May probably came out of this looking the best, which is a problem for both Trudeau and Mulcair. I can’t see Harper agreeing to another debate though, he got truly dinged on the economy.
After taking him from frontrunner to third, Trudeau’s handlers WON THE DEBATE by getting a right to stick around another day.
Mulcair needs new folks to help him with debate prep. They did a pathetic job. When he finally became himself he did much better. Makes me wonder if the Mulcair handlers are any better than the Trudeau ones. Muclair would have been wiser to have spent less time preparing and more time stumping.
Other than Trudeau’s handlers, Harper WON because he got the line of the night (if used in advertising), asking why are these two clowns talking about the Clarity Bill? Trudeau loses support in Quebec and Mulcair loses support in ROC. Not good for either.
Mulcair better spend the next week confirming his federalist credentials before he is defined by his opponents or he gets hammered on this issue in the last two weeks of the campaign.
He deserves to get hammered on it. And he cannot shore up his ‘federalist’ credentials, because no matter what he did in the past, the NDP’s current position is simply indefensible.
I must disagree and say Mulcair got the best zinger of the night with “when asked about his recession, Which One?” because people care more about the economy than unity issues at this time in our national life.
It was a pretty dull affair. I think Harper wins the most from dull. Possibly Mulcair too, seeing as he’s the frontrunner. No major moments = no major movement.
If you are a progressive (like me) whose main objective is to kick out Harper then this debate was frustrating. Although his performance was so-so, Harper will not lose votes from his base, and did not turn off those voters open to voting for the Cons.
As for the others, they did not make it easy for the anti-Harper voter. My gut tells me that the the NDP will lose some support to the Liberals and, to a lesser extent, the Greens, as Liz May and Justin outperformed Mulcair. Which suits Harper fine, as he wins when the centre-left divides votes among themselves.
It’s now clear to me that Harper is vulnerable on numerous fronts: i.e. the weak economy; the Senate mess; whether supply management will be negotiated away at the TPP talks; criminal activity by numerous Conservatives – e.g. Dean Del Mastro, Bruce Carson, Michael Sona, etc. Unfortunately, Tom Mulcair flubbed big time a chance to shine, which just muddles the anti-Harper choice.
Oh yeah, and Trudeau and Mulair’s closing statements were absolutely awful.
Can’t believe I am saying this, but overall, I was most impressed with May. She seemed the most sincere and the least scripted and asked the most intelligent questions and made (minus ISIS) the most intelligent comments. We need more people like her in Parliament. Loved her points about job growth relative to population growth and the role of Parliamentarians. Congrats to Maclean’s for including her. (For the record, for years I was dismissive about her and the Greens, so last night was really a surprise.)
Trudeau did better than expected, but the bar was so low, that isn’t much of an accomplishment. He also looked like the earnest little kid at the dinner table with the adults. On script, fidgety hands…not impressed, if he wants to be different, he failed…sounded like every other politician.
Mulcair looked really fake to me, for a seasoned politician I thought he looked completely uneasy…his terrible smile doesn’t help. Reminds me of a shark waiting to bite. He also projected arrogance.
Harper was terrible. I mean, “Let me be clear, Harper was terrible”. He looked bored, and said a bunch of things that were either wrong or manipulated to fool people who don’t know better. I voted for him in the past, would never do so again, and if I ever hear ”let me be clear” again I may just take a drill to my ears. He is past his “best by” date and that Chesire cat smile at the beginning almost beat Mulcair’s for “worst smile of the night”.
I never thought I would say this but I might just vote Green, instead of not voting (out of disgust) like I had been intending to do. Will need to do some research about the candidate in my riding (Toronto Danforth).
ISIS idiocy is just the tip of the iceberg for May. I wish someone would take a good shot at her about her playing footsie with 9/11 Truthers. It’s beyond the pale, and shows what a flake she truly is. The only reason more people don’t know about it is she gets this polite Canadian free pass from so many people, who seem to feel sorry for the Greens because they poll so low.
At the most superficial level, there was something that drove me absolutely crazy: Mulcair’s jacket was not sitting right, creating a big gap between his shirt collar and the jacket. I don’t know if he has a hump on one side of his back or what, but a wardrobe person or a tailor should have fixed that. It was a constant impression of a man in a too-large ill-fitting suit.
