With all the continual "How will this controversy affect this candidate?" and "what does this poll mean?"; I have to say it's all just too much.  The honest truth is that most people are either a) not paying attention, or b) only casually tuning in.  That of course means that all of these poll numbers probably tell us absolutely nothing about what will happen in November, or even next month.  There are a lot of voters who might be unsure of their answer on the phone, but when they get into the voting booth they go with their gut feeling.  I know that for a fact, as I was one of them.

I saw a poll on CNN that said "this many people will switch to McCain if Obama/Clinton doesn't win."  I'd look at such a poll with a grain of salt.  I think the actual number of people who would switch to the other party is small.  Clinton and Obama's policies, for all their sniping, are not that different.  Once the nastiness of the primary season is over, I'd tend to think almost all loyal Democrats would go with the party nominee.  If they were really that upset about it, they'd vote for an independent or not at all (but not Nader- not after 2000!).  I know, I know- Democrats like McCain.  But I think that's because of his past record of working with Democrats, and the "straight talk" that seems to be rapidly disappearing.  If you think a Democrat might switch, ask him/her if (s)he thinks US troops should be in Iraq for 100 years.  Now I know that that's an exaggeration, but you know who said it.  I'd be surprised if they truly like McCain that much.

Are people really going to change their vote because Barack Obama's pastor scares them?  I don't think so.

I shudder to think that anyone who truly actually believes that Barack Obama is a muslim might be voting in November.  There have been times when I have thought, 'the voter turnout ought to be higher,' to the point of considering whether voting should be mandatory (as in Australia).  Then again, how smart are the people who are not voting?  Of course, I don't know the answer to that question.

In terms of Stephane Dion not bringing down the government, here's what I say: sooner or later, people will get tired of Stephen Harper.  They'll see him for who he really is and they'll demand they get a government that gets results.  When that time happens, it'll be time to bring the government down.  I don't think Canadians want a government that spends all its time playing political games and shamelessly doing everything it can to get a majority.

   

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