Liberals edge past NDP and back into second place: poll

[Azure]

OTTAWA — The Liberals have returned to the position they had held for the past several years as the most popular opposition party, a poll released Monday showed.

The federal election in May had reduced the Liberals to a distant third place behind the governing Conservatives and the New Democratic Party, but the Nanos poll now has them edging out the NDP.

Nanos has the Conservatives at 35.6%, down 2.1 points in the past month and compared with 39.6% in the election. The Liberals have shot up 4.7 points in the past month to 28.1%. They won only 18.9% in the election.

The New Democrats, who want corporate taxes hiked to pay for more social spending, polled at 27.3% of committed voters, down 2.7 points on the month and compared with 30.6% in the last election.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11...nd-place-poll/

Article attributes much of the change due to the death of Jack Layton.

But good on the Liberals. Hopefully they continue the course and come back to to be the official opposition or even get a majority government. I don't want the NDP anywhere near having as much power again as they do now.

[MarchHare]

I hope the next Liberal leader steers the party back to the direction of the Paul Martin -- focusing on balanced budgets, business-friendly policies to encourage economic growth, and progressive social legislation. If they try to be NDP-lite, like they were under Dion and Ignatieff, they're going to find themselves mired in third place. If they merge with the NDP (as many people are suggesting they should), I'll rip up my party membership card and likely join the Conservatives.

I really wish someone could convince Frank McKenna to return to politics. He's exactly the leader the party needs right now.

[Free Ben Hur!]

Originally Posted by Azure

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11...nd-place-poll/

Article attributes much of the change due to the death of Jack Layton.

But good on the Liberals. Hopefully they continue the course and come back to to be the official opposition or even get a majority government. I don't want the NDP anywhere near having as much power again as they do now.

Yeah, like that's a good idea....

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Azure

I don't want the NDP anywhere near having as much power again as they do now.

They have no power now. They had far more power when they were propping the Liberals up in the minority governments.

And really, the NDP's drop can be attributed to two things, imo: Jack Layton's death, and the morning after regret.

[Huntingwhale]

Bring back Chrétien.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Bring back Chrétien.

I'd rather vote for separation.

[CaptainCrunch]

Its funny that once the Liberal's were pretty much pushed away from the Microphone and shut up in a broom closet that they saw an improvement in their ratings.

With the death of Jack Layton, the party lost its charasmatic leader and began to expose themselves as the voice of the bat sh%t insane.

The Conservatives dropped because you usually see the ruling party drop during the hangover period.

But the big quesiton will be who becomes the next leader of the Liberal Party.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Bring back Chrétien.

I think that would equal crushing defeat, he wrecked his party on the way out so badly that its never recovered.

[FlamesAddiction]

Polls are almost always useless, especially this far away from any election. Not that I am criticizing the creation of this thread... it's still food for thought.

The average voter is manipulated pretty easily and votes on media perceptions created in the months just prior to elections. Now that the ad campaigns are gone, I am not surprised to see opinion polls going back to pre-election balances.

[d_phaneuf]

Not surprising, but it won't matter the closer we get to the election if their brain trust is still being led by Bob Rae (who want's nothing more than to merge the Liberals/NDP)

They need to realize that Canada is all ready very socially progressive and it wants fiscal responsibility, them trying to move further and further left is just giving the Conservatives more support

[normtwofinger]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Bring back Chrétien.

Spoiler!

[Reaper]

Shawinigan Handshake!

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Bring back Chrétien.

Save money on security AND hand the Conservatives a majority on a platter?

Sure, why not?

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Azure

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/11...nd-place-poll/

Article attributes much of the change due to the death of Jack Layton.

But good on the Liberals. Hopefully they continue the course and come back to to be the official opposition or even get a majority government. I don't want the NDP anywhere near having as much power again as they do now.

There was no chance at all that a radical left wing party was ever going to hold its "Anybody But The Liberal Party" protest vote, Jack Layton or not.

It was unnatural.

Cowperson

[VladtheImpaler]

I'm assuming whoever brought up Chretien was joking. Is he even politically active? I had thought he'd be living comfortably off his illicit offshore funds... And what Cowperson said /\.

[Azure]

I would think that the Liberal party can come up with someone better than Jean Chretien.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Azure

I would think that the Liberal party can come up with someone better than Jean Chretien.

Wasn't he elected to four majority governments while the Conservative/Alliance debacle worked itself out?

And didn't he bring Canada's finances back into order?

That's the worst prime minister?

There have been worse PM's than the head-squeezing Chretien. Trudeau for example.



Cowperson

[Azure]

His finance minister, Paul Martin was the architect of bringing our finances and entitlement system back into order.

But still, I think the Liberals can do better. Chretien didn't appeal to the Western Canadian at all.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Wasn't he elected to four majority governments while the Conservative/Alliance debacle worked itself out?

And didn't he bring Canada's finances back into order?

That's the worst prime minister?

There have been worse PM's than the head-squeezing Chretien. Trudeau for example.



Cowperson

I would hope that Canadian's finally see him for what he is, a corrupt, bitter, vengeful dirtbag.

[Barnet Flame]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I would hope that Canadian's finally see him for what he is, a corrupt, bitter, vengeful dirtbag.

That's a rich corrupt, bitter, vengeful dirtbag to you son.