2014 Ontario General Election

[PuckChaser]

The PC's don't have an issue with numbers. They have an issue with taking on the unions. The unions are pumping money and propaganda into their people telling them that Hudak is gonna fire firefighers and cops and nurses. In fact, he's firing their bosses and managers, leaving more money to hire MORE cops/firefighters/nurses. But anything PC is scary to the union bosses, because they won't get their way automatically like they can after buying Liberal and NDP support with anti-PC ads.

 

[Journeyman]

I think the big problem for the Ontrario PCs is that with their [EDIT: providing detail]  I think if they had kept the promises for job growth vague....

Is not the lack of detail (or the focus on Justin Trudeau's hair) "the problem" in the other political threads?

The PC's don't have an issue with numbers. They have an issue with taking on the unions.

  op:

 

[Edward Campbell]

In and article in the Globe and Mail, Adam Radwanski says that both the Liberals and the PCs are seeing victory, albeit a minority, in their own, private polling. Support, he says, is shifting away from Kathleen Wynne's Liberals and towards Andrea Horwath's NDP which benefits the PCs in several key ridings.

What we have seen, over the past few days, has been a very strong Liberal push for strategic voting: calling on NDP voters to vote Liberal to prevent a PC/Hudak victory. That, strategic voting, has worked, in the past, especially for the Liberals becasue, traditionally, nationally and provincially, we had a fairly clear left (NDP) - centre (Liberal) - right (CPC/PC) split and the centrist Liberals were, always, best positioned to advocate and take advantage of strategic voting. But there is one big risk to a strategic voting campaign: it makes the Liberals look weak and even desperate, and that's my sense of what's been happening over the past few days.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Latest predictions according to these sites ....
http://www.threehundredeight.com/p/ontario.html
http://www.electionalmanac.com/ea/ontario/
http://predictor.hkstrategies.ca/ontario2014/
http://www.lispop.ca/Ontarioseatprojection.html
.... have three out of four estimators calling a hair-slim (one seat) Liberal majority, and one out of four (LISPOP) calling for a close (five seat) Liberal minority.

Remember, though, that the only poll that counts is the one where you vote!

 

[Crispy Bacon]

What we have seen, over the past few days, has been a very strong Liberal push for strategic voting: calling on NDP voters to vote Liberal to prevent a PC/Hudak victory. That, strategic voting, has worked, in the past, especially for the Liberals becasue, traditionally, nationally and provincially, we had a fairly clear left (NDP) - centre (Liberal) - right (CPC/PC) split and the centrist Liberals were, always, best positioned to advocate and take advantage of strategic voting. But there is one big risk to a strategic voting campaign: it makes the Liberals look weak and even desperate, and that's my sense of what's been happening over the past few days.

www.anythingbutliberal.ca

 

[Edward Campbell]

I see Kathleen Wynne's campaign, over the past few days, as does the Windsor Star's Mike Graston ...

 

[a_majoor]

Having just come back from my second trip from Alberta, I can say the contrast between the vigour of Alberta and the economic lethargy of Ontario was quite startling.

Of course the election is shaping up to be a contest between the various unions and union front groups and the taxpayers, rather than a contest between political parties, judging from the barrage of union and front group ads (at least 3:1 compared to actual political party ads by a rough count). The message of the union ads os pretty much the same: we will fight to the last taxpayer to keep the expensive wage and benefit packages the Liberals mortgaged the future of Ontario to pay for.

Liberals and NDP supporters will try to say the flood of spending was "investments", but anyone who took Economics 102 knows that borrowing money to pay for current consumption (wages for public service unions) is in no way an investment. By this point our financial picture is so bleak that a new Drummond report would probably suggest spending cuts of over 20% to stabilize the economy, rather than the 17% needed at the time of the last election. Not even the Freedom Party is proposing anything that drastic....

Sometimes we have to make the least worst choice.

Make a choice and vote on the 12th, or never complain abut what happens afterwards.

 

[The_Falcon]

If the liberals are re-elected (and especially if Chow, gets in as well), I will be making an effort to move to Nevada.

 

[George Wallace]

What I find so amazing about this Ontario election is the outright lies being thrown out there by the Liberals, NDP and unions.  Take for instance the Teachers claiming that Hudak is going to cut the number of Teachers, when he has stated, and then reconfirmed his statements, that there would be cuts to NON-teaching positions, not teaching positions.  Another ad stating that the PCs will cut Day Care makes no mention of the cuts that the Liberals were pushing with Bill 143 prior to the election that would drastically affect the Day Care business in Ontario, basically closing down all non-union Day Care businesses in the province. 

