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I'm going to set aside the ethics of broadcasting raw footage of restarts for now.
Let me just say I thought it was hilarious that there was a perfect example of how these interviews misfire all the time in the very Mike Duffy interview in question. When James Moore doesn't respond to the question posed to him and the camera lingers on Geoff Regan, ten seconds of awkward silence ensue.
Unfortunately, the ever astute Adam Radwanski beat me to my main point on the Dion interview brouhaha.
Why Stephen Harper would be the lead on this issue instead of a francophone is beyond me.
It stamps "sold" on any hopes the Conservatives had of not just growth in Quebec, but holding what meager gains they made there in 2006.
Chantel Hebert notes the dismal morale among Conservative ground troops in Quebec. And the francophone press are even more unforgiving.
But this latest misjudgment will transform a trend away from the Conservatives into a backlash among francophones.
If the Tories were going to try to gain any advantage from the tape, it would have been best to have a francophone MP or spokesperson comment on it.
That person could have directly refuted that the issue is Dion's grasp of English, as opposed to his lack of a plan.
By having the leader make the attack himself, the risk is that it becomes "Stephen Harper thinks francophones shouldn't be Prime Minister."
Back in 1983, Brian Mulroney once warned the Tory caucus before a Commons vote on bilingualism: there are 100 seats in Canada where Francophones are 15% of the population or more. If you give Pierre Trudeau a head start in 100 ridings, he will beat you every time.
The Tories avoided a Liberal trap designed to expose them as anti-bilingualism "hicks," voted en masse in favour, showed francophones they were trustworthy and won the 1984 election in part on a massive swing in those 100 seats.
Harper should have heeded this advice.
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1 2 from Canada writes: You are correct on this one regarding the loss of Quebec, but let me add that many female voters have also had enough of Harper and his bullying ways.
He has done nothing for women during this election, nor does he care to. There are few women in his cabinet and few in his government. He cut funding to the Status of Women without consulting anyone.
Too bad he wasted all that money on the sweater, and the pathetic ad.
Harper is going down.- Posted 10/10/08 at 2:45 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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Bob W from E-ville, Canada writes: 1 2 ...I don't think you're watching the same election as the rest of us.
- Posted 10/10/08 at 4:30 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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Rick C from Calgary, Canada writes: Quebec is a lost cause now. Harper will have to build a majority through Ontario or not at all.
Quebecers would be smart to consider their votes. Harper is going to win.
It won't serve Quebec well to have no one in cabinet.- Posted 10/10/08 at 5:59 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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don medideth from Canada writes: I voted for Martin last time but there is no way I could vote for the man on that tape. This has nothing to do with his inability to speak English, he was caught offgaurd and had no intelligent answer without his talking points. The french angle is spin on the parts of horrified Libs who realized how severe the meltdown was.
You guys are supposed to be journalists not stenographers.- Posted 10/10/08 at 8:47 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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Chris Ralph from Ottawa, Canada writes: Bob W. -- Check out the latest Harris Decima polls tracking women voters.
At the beginning of the campaign -- Harper was 10 points ahead with them -- today, he is 10 points behind and even more so with urban voters. And 80% of Can live in urban cities. Hence, Harper's latest ad with a woman and her daughter.
The Tories know that to win a majority they need women voters and they are losing them fast.
1 2 from Canada is right on.- Posted 10/10/08 at 11:47 PM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment
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