How did that happen (Tory Elected PM) - Macleans Magazine

[Dracko]

Macleans Magazine

January 23, 2006

How did that happen?

Why the most heavily polled, parsed and analyzed campaign in memory caught most experts by surprise.

Nobody saw the Tory surge coming. Polls at the outset of the campaign pointed to another Liberal minority, a ho-hum status quo result. Even when they put the Conservatives within striking range, pollsters were skeptical about Stephen Harper's ability to shuck off the negatives that clung to his image. Some polls, though, did offer glimpses of the drama that was to unfold--if only somebody had noticed. They uncovered a broad desire for change among voters, and evidence that fear of a Harper "hidden agenda" had evaporated. So why didn't the statistical seers put these clues together and shout out that something big was happening? Not in the job description, they protest. "Polls are not intended to be predictors of anything," says Nik Nanos, president of the polling firm SES Research. "The electorate is an organic body, it's not a mathematical body. It changes and responds to every new element introduced in the mix." on error resume next plugin = ( IsObject(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFla sh.4")))if ( plugin

[Grimmlok]

Fear of harper's hidden agenda didn't vanish, its just stupid people forgot their history and chose to forget every stupid theocratic, homophobic, Pro0Bush thing he's said in the last 3 years and instead chose to swallow his 'makeover' hook line and sinker.