He also somehow had the worst camera angles, compared to Harper and Trudeau, who managed to appear face on to the camera most of the time. Maybe Harper kicked his podium out of place on their way out on the stage?
Also, Paul Wells’ stilted performance, and the cheap looking set gave the whole thing a 1980’s Canadian games show vibe.
What is with Mulcair since the writ dropped? His campaign launch was such a slow, stilted, awkward telepromter speech that it made me reflect on him forgetting his candidate was a woman, forgetting the corporate tax rate, forgetting how many years it would take to roll out his daycare plan. Then we they announced he wouldn’t have any events this week (he did, in fact, have one) and was essentially dropping out of all future debates, I became convinced he was ill and non-functioning.
The debate reassured me that at least he wasn’t non-functioning, but he sure wasn’t himself either. Has something happened to him or is this just strategy? What kind of strategy is it? In the unlikely event he becomes PM does he then go back to acting like himself or would he need to keep this wondering-if-he’s-ill persona up indefinitely?
Any insight into why Mulcair is not acting like himself?
Moderator Wells showed how tainted he is by stepping out of character and becoming a sword yielding psycho: doesn’t Harper owe the people of Canada an apology? Perhaps he does, but to agrivate with such a impalming question, isn’t the role of a professional moderator.
Warren,
Sounds like a half a loaf debate. Does it mean May won?
May probably came out of this looking the best, which is a problem for both Trudeau and Mulcair. I can’t see Harper agreeing to another debate though, he got truly dinged on the economy.
After taking him from frontrunner to third, Trudeau’s handlers WON THE DEBATE by getting a right to stick around another day.
Mulcair needs new folks to help him with debate prep. They did a pathetic job. When he finally became himself he did much better. Makes me wonder if the Mulcair handlers are any better than the Trudeau ones. Muclair would have been wiser to have spent less time preparing and more time stumping.
Other than Trudeau’s handlers, Harper WON because he got the line of the night (if used in advertising), asking why are these two clowns talking about the Clarity Bill? Trudeau loses support in Quebec and Mulcair loses support in ROC. Not good for either.
Mulcair better spend the next week confirming his federalist credentials before he is defined by his opponents or he gets hammered on this issue in the last two weeks of the campaign.
He deserves to get hammered on it. And he cannot shore up his ‘federalist’ credentials, because no matter what he did in the past, the NDP’s current position is simply indefensible.
I must disagree and say Mulcair got the best zinger of the night with “when asked about his recession, Which One?” because people care more about the economy than unity issues at this time in our national life.
Yeah the resession zinger was the quote of the night, and I think it will do Harper more damage then expected.
why are we talking seperation ..leave it to pile-a-dough and Duceppe
Also ROC could careless about Mulcairs time as Minister of the Envirnment in Quebec – he spent too much time talking about past
Thought Trudeau did ok..
It was a pretty dull affair. I think Harper wins the most from dull. Possibly Mulcair too, seeing as he’s the frontrunner. No major moments = no major movement.
^^^ Nailed it! I’m a political junkie (like most of us here right?) and was hoping for much more for all, well except May. It was a snooze-fest.
If you are a progressive (like me) whose main objective is to kick out Harper then this debate was frustrating. Although his performance was so-so, Harper will not lose votes from his base, and did not turn off those voters open to voting for the Cons.
As for the others, they did not make it easy for the anti-Harper voter. My gut tells me that the the NDP will lose some support to the Liberals and, to a lesser extent, the Greens, as Liz May and Justin outperformed Mulcair. Which suits Harper fine, as he wins when the centre-left divides votes among themselves.
It’s now clear to me that Harper is vulnerable on numerous fronts: i.e. the weak economy; the Senate mess; whether supply management will be negotiated away at the TPP talks; criminal activity by numerous Conservatives – e.g. Dean Del Mastro, Bruce Carson, Michael Sona, etc. Unfortunately, Tom Mulcair flubbed big time a chance to shine, which just muddles the anti-Harper choice.
