Canadian Debate

[Ron]

Some funny stats.
There was a Prime Ministerial debate yesterday as well as the Vice Presidential debate in the States.

Both were televised on TV.

50% Watched the American, 49% the Canadian.

The comment was made that it was thought to be more entertaining (the US Debate)

Some comments from last nights debate in Canada.

"It was absolutely an error. It's obviously clear. The evaluation of weapons of mass destruction proved not to be correct." -- Prime Minister Stephen Harper, admitting he was wrong to advocate invasion of Iraq as Opposition leader in 2003.

"Where's the platform, under the sweater?" -- NDP Leader Jack Layton noting the Conservatives have yet to release a campaign platform, and poking fun at Harper's sweater-clad ad campaign.

"I know I won't be prime minister, and three of you won't be prime minister neither. Some of you know it, but you won't say it." -- Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe to his fellow opposition leaders.

"He is a very imprudent man. What he did about Iraq, he almost did the same about Afghanistan . . . We need to have a prime minister who will say the same thing in Canada and abroad and that will be trustworthy." -- Liberal Leader Stephane Dion, responding to Harper's flip-flop on Iraq.

"Mr. Harper, I don't think at the bottom line you can be trusted on this. . . . I don't think the Liberals can be trusted on this either." -- Layton on the Afghan pullout.

"What leaders have to do is to have a plan and not panic. Last night, Stephane, you panicked. You came on the set and announced a whole new economic plan in the middle of a national debate." -- Harper on Dion's promise to hold a meeting of experts to develop an economic action plan within 30 days of a Liberal election win.

"Mr. Harper, you have shown only that you have no idea what to do except to distort the Liberal platform." -- Dion on the lack of a Conservative plan to deal with the economic slowdown.

"No politician can guarantee an individual job. What we've got to be able to do is guarantee that as we lose some jobs we gain more. And that's so far what we have been doing." -- Harper on manufacturing job losses.

"The economy is not fine. Any Canadian will tell you that. Either you don't care or you're incompetent. Which is it?" -- Layton to Harper.

"It's not good enough for people in Nova Scotia to know they can get a job if the family is prepared to be torn apart while dad goes to work at Fort McMurray . . . Families need jobs in the communities where they live." -- Green Leader Elizabeth May on manufacturing job losses.

"Well, where is your platform? Yours is the only party that hasn't put forward any platform yet in this election." -- May to Harper.

"How could you recognize the Quebec nation and then cut culture, which is the soul of a nation?" -- Duceppe to Harper's cuts to arts funding.

It was said that the Canadian debate was laden with personal attacks-more than the US one.

The consensus in Canada both by analyst & callers to the radio is that barring some weird unforeseen disaster by Obama, he will be the next President and Palin?

Well, she might run herself in 2012.