Sunday, April 27, 2008

Drip, Drip, Drip

I wouldn't go so far as to say the wheels of the government bus are falling off, but I think they are getting a bit wobbly.

While Flaherty continues to make statements that fly in the face of what Mark Carney had to say last week, it would seem that Canadians aren't buying it.

A new poll suggests economic fears and a lack of optimism are problems for Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his Conservatives.

Fifty-six per cent of respondents to The Canadian Press-Harris-Decima survey said they were worried about a recession, and 55 per cent said they didn't feel Harper offered much optimism or inspiration.

Slightly over 50 per cent said they felt the Tories don't care about the same issues they do.

Perhaps with the arrival of Spring, Canadians may be awakening from their 24 month hibernation.

7 comments:

ottlib said...

Two years. That is the amount of time after an election that governments usually stay in the good books of the electorate. After that a sense of malaise begins to set in and it causes the slow but inevitable erosion of support for the governing party.

For that reason most governments spend the first two years actually implementing their agenda and the final two years attempting to manage what I described above.

The easy part for Mr. Harper and company is over. Now we get to see just what they are made of in the next few months.

So far, it does not appear that they have begun that transition from the first phase two the second phase. That could be very costly.

I wonder when pollsters will begin to ask the "need for change" question in future polls and it would be very interesting to see the results.

Dame said...

Sometimes much earlier when the high gas prices became obvious and started to make life near impossibile for some of us...Harper was asked if he intends to do something to alleviate the pain??? his short response was "GET USED TO IT...?
Sometimes a short Response like this actually tells the whole story about his real meanspirited nature and total disdain for the Country and its People..

He is a Psychopath he has to Go.!!

Steve V said...

knb

I caught wiff of what might be a developing frame for the government on the economy. The "don't worry, be happy"(Weston?), hands off approach is dangerous. If that is the way the press sees the government, it will be a hard sell, because people just don't accept that you keep a safe distance from a looming crisis. Philosophy aside, the government must look pro-active during a downturn, if they are cornered as "let the market" fix itself, based on the abstraction of tax relief, they will look out of touch. When times are tough, it isn't a rational debate, arguing that doing nothing is the proper course doesn't fly.

I am starting believe, that when you add up the drip, drip, Ontario has the potential to look very red in the end. The government not helping the Ontario economy just reaffirms a cementing belief, which is pure poison for the Conservatives.

Karen said...

ottlib...that indeed would be the next interesting question.

I wonder how long it will take both the media and pollsters to get there?

Karen said...

marta...if people are now listening perhaps he soon will be gone.

Karen said...

Steve, I agree.

Flaherty had the temerity this morning to bring up and rely on his Ontario record as assurance to all Canadians. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

They really must believe we're idiots.

Anonymous said...

This may encourage the Cons to topple the government deliberately by bringing forth Mike Harris style tax cuts as a stimulus package.

More money in the voters' pockets instead of fiscal responsibility.