McGuinty Hopes The Majority Rules
Posted October 9, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Think Dalton McGuinty is confident of victory in the Ontario election campaign on Wednesday? Both the polls and the Liberals seem convinced he’ll back in the Premier’s chair when the last vote is counted sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
A Harris-Decima poll shows the Grits sitting with 42 per cent of decided voters – good enough for a majority. The PCs are way back at 31 per cent, while the NDP appear to be the only ones who have benefited in the last few weeks, moving up slighty to 17 per cent. The Greens held steady at 9 per cent.
McGuinty’s riding is in Ottawa South, where he’s ruled the roost for 17 years. So where did the man who would be Premier again spend his final full day on the trail? Far away in Toronto. His own constituents have noticed his absence. “I don’t know where he is,” admits voter Harold Moore. “He hasn’t been out to talk to anybody. I don’t know what the problem is.”
Has he even done any door knocking? “No, never, no,” he responds quickly. “Never, never.”
“His brother’s been acting on his behalf, soliciting votes,” explains voter Raphael Redy. “It’s his brother. He’s also a politician, so guess it’s not too bad. We would have preferred to see Dalton himself.”
But even though he seems to be ignoring the people who will return him to power, most agree he’ll be re-elected in his home riding anyway. And that has those who would oppose him feeling angry and confused – but trying to remain optimistic. “Let’s face it. I need Mr. Tory to do a good job,” assures Richard Raymond, the P.C. candidate in the riding. “I need our party to be closer in the polls. It’s possible that Mr. McGuinty’s not going to be the premier and I can get the undecided vote.”
Does he really think that will happen? “It’s not looking very good obviously,” he answers, grimly. “But we’re not giving up.”
Still, some are willing to give the absent leader the benefit of the doubt. “I think he’s probably involved in other things, and I don’t think this necessarily is the most important thing for him,” posits voter Susan Tremblay, who believes McGuinty treads a delicate balance between the needs of his local constituents and the requirements of other voters around the country.
But the incumbent doesn’t seem worried about home – or points beyond. If he does manage to recapture a second majority, he’ll be the first Liberal leader to do it since Mitch Hepburn managed the feat more than 70 long years ago.
The polls open at 9am. A lot more will be clear when they close 12 hours later.
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