Latest poll shows federal Liberals 11 points ahead

[Kelisis]

OTTAWA (CP) - The gift of scandal and voter fatigue with the four-term Liberal government have done little for Stephen Harper's Conservatives, a new poll suggests.

A Pollara poll gives the Liberals a commanding advantage - 11 points ahead of their arch-rivals, with staggering leads in battlegrounds like B.C., the Toronto area and Atlantic Canada. Pollara's chairman says the Canadian electorate wants to punish the Liberals and there's only one explanation for such a large lead.

"The whole thing is Stephen Harper at this stage," said Michael Marzolini, who was a longtime Liberal pollster.
Rest of the article > http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2005/07/18/1137316-cp.html

[YABA]

yup. get rid of harper and they might gain in the polls

[Lesley]

Harper should go, no doubt about it but is there anyone to take his place who might improve the standing of the party? From what I've seen in recent years it's not likely, not until they ditch the old guard and bring in some new people or at least come up with a better strategy.

[Kelisis]

Harper should go, no doubt about it but is there anyone to take his place who might improve the standing of the party? From what I've seen in recent years it's not likely, not until they ditch the old guard and bring in some new people or at least come up with a better strategy.
I think it's a foregone conclusion that Harper will either quit or be turfed out as leader if the Conservatives do poorly in the next election. There's talk that Mackay's waiting in the wings, but he's a spent force. Many old PC'ers view him as a traitor for having merged with the Alliance after he vowed not to do so when he ran for the PC leadership a few years back.

[Tim]

time to kick start a conservative *national* party. Why is this so obvious????

[Kelisis]

Unless and until the Conservatives move a little closer to the centre of the political spectrum (particularly on social issues) and elect a leader than can effectively and passionately project that, the party won't go anywhere.

[eddyk]

Harper should go, no doubt about it but is there anyone to take his place who might improve the standing of the party?

A possible choice is Jim Prentice (http://jimprentice.org/).

He is a moderate but he is also from Alberta which should appease the party's base.

[Mr. Apollo]

Until the conservatives re-embrace a leftist social policy with rightist economic policy (like the good old days) I don't think they'll be going anywhere.