Oh yeah, and Trudeau and Mulair’s closing statements were absolutely awful.
Mulcair won, come off as the only one who could be trusted to be Prime Minister. Just as big, Harper lost hard, especially on the economy.
May did well, but not agianst Mulcair, her successes were against Harper, which in the end.benifits Mulcair.
I disagree about bragging, he made the case that he has the experience and the results to bring the right kind if change to Canada.
The economy?
Harper was eviscerated on EVERYTHING. As he should have been.
Despite his many promises – and platitudes – he finally (let it slip that he) AGREED with his opponents on one thing.
Canada is in a RECESSION.
So much for the Cons being the trusted, steady stewards of our economy.
Easy win for Justin. He came out competitive and aggressive.
His team SUCKS, but he’s a great guy and a great retail pol. Now if he only had Warren with him running things he’d get a majority.
Agree 100% with your observations.
Can’t believe I am saying this, but overall, I was most impressed with May. She seemed the most sincere and the least scripted and asked the most intelligent questions and made (minus ISIS) the most intelligent comments. We need more people like her in Parliament. Loved her points about job growth relative to population growth and the role of Parliamentarians. Congrats to Maclean’s for including her. (For the record, for years I was dismissive about her and the Greens, so last night was really a surprise.)
Trudeau did better than expected, but the bar was so low, that isn’t much of an accomplishment. He also looked like the earnest little kid at the dinner table with the adults. On script, fidgety hands…not impressed, if he wants to be different, he failed…sounded like every other politician.
Mulcair looked really fake to me, for a seasoned politician I thought he looked completely uneasy…his terrible smile doesn’t help. Reminds me of a shark waiting to bite. He also projected arrogance.
Harper was terrible. I mean, “Let me be clear, Harper was terrible”. He looked bored, and said a bunch of things that were either wrong or manipulated to fool people who don’t know better. I voted for him in the past, would never do so again, and if I ever hear ”let me be clear” again I may just take a drill to my ears. He is past his “best by” date and that Chesire cat smile at the beginning almost beat Mulcair’s for “worst smile of the night”.
I never thought I would say this but I might just vote Green, instead of not voting (out of disgust) like I had been intending to do. Will need to do some research about the candidate in my riding (Toronto Danforth).
ISIS idiocy is just the tip of the iceberg for May. I wish someone would take a good shot at her about her playing footsie with 9/11 Truthers. It’s beyond the pale, and shows what a flake she truly is. The only reason more people don’t know about it is she gets this polite Canadian free pass from so many people, who seem to feel sorry for the Greens because they poll so low.
At the most superficial level, there was something that drove me absolutely crazy: Mulcair’s jacket was not sitting right, creating a big gap between his shirt collar and the jacket. I don’t know if he has a hump on one side of his back or what, but a wardrobe person or a tailor should have fixed that. It was a constant impression of a man in a too-large ill-fitting suit.
He also somehow had the worst camera angles, compared to Harper and Trudeau, who managed to appear face on to the camera most of the time. Maybe Harper kicked his podium out of place on their way out on the stage?
Also, Paul Wells’ stilted performance, and the cheap looking set gave the whole thing a 1980’s Canadian games show vibe.
What is with Mulcair since the writ dropped? His campaign launch was such a slow, stilted, awkward telepromter speech that it made me reflect on him forgetting his candidate was a woman, forgetting the corporate tax rate, forgetting how many years it would take to roll out his daycare plan. Then we they announced he wouldn’t have any events this week (he did, in fact, have one) and was essentially dropping out of all future debates, I became convinced he was ill and non-functioning.
The debate reassured me that at least he wasn’t non-functioning, but he sure wasn’t himself either. Has something happened to him or is this just strategy? What kind of strategy is it? In the unlikely event he becomes PM does he then go back to acting like himself or would he need to keep this wondering-if-he’s-ill persona up indefinitely?
Any insight into why Mulcair is not acting like himself?
Moderator Wells showed how tainted he is by stepping out of character and becoming a sword yielding psycho: doesn’t Harper owe the people of Canada an apology? Perhaps he does, but to agrivate with such a impalming question, isn’t the role of a professional moderator.