Nice job on the sound, CTV.

Was Dion close to crying there? Geez, the man is a wreck.

jack layton is annoying.

and lizzie may is certifiable. she has been downright rude.

Dion looks like he's going to cry.

What a disaster this format is. Paikin has no control over anyone. No one can reply because they keep getting cut off.

The only person who isn't interrupting is Harper.

Moreover this debate is simply an attack on the current government without any debate between other leaders.

Oh and of course it is all the oil companies fault. I see where Alberta is going soon... and if Danny Williams doesn't see what's going to happen to Newfoundland and Labrador...

Took Layton all of about 40 seconds to get the first "Bush" reference.....

Layton should go back to his "Video Professor" job...

Liz is a retard...

What is Duceppe doing there?

This is sadomachostic to watch......

The more the other four talk, and the more that harper just lets them look like the desperate little children they are, the closer a harper majority comes.

my girlfriend said it best, the more I watch, the more I like harper ( and she is/was an ndp girl)

Wow they are all piling on Harper for "doing nothing" when our economy is running a surplus. The four dweebs have used the economy to play to the Ontario and Quebec manufacturing sector. What do they propose? Are we going to "economically stabilize" out manufacturing sector? And at what cost?

Love it. Layton pulling out an obvious tall tale about visiting the Consolidated Buggywhip factory and talking with guys in tears about losing their jobs. The worked there with his father, for gawd's sake, Stephen Harper!

And Gilles Duceppe says he can save things through sauceble d'vlopmint.

And Dion? Yikes. Him and May are a marriage made in heaven.

This format stinks so bad.
How is this fair??
The opposition has most of the time.

Steffi looks lost, even lizzy sounds better.

I wonder what would happen if Stephen Harper wasn't there. It seems to be the only thing that gives the other four any reason to exist.

I am looking forward to the fact checking on this later on tonight.

I'm impressed that harper has the statesmanship to stand and take this beating.

It kind of feels like a a canadian version of Springer

Actually it was Duceppe in his opening statement that first hit the Bush reference. Barely 5 seconds into Duceppe's opening statement.

Sweater, Jack? Wow, petty. So petty.

ha ha

"Of course Mr Rae is now with you Mr Dion"

Round 1 - Harper

how can jack sit there and invoke tommy douglas... ouch, what does that say about the current thinking of the party

Well, the English debate is just the same as the French debate was. Everyone attacking Harper, and no control of interruptiuons. It was 4-1 dump on Harper.

I stopped watching as it was pure bullshit. I turbned over toi the VEEP debate; likewise BS.

Lizzie May - Patty Lorje without the hotel.

End of round 1, Harper's definitely holding his own on a continuing 4 on 1 attack.

I'm not sure I agree with the negative comments about Duceppe. He's very polished, speaking well, and making points (points I disagree with, but points none the less). I kind of wish he was on the Conservative side ...

Oh God! I just turned it on and got an eyeful of batshit crazy Lizzie May. Excuse me while I go splash battery acid in my eyes.

Andrew Coyne - Harper could offer a million counter-arguments to the nonsense these idiots are spouting, but that would require him to step out of his “pragmatic” guise….

who is may looking at, the cameras or the other candidates, can she just please pick one and quit looking like a hyperactive gopher

I love this whole Teflon Harper routine. The other four come across as spoiled brats, and then Harper steps in and gives a smooth, smiling, calm, Prime Ministerial answer. And he's answering to the viewer at home, not the children sitting opposite.

Duceppe is the best! 60% of the time he's putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable. It's fun to listen to.

Layton is communist; no serious people care about what he says.

There's a rumour that Dion is there, but I haven't noticed him.

BTW, Palin is doing just fine.

Harper's the only one who looks like a leader. Lizzy's insane, Layton is back in the 30's, Duceppe keeps taking about the Invisible Hand without knowing what it is and Dion looks like a wet chicken.

We not neeting leater like dat hanymore

The plan herer for ther opposition is to rely on the fact thta most Canadians watch US media; and the uS media is full of disaster stories. "No disaster here" looks like denial.

If there isn't a majority Conservative government, there will be disaster.

Just turned off the debates, and jeezus what a debate... All the buffoons, liars and lunatics are just jumping on PMSH, telling their solutions which only favour Ontario and Quebec...

Now I just need to wait for Bias from CBC, CTV, etc...

Mississauga MAtt, yes, she is. Shje turnsd every argument into ENERGY!!!! This is the repub's ticket home.

Lizzie May claims we need more pulp and paper mills...
Aren't they big polluters?
Is she forgetting her Green roots?

And I wish PMSH boldly would ask Duceppe why he is concerned with jobs and economy of Canada when his priority is severance from Canada.

harper turned the end of that segment into a dismissal of the other candidates and into a decent and respectful answer.

and even then the others couldn't shut up

I still can't wait until the fact checking on jack comes in tomorrow

Dion: Chretien and Martin made the banks safe. Now, Mr. Harper, why won't you make the banks safe?

Harper: Uhh, they're safe.

In HD Dion looks like he is going for the fake tan and is about to come unglued.

The format is maddening. Debates will need to be abandoned if this is what we have to expect in the future.

Anyone else find Dion saying baby boomer hysterically funny ?

Tommy Douglas reference 2.

Jack Layton wants to nationalize all facets of healthcare. There you go.

If one undecided voter decides that Dion is their choice after this debate, I'll eat my hat.

Will freedom of expression/human wrongs commissions be raised as a question?

I think Jack's hernia just came back

Nice to know Jack O'Taliban has bottomless pockets. The Candian taxpayer and economy would be destroyed is we were to pay for all of Layton's bottomless pit promises

you have to give ms may credit. she has some really well prepared opening statements. Too bad it all goes down hill from there.

'Arts and Culture'......paint by numbers welfare

I'm watching the Palin-Biden thing on Foxnews.com livestream, a few commenters gettings jabs in also...funny...

'Working artists'......Layton's latest Oxymoron

Ok, whats with the echo effect? oh stopped for mizzy may. All the other candidates seem to have open mic and PMSH gets 1-2 seconds to reply before he is interrupted and then THEY get full camera time. WTF??? Harper needs to get WAY more aggressive.

"Lady Macbeth without the sincerity"

Why is the Traitor even a part of this? No candidates in the country of Canada (not including Qbec of course). He's just there as a sh!t disturber, plain and simple

If you see someone jumping up and down on Tommy Douglas's grave tonight, it's me.

The man can't be dead enough!

Sean,

Harper wins a vote every second he takes the attack like a professional and doesn't lower himself to the petty shots from the other.

when it is 4 on 1 and the one is still standing at the end, the 1 wins everytime

Jack! sez "screw the average Mom & Dad getting their kid invlved in the arts, I want my leeching Queen Street loser friends to get the dough."

Palin is starting to have fun with Biden. Biden said a fundamental difference is that Obama/Biden would end the Iraq war - with McCain/Palin there's no end in sight. Palin retorted that Obama/Biden have a white flag surrender strategy. McCain/Palin will stay the course until it's won.

Then Palin was beaming said she was glad that both she and Biden love Israel, knowing that so many of Obama/Biden's supporters don't.

Freedom of expression!! Ahh. I heard it. But not in the context I would like.

Lizzie May is just a boor. 'Fraud'....'stupid cuts'.....'save pulp and paper mills'....

Dion: "it's ideological"! Oh, its ONLY ideological when Conservatives make the decisions.

I'm flipping between the two debates ... any guess which one invokes the name "George Bush" more frequently ... these leftards are driving me nuts ... I can't believe that anyone could vote for any of these guys.

On the American side ... can't believe how often Palin can turn any question (except the one on same sex marriage) into a commentary on Energy ... I'm betting she's not gonna win this one!

I,m voting for Steffi,he just said that if the arts community gets more money we will have more fun in Canada. Yeah... I know you're hungry little sally but why don't you go watch 'Little Mosque' until it goes away.

Joe Biden spends a lot of time in Home Depot!

Yes, crime is next!

I'd like to ask Jack and the Libbies if he would be in favour of 'arts funding' for a group of young people that I know who are interested in making Christian family films.

Finally a relevant topic

Am I the only one who's perplexed by Elizabeth May's sudden concern for the health of the logging industry???

10:09pm EST...Steffi will restore all the funding for Canada Council for the Arts. “More movies, more books, more teachers..” He will make Canada a “fun” place again. Pained smile as he says this. To me, it looks like he has gas.

actor...no...NOT...maybe for you, maybe for me. Maybe for all that follow this stuff everyday. But to the average taxpayer (like my wife) that just works hard and doesn't have time to follow this stuff everyday all they see is a guy not saying much and hearing what THEY have to say. My wife just said to me "HE"??? is the guy you're supporting??? That is what Canadians are seeing.

I just popped back to look at a little more. It is still as biased as the French debate. The four evil people gang up on Harper, the Bush muppet, and condemn him for his buashinees, and un-liberalness.

Pure S.

The guy who did such a good job laat election is doing a realy crappy job of moderation nop.

Yes Rick, she mentioned growing the pulp & paper industry. Puzzling.

Non sequitur:

"We need to band handguns and we need to ban semi-automatic weapons. We need to get those things off the street."

Banning them will NOT get them off the street! Not by a damn sight!

Criminals are killing people with illegal guns, so we'll ban legal guns, someone tell Jack that Murder is already "Banned"

Layton - "ban handguns,blah blah, blah." MURDERERS DON'T CARE ABOUT LAWS, JACK!!!!!!!!! WHY WOULD THEY CARE ABOUT VIOLATING A REGISTRY?!?!?

Geez!

From 9:20 to 9:40, I clocked how much time PMSH was given to speak in response to the four pit bulls in the same cage.

Stephen Harper was allowed 4 minutes. Yes, proportionately, that's his "share". However, when the format allows 4 against 1, and one considers that Stephen Harper is the PRIME MINISTER, who has carried responsibility well above that of the others, this puny amount of time to answer the (ignorance and animus of the) others is shameful.

The rude and juvenile put downs of the other party leaders (sic) are also a disgrace, as is the ridiculous format.

I have an idea or two, but I'd be interested to hear what others think about why the CPC agreed to such a loaded format.

That said, given the disgraceful baiting of the adult babies at the table, which merges on bullying, PMSH is handling himself with incredible restraint and amazing grace.

On the crime response, Dion got the 'slowly move focus in' treatment. Subtle, but biased.

No other leader got that treatment.

Rick...see my comment at 9:47...she has forgotten her green roots, but it's a cool thing to say, keeping up with the crowd, you know.

Jack's a moron, every developed country that has enacted strong gun control measures has seen a huge increase in violent crime.

Lizzy sez the poor dears need literacy classes to keep down crime.

Grrrrrrr..He shakes his head at layton but doesnt rebutt hs statement...too damn polite!!....cmon!!!

P.S. Layton's not going after Dion, as many predicted. I'd be interested in ideas about why Layton is using all his time and effort to go after Harper.

I heard that Lizzie May strangled a goose that was bothering Stephane Dion earlier in the week.

May just said, in effect, cops should spend their time making sure the delinquents they are trying to stuff in the back of their car have proper literacy skills, because illiteracy is the root cause of crime. So put down the pepper spray boys and try a liberal dose of "See Spot Run" the next time you are chasing some 14 year old b&E artist down the back alley.

bluetech - you're right. So is her whole stance here just a Trojan horse - tell people what she thinks they want to hear?

It doesn't matter - the Greens are essentially unelectable outside of BC. But it's still curious.

Why is May sitting next to PMSH. For this format shouldn't she be sitting next to the Dion, Layton, and Duceppe?

guns, guns. I almost thought David Miller was in this debate. How do you ban something that is already banned

Jack is going to make me cry,he is sooooooo caring.

Why are Indians in jails? Because they are drunks!!! and the liberals refused to let the CPC look at the books to see where the billions of dollars are going!!!!

Looking at the 'other debate', I speculate that Biden has had:
- an eylift,
- serious botox to the forehead,
- hair plugs.

Finally,jack attacks steffi,about time.

jack and dion at each other.. harper just won another one

layton and steff are heating up. harper gets a rest.

Layton To Dion - "You've supported the government 43 times, you can't do your job as Opposition Leader".

Finally! BAM!

Jack just went for Steffie's throat....cool.........

Yes, wallyj, if you can't do it as Opposition Leader, I don't know why you are running for PM.

I don't understand how Harper can be under fire for saying that he will pull the troops out on the agreed date,when they all were reluctant to extend it 6 months ago.

Jack: "I've got the gold."

Dion: "Jack Sparrow, u heartlezz basturd."

jack took his cranky pills today. what a smack down on dion!

I know we all want to see Harper do what Jack did to Dion, but he would be crucified in the MSM for being a big meany on the hapless professor

Ambush TV. "Important" issues are being discussed? Heh. The lead topics? The most important to Canadians so far? Economy, health care and... art? Talk about serving one up on a tee for the opposition. Paikin stated at the beginning of the debate that questions were chosen from over 4,500... what percentage of those 4500 were about arts funding? C'mon! Who of the 3 — CTV, CBC, and Global — managed to get that one in? Corruption. Wheeling and dealing.

And Jack has missed an opportunity tonight, going soft on Dion. In fact, there was one shot where Jack was attacking Harper and Dion was in the shot, smiling and agreeing with Jack. Jack has cooked a deal with the Liberals like Ms. May. I wonder who scorned him by going off script when he went public about the idea. Probably May.

BTW, a slip by the cameraman postioned behind Layton and Dion. Here's what he caught

Afstan IS a UN mission, Lizzy May.

Duceppe jabs Layton on Afghanistan. Sweet.

Yes, it IS a UN mission, Elizabeth. What the hell are you talking about!?

Biden v Pain: Doll Hair vs Doll Face

Dion: "We will stay until the job is not done."

Beautiful. :~)

...........another Bushism...........

Harper defending his government's mission in Afghanistan real well.

My gag reflux kicked into overdrive when Dion named Martin and Chretien as the reason why the banking sector is sound,I had to turn it off to safeguard my sanity.Thank god there are some posters here with a stronger constitution than mine cause I sure won't tune into the MSM for their opinions of the debate results.Thank god[and Kate] for SDA.

If Jack becomes PM, I hope he appoints me as the jobs commisioner.

After the debate, Dion will join Layton at Starbucks for a coffee and a second kick in the nuts.

Duceppe brings up Bush and Iraq. My God, shutup you bloody idiot!

ugghhh! Bad vibes there...Dion wanting to be in charge of the military, making decisions?

shudder....

Duceppe.......'Bush.......Bush.........Bush..........Bush..........Bush........"

Gwen Ifill said "make sure you pre-order my book on your way out."

I keed, I keed.

Lizzie May is the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad. The civil service is full of them and they represent everything that is wrong with this country.

"jobs commmisioner"?

Bribes commissioner is more like it - on the spot, offering whatever they can to keep unprofitable plants in business, a game of pure bluff and bait.

Why is May getting so much time?

"I can't wait for the artists to make more movies, more art, more books and make Canada will be more fun."

Dion

Dion - Harper=Bush. AWKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! The stupidity! It burns!

haha Bluetech I got the same shiver when Dion started talking about what he would do if he was PM and in charge of the forces.

Now Lizzie May wants to solve World Poverty........my gawd, she should realize that her sloganeering doesn't work on 90% of the electorate. What a ridiculous statement!

"Gwen Ifill performed admirably as moderator."

I think someone read her the riot act this afternoon after it was revealed that she didn't reveal her book to the Debate Commission.

Edward Teach: Lizzie May is the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad. The civil service is full of them and they represent everything that is wrong with this country.

So true dude, so true.

Harper's finishing strong.

Jack! wants to bring the troops home, put them out of work, then take the saved money and save overseas lives through an NDP "peace initiative."

BTW, who is this George Bush of whom they speak? A bit of a fixation, no?

Steffi"You say we have to stay until the job is not done",yeah that is prime ministerial material,with a tan.

Good line from Duceppe...wonder why he didn't say he wanted to be PM of Quebec.

'Investments'

Government spending is expenditure of taxpayer dollars. Why do socialists insist on using this ill-defined use of this word?

More like government waste!

Dion is the guy who walks out of the women's washroom with his shirt stuck in his fly and toilet paper stuck to his shoe.

The only guy in Canada who can make Layton look Prime Ministerial. The most ineffective use of the word "dam" since Black Jacques Shellac tangled with Bugs Bunny.

Lizzy May takes stupidity to a whole new level, did anyone else hear her say there was an international conspiracy to destroy our health care system ?

Duceppe is irrelevent outside of Quebec.

Jack is just plain scary, it would take this country a century to overcome 4 years of Dipper rule.

Steffi is just pathetic.

These 4 clowns couldn't run a cr*p factory even if they had an unlimited supply of laxative !

I though Lizzie's top priority was to save the world from the disaster of Global warming? Turns out it's getting more of her travellers into the public trough

"Lizzie May is the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad."

Except she wasn't born here. She's an American kos kid. Also a single mom, because who could stand that thing?

Dion, the pompous and arrogant English mangler, is dead in the water.

Once again, the one economist debates the four communists. Two of which shouldn't be at the table.

Still 20 minutes to go, but Harper won, simply by the fact that he wasn't asked, like last night, to turn to the person on his left and say something nice.

bluetech: "Why is May getting so much time?"

Because she just won't shut up. Paikin needs to whack her with the moderator's nerf bat.

"international conspiracy to destroy our health care system"

Yes. Its Sasquatches in BC that are causing all the trouble Lizzie. Oh, and they're illiterate. Get on that before they grab a handgun and hurt the Kokanee Ranger.

Lizzy May, born with the mouth of a ventriloqist's dummy.

This isn't a debate, it's a lefty four on one assault of the PM.

The format is on par with a pathetic mid-way sideshow...............Gawd Awful.

LOL Aiken asked Dion why one of Dalton's ministers thinks that the Green Shift is not a good idea. Dion taken aback.

Agree Kate. Paikin and Ifill were good tonight.

I-fell was fine right to the end, when she said "You did great." twice to Biden. Biden also seemed to know the last question was coming. Sometimes they let them know a question is coming, both sides I hope.

I predict that cbc will declare Dion the winner. This will be broadcast to Canadians that did not watch the debate to bolster support for the liberals. I hope I am wrong but .......

Lizzie wasn't around when Hedy Fry ridiculed income splitting and recognition of spouses that choose to stay home.
Good answer from PMSH.

The debates themselves are meanigless. They don't change minds much. People who watch them, mostly political junkies, are set in their positions. The undecided, for the most part, are people who don't pay attention to politics and watching in small number, proportional to those who follow politics on a regualr basis. Unfortunately, having said that, the sound bites they do receive iare from the MSM who control and shape the message. We know the script they've written. More gang rape to follow...

I hope PMSH mention the Goodale/Brison crap WRT income trust.

WallyJ-

On the troops in ashkan, Parliament voted to pull them out, so as PM, that's the line. Given a majority, there could be a different vote, and gee! We are staying!

Ian

Duceppe: I know I won't be prime minister, just like 3 of you but you won't admit it (pointing at Dion, Layton and May).

LOL BAM!

"Reconcile mankind and the planet",pass the barf pail.

Lizzy May: "Demand better of your politicians."

Good idea. I've decided I''m not going to vote for any leader who spoke at the pro-Hizb'Allah/anti-Israel rally in Toronto on August 12, 2006.

Oh look, that's YOU Lizzy May!

"Reconcile mankind and the planet"

He has a rather inflated notion of the job, I think.

da great challenge his Mankind and da Planet. Hi want to be da Priminster huv Canada.

Glorious.

I think CBC declared Borat Dion the winner about three and half hours ago.

Loved Duceppe's zinger about how he wouldn't be Prime Minister and neither would three others at the table as he looked at Loonie Lizzy, Taliban Jack and Borat Dion !

May is a joke and shouldn't be there.

But let's try to remember all of the things many of the conservative commenters here have said about her next time someone wants to whine that Democrats are sexist and unfair with Palin.

"a single mom, because who could stand that thing?"

"the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad"

etc.

Not making a comparison. Just highlighting it for those who moronically say that there is a difference between Republicans and Democrats.

Stupid, knee jerk kool aid drinking blind partisans will throw out every principle and value if it serves there side.

"The sweater's nice." Says the mustache.

Followed by the English mangler.

Good question by Paikin!!

I agree with anon,a lifelong liberal voting friend of mine told me that for the first time in his life he won,t be voting liberal as a direct result of Dion,s green shift.

Per Pollster Luntz, Palin did extremely well with his focus group of independents. Phrases like "not the Palin we have seen in the news." He said "Expect a shift in the polls" I hope so.

Young Afgan Canadian male from Kitchener asks "why are we leaving Agnstn in 2011 as it is too imprtant to leave". My wife replies, "then why aren't you over there fighting for your country if it is so damned important instead of asking our men and women to die for you!"

Dion, Layton, Liz and Gile are making the point; the only prime ministerial candidate is Steven Harper. They all address him, they probably think they're ganging up, instead they're acknowledging his leadership and credibility. He just calmly answers.
PMSH wins!

I actually enjoyed this, I planned to watch a few minutes and watched the whole thing.

PMSH has performed more and more strongly as the "debate's" gone on. He's also been allowed more time to speak truth to idiocy.

Stephen Harper's a real class act.

Just like the house of commons only the Green Leader has a seat.

I for one am extremely pleased that more people are being exposed to her ignorance and moonbattery.

I am also pleased that the NDP will be the official opposition in a few weeks.

Layton suggests "take a deep breath and go for it". In that context, I can't help but visualize a gun to my head.

Layton is a d*ck. Here he is in a sweater.

http://media.canada.com/idl/edjn/20070120/153851-53380.jpg

So you tell her that we have a voluntary military for just those sort of things. If she's too emotional to understand the role of the military, perhaps she should move on to something else.

IanV,while you are at it,can you give me saturday's lotto numbers.

Ian...how true,seeing as it was a Liberal majority who sent our troops there in the first place, without a vote.

PMSH is the only one who had the guts to change his mind when he knew it was better for Canada, but risky in the 'popularity' scale.

"Stupid, knee jerk kool aid drinking blind partisans will throw out every principle and value if it serves there side."

So says the the liberal plant, with an IQ to match.

Paikan - This debate was better than the American one

May - Its our democracy, it matter more here

=======================

Gee, really Liz?!

Duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Seriously, do any Liberal voters bother to get out of their chair on election day?

You missed the point completely but thanks for trying.

Palin did a great job of talking to the people, great job tonight.

The Canadian four on one , was not a debate, it was a rehash of everything we've seen in Question Period for the life of the Harper government. It was sickening and real amateur hour.
Lizzy May will never get anywhere close to governing or even influencing government, she was a waste of airtime and damned obnoxious, that's one shrew who can't be tamed.

Can't the moderator muzzle that looney bi tch. How about a great big cup of shut the fu ck up

On Newman now.... NDP strategist says that she thought Layton had given a lot of zingers. Hmmm. I thought the one hitting you with the missile deserves that credit... loved Harper's comment about Layton's stay at the Shouldice Clinic. Reminded me of the 2000 debate when it was pointed out that Joe Clark paid out of pocket healthcare.

His class act preformance will translate into a majority gov.. let the housecleaning bagin

I want to thank everyone for making me laugh. I've been chuckling aloud here reading these posts. I thought my head was going to explode watching that. I'm sure my blood pressure was at an all time high!

I find the entire thing ridiculous to say the least. First off because I believe Elizabeth and Giles should not have been included (I don't think I have to state the reasons why) and secondly because hearing the same thing over and over again (ie Bush/Iraq/sweaters, etc.) is just so petty, so old, and certainly not something that should be brought up in what should be a "serious" debate. Is that what they truly believe the people of Canada find important?

For me Harper was the obvious winner. I thought that when allowed to squeeze in a few words, he did so calmly and without a lot of trash talk unlike the other so called leaders.

I'm sure the CBC won't see it that way but I've lost all hope in ever seeing anything "fair" come from them.

You need to learn how to read and decifer and understand, Mississauga Matt, before you make idiotic mysogynists statements. Otherwise thanks for trying.

"the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad"

I forgot to add completely lacking in class.
It is what it is...I say it because it happens to be true.

Loved the hypocrisy. While attacking Flaherty, through Harper, on saying that "Ontario is not a place to invest" and that saying such doesn't inspire confidence in investors... then they turn around and attack him for not saying that the sky is falling in the nation as a whole.

I switched back and forth between the 2 debates but found myself watching the VP debate more because half the time there was a attractive face on the screen compared with the canadian debate which offered 0% attractiveness and 20% downright ugly...

and to any conservatives here? at 10:53- yeah I just called Liz May ugly, which is a fact but I also indicated the rest were unattractive too which is also a fact.therefore I consider myself fair and unsexist and I also say that the democraps ARE being unfair and sexist with Governor Palin.

I felt Steve Paikin did a reasonably good job tonight. He was often but not always effective at restraining the other 4. Those ineffective times were not for lack of trying.

Liz not so deftly sidesteps the question if she should have an ELECTED mp to be included in the debate.I think they will hold onto until their current elected base.

I'm a virtuoso with the remote. Watched both debates - more or less.

Canadian Debate: Harper in charge but slimeball Layton surprisingly strong. Duceppe was very good, as usual but, who cares. Dion and May split the absolute bozo award

American Debate: Biden kept his cool and sounded statesmanlike. His legislative experience showed. I breathed a sigh of relief that Palin didn't duplicate her performance with Couric. On energy she was head and shoulders above Biden but, I can't agree with Kate that she "killed" him. Hell, she survived with honour, and that was an accomplishment.

Globe&Mail poll on who won the debate! Go Harper!

Anon...I would have paid to see Layton's face with that one,what a hypocrite.

The Mop & Pail is asking who won:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

And of course, Borat is in the lead...

Zog - I was speaking in the whole about the overall bearing and presentation. And Biden's "facts" are already being challenged on the news networks.

It was the split screen that was killing him. Palin took notes when he scored points or made comments she wanted to respond to. He offered gratuitous grins at first, but that deteriorated to grimaces, and at one point, wiping his brow.

She was cool, composed, and having fun.

I thought the line of the night belonged to Dion, who said near the end that "a Liberal government would work with otters to get things done".

Because if there is one species out there that gets things done, its otters (alright, maybe beavers too).

The moderator - at times just allowed the "babble from the background" while Harper had the floor. Far to many times in fact. Interesting that there was no babble while other leaders had the floor. Kudos to Harper in how he dealt with this. How can this be called a debate when it was more like a 4 on 1 pile up with very little chance of rebuttal by the l.

The element of Funding for the Arts trumped a discussion on the CHRC/T and this is very discouraging. To think that the arts issue was that highly rated that it deserved to be an element in this debate speaks volumes about who determined the elements to be aired and the why behind them.

Paiken referred to some 4500 questions being submitted yet the handful that were aired were pretty much softball intensity. A grade 5 student could have come up with better.

How nice not to have the distracting voices of translators (almost as difficult to understand as Dion) rumbling over the incessant background noises of candidates plus the sound system. (French Debate last night)

At times Dion might have actually benefited in having a translator tonight as well. The more intense Dion got - the less he was understood. When asked to talk about what he would first do if going back as prime minister, he totally fumbled the ball and had no idea where the ball went to try to recover it. Almost incomprehensible in answering the question and surely he must have lost a lot of supporters just on this point alone. He should have knocked it out of the park - but that never happens if their is no bat in the hand.

G.D. had the lighter moment when addressing the question of what will you do first if becoming prime minister. Response - well, you other three want to become PM. I don't, but here is what I'm going to do - and he laid it out pretty well.

Time @@@@@@ spent.

Sorry, Kate, but I can't agree with you on the Ifill compliment.

If you have the opportunity to watch the debate again, please note the number of times Biden is given the first response over Palin, then after Palin gets her chance she let him deliver a rebuttal. Ifill gave him the first word, multiple extra (fallacy-filled) rebuttals after which she closed off the subject and moved on. Even when Palin was given first response Biden was allowed a final (extra) rebuttal after Palin's.

Then she gave Biden the last closing words in the debate.

It would be very interesting to compare the total speaking time Ifill gave to each of them. I would guess up to 70%-30% in favour of Biden.

One can argue that this is a subtle form of favouritism, but it's favouritism nonetheless. And having the last word in a debate like this one always counts for something.

This was another 4 on 1 debate.It is ludricous to pick a winner from the pack of four. Harper did not win many points but to survive the gangbang with his hide intact puts him head and shoulders above the rest...To survive having to give Lizzie a peck on the cheek afterwards,well he is a better man than me.

Dion cried, people died.

I am amazed at the self control of the PM, I wanted to reach across the TV and strangle the smirking moustached weasel, I don't know how he did it. As for Ms May, if I was beside her, she would now be partaking of our free health care and having an index finger re-attached after having it jabbed at me countless times.

So Harper believes the WMD threat as a reason to invade Iraq was bullshit.

Interesting.

You know what? I feel bad that Stephen Harper had to kiss Lizzie May on the cheeks. I would have much preferred him giving Governor Palin a couple of pecks. She certainly deserved them more than Ms. May.

I've already seen 1 poll. Global I think.
Harper won pretty large. Layton 2nd.

Layton is the big loser. It reminds me of the 2003 Ontario election where, for some odd reason, the NDP chose to attack the Tories all the time. Most analysts agreed that NDP leader Hampton ran the best campaign. He was glowing and predicted the NDP would do very well. They lost seats to the Liberals. Jack didn't go after Dion enough. Again, I think he's cooked a deal with the others. He didn't change his mind as everyone thinks, he just went off script. Just think of all the pressure on Layton from the likes of Hargrove and friends in the labour movement who back strategic voting. May's addition further adds voice on the left to the "coalition" argument, that parties are only a means to an end. The NDP, will at some point, fold into the Liberal Party.

JimmyF:

Very funny. Have you ever seen the sea otter clip from South Park?

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=KKUJgkSOy8Y

Watched Palin/Biden instead, with quick channel changes to check out the Canadian debate.

Could not watch the Canadian debate for more than 30 seconds at a time. Elizabeth May had her big yap going every time (usually out of turn). Couldn't stomach that. Back to Fox.

She even had to get the last word in after Paikin signed off. Shut the eff up, Lizzie. You are inconsequential and a waste of time/energy. You should not have been there.

I watched the debate at my local Conservative candidate's HQ. Much snickering at the moonbat May, and Jack's creative accounting and constant references to the evil "big oil". However, the general consensus was that Dion did better than expected - he was intelligible and not falling all over his tongue, which is what we were expecting.

Harper was his usual calm, controlled self. I would have liked to see him land a few zingers, but of course, if he had tried that, he would have been characterized as "mean", "angry", and "snappish!".

We actually thought Paikin did a much better job than the French moderator last night. He did keep trying to get people to stop interrupting and redirect the flow to whomever was supposed to be speaking. That the four spoiled brats didn't listen doesn't surprise me.

When Harper's voice suddenly started echoing, we were instantly suspicious, as *EXACTLY* the same thing happened to our candidate in the local televised debate. He's a transit expert and when asked what he would do for transit in the GTA, all of a sudden, his voice was echoing and nearly unintelligible.

And to the calculation errors:

May kept claiming Germany has a lower unemployment rate; wrong - Germany's rate is 24% higher than Canada's.

Dion kept claiming we had the "worst performance in the G8"; wrong - in the last quarter, while Canada's 0.3% growth was nothing to crow about, it beat Japan's -3%, Germany's -2%, and Italy and France's -1.1%. That's half the G8 showing worse performance. Nice try, Steffi.

Layton made the most egregious blooper, though, when he said the average Canadian family is working 290 hours more per month. Can the man not do simple math? That's more than 9 hours per day, every day, including Saturday and Sunday, 52 weeks a year. I'd love to see him produce figures to substantiate that!

Cbc,our unbiased canadian brawwwdcaster,has recieved hundreds of e-mails about the debate. So far they cannot find one that supports Harper.That is odd,hmmmmm.

Newman and Meharchand are sarcastically chuckling reading an e-mail that noted how many times Harper said "I want to be clear." I wonder if it was even half as many times as Paul Martin.

Dion was awesome! I never saw his lips move once the whole time May was speaking!

Harper, hands-down winnner.

The couple of times I tuned in and Stephane was talking, he really sounded like he was going to cry. Wimp.

That was a horrible format. