Something alarming happened over the summer – several of my friends came down with Harper Derangement Syndrome. “He’s gotta go!” fumed one middle-aged man who had voted for him three times in a row. “I just can’t stand him any more,” said another. Both are independent voters who pride themselves on their rational, non-partisan approach to politics. So what’s the problem with Mr. Harper? Is it the Duffy affair? The militant foreign policy? The highly dubious tough-on-crime agenda? No, not really. It’s just … him. He’s too controlling, too snarly, too mean. He picked a fight with Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. He sounded callous about murdered native women. It’s not the policies or even the scandals – it’s the tone. They just don’t like the guy. So, do they think Justin Trudeau (or Thomas Mulcair) would run the country any better? They shrugged. The question didn’t interest them. What does interest them is getting rid of Mr. Harper. This visceral dislike of the Prime Minister explains the disconnect in the polls as we head into what is going to feel like another interminable election season. A lot of people think the country is on the right track (43 per cent, according to a recent Abacus poll, against 25 per cent who say it’s on the wrong track). But just 33 per cent of voters “approve” of the government’s performance. And just 19 per cent think the Conservatives have governed “well enough to deserve re-election.” Which leaves quite a few who don’t. theglobeandmail/globe-debate/will-we-roll-the-dice-on-the-pretty-boy/article20647540/
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 00:46:01 +0000
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