Some Thoughts on Dion...

The release of a poll last week that pegged Dion's approval rating at 10% caused some pretty negative reaction from some fellow bloggers.

Fair enough, I understand the frustration. I don't agree however with the conclusions drawn by some , both of whom I have tremendous respect for, btw.

I'll begin by saying that I share their frustration and agree that the poll showing was abysmal. That said, my frustration lies more with the fact that Canadians, I don't think, have an accurate picture of Dion. Should they? Yes and the responsibility for that has to lie with him as well as the party.

It could be argued that the media has done little to portray him as he is and often prefer to rely on whatever the Con talking point du jour is. While I think that has been true for much of his tenure, it has to be noted that aside from the tabloid hacks, the tone of his coverage shifted when he announced pricing carbon. In other words, when he speaks to substance, he's suddenly respected.

I also considered all that he has been faced with since becoming leader and a consistent narrative that those things must be rectified before considering an election. The list was long and whether or not what we were reading was 100% accurate, anyone who thought all of that was going to be corrected in a matter of months, I don't think was being realistic.

I've never taken over a dysfunctional company, but I have been charged with putting departments in order that had years of bad habits, cronyism, conflicting goals, (personal and general), etc. Not fun work and certainly not easy. People who you think you can rely on often end up not being who you were led to believe they were. Anyway, suffice it to say that much work had to be done and apparently much of it has taken hold. Good news, but not the end of the story obviously.

I think why Dion will stand up to scrutiny really boils down to the fact that the real Dion has not yet been seen. He's not an attack dog, which is the traditional role for the leader of the opposition. He's not a gregarious guy who delights in schmoozing and raising money for the party. He's also not a control freak that must know each and every detail about what his MP's will say or do. (As an aside, did you know that when you see Harper reading in the House during QP, he's often reading his Minister's briefing manuals? He initials the bottom of each page to indicate he's read it. Shudder.)

Since becoming Leader of the Opposition, Dion has been criticised for what he is not. The Con's are exploiting that, which is fair game. What's missed though is that he never had any intention of doing politics the way it had always been done. I personally think that is a good thing and will play in his favour. Now, I'm sure many are thinking, with an opponent like Harper who eats and breathes partisan old school politics, Dion should change his game. In my view, that will get us nowhere, or precisely what we have today. A deadlock for the moment and another minority in a similar configuration to what we see today, in the future.

I say that for a couple of reasons. I tend to think the polls are showing what they are because most people are just tuning out. They are tired of the bickering and they are seeing no vision. Dion has a chance to come forward, present himself as he is to Canadians with policy that I have no doubt will be appealing to many. I also think an important factor often gets lost in these polls. That is, there are a good number of groups in this country who have written Harper off. Income Trust investors, the Arts Community, Immigration Lawyers and advocates, 'urbanites' requiring daycare, Human Rights groups, advocates for various groups who rely on Access to Information, Environmentalists, etc.

Some included in those groups may have voted for Harper in the past, others may traditionally vote NDP. In a general election, I think with Dion being on the right side of these issues, he stands to pick up from both groups. Additionally, many included in these groups have a fairly high profile and could potentially add to the Liberal voice.

On the subject of pricing carbon, obviously this has to be presented clearly and succinctly, but I do not see it as a deal breaker in the least. It may feel counter intuitive at a time when prices are climbing and the economy is shaky, but if presented as a solution to that dilema, (a legitimate one), I think it is one of many issues that will spotlight a progressive direction for this country and underscore the regressive views of the Con's.

Finally, the poll indeed showed Harper with 32% approval and Dion with 10%, but it also said that 44% don't care for either. Here's the thing about that though. Harper is a known quantity, Dion is not yet.

Also, 32% of those polled said they thought the country was on the right track, (so Harper's base). 42% thought it was on the wrong track, which is the highest number since Harper took office and 26% were not sure. There is quite an opportunity there.

Let me end by saying that no one should be pleased with the Dion number, but I think to use it as a credible gauge of how Canadians would react in a general election isn't realistic.

“Stéphane is different from most leaders,” said Senator David Smith, the party's national campaign co-director, who is moving in the direction of the Keith Davey role. “He's one of the most intellectually honest people you're ever going to meet in political life..."

I may be wrong, but I have a sense that Canadians will warm to that before they'll be taken in once again by Harper's hyper-partisanship, nastiness and lies. Oh and in Ontario, the addition of Guy Giorno.

Obviously, time will tell.