I would say that, if nothing else, this has been a major campaign to totally discredit the Ontario PC party by spreading outright lies to the public scaring them away from voting PC, and re-enforcing my opinions that the Liberals are corrupt liars with only their own interests at heart.  Part of the problem is compounded by the fact that Hudak has been very brief/vague in the disemination of his plan and not breaking it down and making it stupid simple and clear to the electorate.  It has taken some media outlets questioning him for more details and clarification to draw out his ideas of the direction that his party should take.  This has hurt his image and allowed the other political parties and third party interests to promulgate fabricated claims and lies to discredit the PC platform.

Dalton McGuinty, as the leader of the Ontario Liberal party, won two consecutive elections and broke every promise he made during the election within days of being (re)elected.  Unlike the majority of the Ontario public, I remember this and DO hold it against that Party and associate that moral and ethical pattern with all of the Liberal Association and Party.  No way do I intend to go all the way to "Three Strikes and You're Out". 


"Fool Me Once, Shame On me, Fool Me Twice, Shame on Me,..........YOU WILL NOT Fool Me the third time..."

 

[Journeyman]

Over the past few days I've seen some new election signs up -- white writing on black, so not associated with any party -- simply attacking Hudak.  Most have been stand-alone, but three were affixed to NDP signs.

Knowing the NDP candidate from school (and her mentorship there  : ), the attack ads don't surprise me in the least.

 

[Remius]

Fear mongering is a sign of desperation.  With a statistical tie in the polls the Liberals are likely seeing a real possibility of losing.  By scaring (THINK OF THE CHILDREN!) the undecided and apathetic they hope they'll squeek by.  They likely will. 

The fact is that Hudak has had the initiative from the onset.  They were the first to have a plan and they stuck to the message.  But yeah they could have been a bit more clear on certain aspects.

The Conservatives have run the better campaign but I think they will likely lose this one.

Now imagine this campaign with a far more charismatic type leading it.  Sigh.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Now imagine this campaign with a far more charismatic type leading it.  Sigh.

Dare to dream Sir, dare to dream.

The Liberals are desperate because when others get access to 'stuff', it may not be totally wiped clean.....

 

[Remius]

Over the past few days I've seen some new election signs up -- white writing on black, so not associated with any party -- simply attacking Hudak.  Most have been stand-alone, but three were affixed to NDP signs.

Knowing the NDP candidate from school (and her mentorship there  : ), the attack ads don't surprise me in the least.

They are up in ottawa as well.  This is illegal third party ads by the Family Workers Coalition.  they don't think they've done anything wrong and are covered by free speech and all that.  They are in clear violation of city by-laws governing this and can be fined up to 5000 per infraction.  Will never happen though.  The mayor is somewhat biased...

 

[Edward Campbell]

Fear mongering is a sign of desperation.  With a statistical tie in the polls the Liberals are likely seeing a real possibility of losing.  By scaring (THINK OF THE CHILDREN!) the undecided and apathetic they hope they'll squeek by.  They likely will. 

The fact is that Hudak has had the initiative from the onset.  They were the first to have a plan and they stuck to the message.  But yeah they could have been a bit more clear on certain aspects.

The Conservatives have run the better campaign but I think they will likely lose this one.

Now imagine this campaign with a far more charismatic type leading it.  Sigh.

This is my favourite bit of fear mongering:

It's from Vaughn MPP (Liberal) Steven Del Duca. I love the images: Hudak laughing as he walks away from a hospital which is being blown up ...  :

Mr Del Duca has 'apologized' (on Twitter)  :loser:

 

[Remius]

That scene is stolen from a Batman film with the Joker doing exactly that.  In fact that is the scene with Hudak super imposed.

 

[Remius]

Well the city of Vaughn better start boarding up their houses and prepare for the fires, crime surge and all those stranded children if Hudak ever gets in riding on his pale horse.

He will also kill your dog.

 

[PuckChaser]

It's from Vaughn MPP (Liberal) Steven Del Duca. I love the images: Hudak laughing as he walks away from a hospital which is being blown up ...  :

Mr Del Duca has 'apologized' (on Twitter)  :loser:

That's a scene from the Dark Knight, where they photoshopped out the Joker. I wonder if he had permission from the film studio to use it?

 

[The_Falcon]

That's a scene from the Dark Knight, where they photoshopped out the Joker. I wonder if he had permission from the film studio to use it?

 

Well if he didn't, and they (Warner Bros. Legal) didn't know about it before, they do now, as I just emailed them, informing them of it.

 

[mariomike]

"How my Photoshopped Tim Hudak image ended up in a Liberal attack ad"
http://o.canada.com/news/oddities/how-my-photoshopped-tim-hudak-image-ended-up-in-a-liberal-attack-ad

 

[DBA]

The liberals and unions going so off the deep end might increase voter turnout among those who lean conservative. Only 49.2% of Ontarians voted in the previous election so even a fairly modest increase in those leaning conservative could swing the election. Those unenthusiastic about voting PC might have become enthusiastic about NOT voting Liberal. They may have also driven off some NDP supporters who might otherwise have done strategic voting.

Hudak lacks charisma but this time around so does the Liberal leader.