08.10.2011 04:57 PM

So, to all my Conservative commenters who told me Dalton is toast…

…or that abortion “isn’t an issue,” or Harper’s “hat trick” speech was no biggie, what do you say now?

In a flash sample poll conducted last weekend on 400 decided voters, Ipsos Reid found that the gap between Hudak and McGuinty continues to narrow. Of those polled, 38% say they would vote for Hudak and the Conservatives if an election were held tomorrow, while 36% would stick with McGuinty and the Liberals.

And:

Those surveyed also believed McGuinty only fared better than Hudak in one leadership quality: someone who has a hidden agenda. The premier garnered 46% in this area, while Hudak came in at 35%, Horwath at 14% and Schriener at six per cent.

This was a large improvement for McGuinty who dropped 10 points in this poll compared to when the same question was asked last year, according to Ipsos Reid.

My, my. If you don’t mind, I think I will continue to pay attention to Tim Hudak’s dishonesty on reproductive choice – and on his desire to have the same political party run the GTA, the country as well as the province.

My, my.

25 Comments

  1. Bubba says:

    Well i never said Father Dalton was toast but since you mention the hat trick – Who-dat is losing ground because i) his policies are stupid, ii) he has the political acumen of John Tory and iii) people are finally paying attention with the federal scene settled for the next four years and an election in the offing. Father Dalton may yet pull it off or it may be Who-dat – but i won’t be cheering any which way. Never has there been an election more deserving of None of The Above.

  2. frmr disgruntled Con, now Happy Lib says:

    Mr. Kinsella: No Prisoners!……( I guess that could also refer to Hudak’s chain gangs)…lol

  3. WDM says:

    I have some fairly serious reservations about the Liberals in Ontario and feel they’ve made their fair share of mistakes. That being said, I can’t bring myself to vote for Hudak (for the record, they’d probably have my vote, my money and my volunteer time if John Tory were leading the party sans-separate school funding). Right now, my vote will likely come down to the local candidate, which right now is good news for the Liberals as I’ve been impressed with Yasir Naqvi.

  4. Paul says:

    I must say that I agree. McGuinty has done a few things that really stuck in my craw (the health premium and de-listing eye exams form OHIP being #1.) Outside of maybe two walk-in clinic visits for very minor complaints, eye exams are the only health service that I have used in the past four years or more. I have now paid thousands of dollars over and above my already high tax bill to subsidize other peoples’ health care and gotten essentially nothing for myself. Not even a regular family doctor, so WTF am I paying all this money for and where is it going? eHealth anyone? However, I don’t really like Hudak at all.

    I may not even vote this time around and just let the chips fall where they may, unless there is a Freedom Party candidate in my riding. They’re about the only ones whose platform I actually like, but they’ve got a snowball’s chance in Hell unfortunately.

    • Derek Pearce says:

      You don’t know when or how your health could change– and we’re all continually not getting any younger. It’s called public health *insurance* for a reason. I wouldn’t gripe about “subsidizing others and getting nothing”– believe me, our turns each come.

    • Herta says:

      An incredibly self-centred post. My husband had a stroke on August 3rd – he’s a young man now struggling to get better. What would we have done without the excellent health care currently available to us? Thank you Paul, for supporting us with your taxes. I too pay the same tax gladly for you and others.

      The type of narrow minded “it’s all about me and what I pay” is the kind of thinking Mr. Harris latched on to and gave us Walkerton, Ipperwash and Kimberly Rogers. It’s the same crowd who were screaming for the blood of welfare recipients, remember? Because we pay for those bums? Remember? Just think about this for a moment, if you were 53, had a sudden health crisis, were laid off, could not find work after a semi-recovery, had exhausted all of your funds and had to go for welfare, you would have to: get rid of the cottage, not be able to own a car worth in excess of $5,000 (even if you live in an area with no public transportation) and God forbid, if you had a paid up funeral plan because that too is considered an asset and you would have to cash in the funeral plan. If you died while on welfare, well, you’d get the card board box like the rest of “those bums”.

      If we want a civil society, then we pay a price.

    • Boneyard says:

      What healthcare are you paying for?
      One serious car accident, getting run over while crossing the street, a grave diagnosis of cancer . . . you could be suddenly costing the rest of Ontarians tens of thousands of dollars a day if you ended up in ICU or requiring expensive drugs.

      • Bungaraya says:

        I have to agree with the above replies. Take it from me, I know, as I went through this myself. I am a family physician, rarely use the health care services until unexpectedly came to be diagnosed with cancer. Being self-employed and thinking that I was healthy, I had earlier declined paying private life and extended health care insurances….now nobody would insure me….but I am not crying poor unlike other less fortunate. I gladly pay my taxes for the better society and health care services for all.

  5. Tim says:

    Break out the champagne, Warren!

    You won!

    Huzzah!

  6. Phil in London says:

    I still say he’s got a lot of work ahead of him to get re-elected and if he is going to run on record he’s failing on getting the good news out at the expense of attack on the other parties. Let’s see where things are in a month when it’s an issue for everyone and the 60 per cent of us who actually will vote have become engaged.

    Is it just me or is polling on Ontario election hard to find?

  7. Sean says:

    HUDAK! HUDAK! uhhhh ohhhh…

  8. Savant says:

    What’s that… A poll you say? Yuno I might be more willing to give credit to these polls if ALL of the polliing firms didn’t completely BLOW the call on the federal election. And we’re supposed to believe them that they ‘have it right’ this time…? (really?) Same thing in the election in Toronto. The ‘right of center’ candidate did far better than was projected.

    Sorry, but pollsters in Canada have this irritating habit of underestimating ‘conservative’ support, and the last time Liberals put ‘faith’ in polls – well we all know what how that turned out. Pollsters will need to earn back my trust before I start believing that they are accurate.

  9. Pedro says:

    Considering Hudak’s ineptness, that Dalton McGuinty is still trailing says alot about our political class. But it confirms my trust in the electorate over commentators.
    Ontario has been shortchanged for the past years and I would hope an honest Warren Kinsella were the first to tell us. Alas, Liberals – must win at any cost. Especially to we Ontarians.

  10. Tiger says:

    Well, you’ve made a race of it…

  11. Northbaytrapper says:

    The Prem has a lot of tools at his disposal and a few months to use them. The man is not lazy or stupid so I’m not surprised he’s made some headway. I don’t know if the Libs are really defining Hudak right now, and it will be interesting to see how things square when the election starts. I think Hudak continues to be an unknown to most and there is definitely room for either the Cons or the Libs to set the talking points on him. The Conservatives are apparently saving their coin for the fall when more people are in tuned in…we’ll see if that’s prescient or careless. The fixed election date (kudos to Dalton for that one) really does help even the playing field.

    • ‘The Conservatives are apparently saving their coin for the fall’ – I agree and it may be true as far as the Provincial campaign goes.

      But where was “Ford Nation” when the City Council held their all-nighter?

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