If confirmation be needed from my travel observations recently, it comes in the form of an Ipsos-Reid poll published this weekend.
About two thirds of Canadians, 65% claim to be viewing this election with their eyes "wide-shut!" Quite simply Canadians are burnt-out over Federal Elections. And, with good reason. This one is not only the third national election in four years, but it is one clearly without any issues that matter or of consequence to the nation, receiving any substantial attention.
Canadians are sleepwalking towards another minority Conservative government. At the end of the day, on October 15th, the story of the fall election of 2008 will be the collapse of the Liberal brand nationwide.
Here in the nation's capital, residents, politicians and the national press corp are insulated, nay, isolated, in a vacuous bubble seemingly oblivious to the main concerns of the rest of country desperately desirous of direction in a collapsing economy, ongoing concerns about our iconic health-care system and the abject failure of the military mission in Afghanistan.
Instead, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion needs propping-up from the very candidates he defeated for the Party's leadership, Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff, to avoid the total collapse of his ill defined and poorly timed "Green Shift" wish list.
On the flip side: The Harper team, the high profile Ministers of the Prime Minister's Cabinet, are seen only when they are apologizing for the latest gaffe of their campaign.
And, NDP Leader Jack Layton's ridiculous "out of the gate" attempts to reposition himself as "Prime Minister in waiting" at the campaign's launch two weeks ago are failing miserably.
In this election what we are witnessing is an issue-less personality driven referendum on leadership. May the best man win. Woe is us!
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