One week into the election and it’s all been about personalities. Dion in snowshoes; Harper at the piano; Layton the charismatic potential PM; May the scrappy women’s lib champion.
And it’s all been good for Stephen Harper: his popularity has surged, largely due to the perception within the Canadian electorate that he’s a ‘strong’ leader. Sweaters and breakfast tables, apparently, go over well in the True North. (So, too, do unbuttoned shirts, Mr. Coyne).
What was supposed to be the biggest issue of the election – the Liberal’s Green Shift – has largely been ignored by the media. The same goes for other key issues such as Afghanistan, health care and the economy. Instead, headlines about Dion’s fishing abilities and puffin poop abound. The election still has four more weeks. Hopefully, things can focus more on the policies, not the politics, of the the parties.