory is that Canadians have no party which would come even close to achieving a plausible mandate from an ever more disgruntled and fragmented electorate. It is difficult to imagine how a hobbled 116 seat strong Conservative Party could achieve, let alone sustain, parliamentary confidence (or public confidence). The enfeebled Liberals are even further away from anything resembling a mandate to rule… [More...]

Posted on June 24th, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: None

[Ottawa – June 10, 2010] – The new poll, and the recent trajectory behind it, suggest a quite different political landscape than even 3 weeks ago. Although the changes have been slight, the strategic implications of the differences are profound. The Conservatives have slipped from being clearly in the driver’s seat to riding shotgun with scant distance between them and their pursuers. Moreover, the recent trajectory has cast them in the new role of a floundering party.

Perhaps the most troubling feature of this poll for the Conservatives are the directional numbers. Confidence in national direction has been steadily slipping over… [More...]

Posted on June 24th, 2010 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: None

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS BY FRANK GRAVES

[Ottawa – December 17, 2009] – Many have commented on the dismal overall rates of voter participation in Canada (the anaemic rates declined to historical nadir in 2008). This lack of participation was particularly pronounced amongst the under-45 population; “Generation X” had weak voting rates, and the younger “Generation Y” stayed home in droves. This was in sharp contrast to the significant spike up in voting rates amongst young Americans in the last Presidential election (a crucial factor which propelled Obama to victory). In Canada, there was and is no current Obama analogue, and younger… [More...]

Posted on December 18th, 2009 under Commentary by Frank Graves, Uncategorized. Comments: 2

For more analysis of the 2008 federal election, check out Frank Graves’ “Random Insights”. This site contains Frank’s recent and published commentary and will be updated regularly throughout the remainder of the campaign.

Just follow the link located on the left side of the ekoselection.com homepage or click here to go there immediately: Random Insights from Frank Graves

Posted on September 29th, 2008 under Commentary by Frank Graves. Comments: 1