Polls

[Reverend Blair]

I have to admit that Davis Inlet was and is, an incredibly expensive disaster.

It also gets talked about incessantly while the successful programs do not. You never hear about the quarter horses raised or the bison operations. Nobody ever talks about the pre-fab cottages and houses built at a profit. Never a peep about the malls, garages, and other small businesses.

I guess that's good because it's not news when native people succeed, but I'm incredibly sick and tired of hearing about Davis Inlet just because it got featured on The National. I've been to places that are almost as bad, but there's these little success stories in the same places that nobody ever mentions.

 

[#juan]

Rev

I didn't mean to hijack this topic but if there are all these success stories, how come it's still costing us ten thousand per native? There might be a good reason but I don't understand it. Poor management is my guess.

 

[#juan]

Back to the polls

The polls are about the same.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Mostly it's because the successes are small. The failures are huge. We never build on the successes though, we ignore them. We sure are good at swelling on the failures though.

Consider Davis Inlet. This wasn't the first failure there. It's one in a long line. They are really government failures though...our failures. The result of a few hundred years of imperialism.

The message passed on by the constant harping on the failure doesn't tell that story though. If you're a kid in Davis Inlet it tells the story of a failed people who only excel at sniffing gas and drinking whiskey. That's not a true story, but that's what we give them. Then we act all surprised when that's what they do.

We take that and use it as an excuse to ignore the much deeper problems. For most of us it's an excuse not to act. "Remember Davis Inlet. Best not spend any more money on any natives anywhere." Then the problems fester and grow.

We've been making this same mistake since well before confederation. It hasn't worked yet. Maybe it's time we quit making the mistake.

 

[#juan]

Rev

That topic requires it's own thread. It is too important to treat as a secondary aside.

 

[Reverend Blair]

It requires a few natives too, Juan. I always feel weird arguing the case because I know that I'll never know what that's like.

Start the thread though, maybe we'll get somebody with more of a personal understanding of it.

 

[#juan]

Yeah, I know. I feel like I'm dissing somebody who is a native who is reading what I type. Like having people talk about you in the third person when you are within earshot.

 

[Papachongo]

I could be worse. Natives could be ignored entirely.



oh Revernd Blair I'm in Saskatoon-Wanuskewin. i would've replied sooner but I had to finish the last of my exams.

 

[no1important]

Another day of "As the Polls Come Out" This episode Titled "Polling Roulette".

Starring in this episode : Jack "the best man for the job" Layton, Paul " Gomery" Martin,with Gilles "seperatism" Duceppe and Stephen "Hidden Agenda" Harper as the man that is scarey.

From Here

Strategic Counsel Dec 14,2005

Libs 34%
Cons 29%
NDP 17%
Bloc 14%
Green 6%

Current Seat Prediction From Here

Too Close to Call - 85
Liberals- 82
Conservatives -75
Bloc- 51
NDP-15
Other-0

 

[Reverend Blair]

oh Revernd Blair I'm in Saskatoon-Wanuskewin. i would've replied sooner but I had to finish the last of my exams

Darn, I was hoping you were from Saskatoon-Biggar or Saskatoon-Humboldt.

 

[#juan]

The overall picture

is still about the same.

 

[no1important]

SES Dec 14, 2005 From Here

Libs-39%
Cons-32%
NDP-12%
Bloc-12%
Green-5%

 

[Reverend Blair]

The polls next week will be interesting. ...we'll see if the debates had any effect.

 

[no1important]

From Here

SES - Dec16,2005- Nationally

Libs-39%
Cons-31%
NDP-14%
Bloc-12%
Green-5%

From Here

Dec 16 ,2005 Ontario SES

Libs-45%
Cons-34%
NDP-16%
Green-5%

 

[no1important]

SES Dec17,2005 From Here

Libs-38%
Cons-30%
NDP-15%
Bloc-13%
Green-4%

 

[Finder]

being an NDP supporter I couldn't see the NDP picking up that many seats. The FPTP system always kills there showing.

Plus being an NDP supporter I still don't want the NDP to actually win. Just get enough seats to make a differance.

 

[Reverend Blair]

We can still pick up a fair number of seats, Finder. What I'd really like to see is the NDP get enough seats to do away with the FPTP system and bring in PR.

I'm kind of wondering if Harper will back such an initiative when he loses again. Maybe that will make it clear to him that he'll get no say otherwise.

 

[no1important]

Yet another poll, I am addicted to polls, can't you tell? ha ha

DEC 18 SES/CPAC From here

Libs-38%
Cons-29%
NDP-16%
Bloc-12%
Green-4%

Ontario polls- SES From Here

Libs-46%
Cons-32%
NDP-19%
Green-3%

BC Polls Dec 18,2005 Strategic Counsel From Here

Libs-38%
Cons-29%
NDP-28%
Greens-5%

Atlantic Canada - SES Dec 18, 2005

Libs-54%
Cons-26%
NDP-21%
Green-0%

Other regions have not been updated for a few days, thats why not posted.

Seat Prediction From Here

Libs-82 seats
Cons-74 seats
Bloc-51 seats
Ndp-15 seats
Other-0 seats
Too close to call- 86 seats

 

[Finder]

Re: RE: Polls

We can still pick up a fair number of seats, Finder. What I'd really like to see is the NDP get enough seats to do away with the FPTP system and bring in PR.

I'm kind of wondering if Harper will back such an initiative when he loses again. Maybe that will make it clear to him that he'll get no say otherwise.

I doubt we will ever have a PR system here. I think our best bet is for a mixed system. Laton last election was calling for PR but even this election he has changed the call for a mixed system, which I think will have an easyier time passing.

oh remember last election. The NDP had 30 seats 11 oclock at night. But over night alot of those ridings were so close they lost about half of them. Even the star that morning reported 21 seats for the ndp. I have a strong feeling that the NDP will poll pretty good but won't get more then 30 seats for sure.

BUT I hope your right. =-D

A lot of Conservatives are for reforming the system.

 

[Reverend Blair]

I'm fine with a mixed system that gives both local and proportional representation. The end result is the same...that the number of seats a party holds equals the percentage of the popular vote it receives. That will give all Canadians...not just those who blindly the support the Liberals or the Conservatives...a voice.

The NDP were hurt a lot in the close ridings by fear of Harper last time around. I think that will play a smaller role this time. The NDP accomplished a lot, Layton looked good in the debates, Harper is acting less like a loon (at least so far), and there's the whole sponsorship thing.

The last I checked (about a week ago) there were 58 seats that could possibly go NDP. Of those, we have a realistic chance of winning about 40 of them. Of course we won't win all 40, but it's not unreasonable to think that we can win 30 seats. We'll almost certainly increase what we have.

My biggest fear right now is that the NDP will run out of money in such a long campaign.