Friday, September 22, 2006

Afghanistan Costing Tories in B.C. Too

According to the Vancouver Sun:

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who presented his foreign policy vision to the United Nations Thursday, is losing support in B.C. because of his approach to international issues, suggests Vancouver-based pollster Mustel Group.

[...]

The Tories are in front with 34 per cent of respondents saying they intend to vote Conservative, largely unchanged from previous Mustel polls in March and June. The Liberals are next at 30 per cent, followed by the NDP at 28 per cent.

Actually, since Harper won won 17 of B.C.’s 36 ridings with 37 per cent of the vote in January, I would think this (three per cent) decline is significant, although not beyond the margin of error. Because, in addition, Harper's personal approval rating has sank to 45 per cent from the 50 per cent recorded in June, his disapproval rating risen to 38%, a nine point increase. Those figures do seem at or beyond the margin

So, regionally we see the Harper Tories falling everywhere outside of their base in Alberta. And I think we see a certain death-wish taking hold in Tory ranks. Today's Edmonton Sun:

In other words, Harper is standing by the Afghanistan mission on principle - on Canada's principles. That it's the right thing to do, even if it's going to be difficult.

And even if it costs him a majority government.

Go for it, Stevie lad. That's all I can say.

Anyway, this is the extent of any "analysis" I'm going to attempt. I've still got the flu and, as Vancouver boy William Gibson once wrote, feel like "hammered crap".

1 comment:

Jeff said...

moral clarity= simple-mindedness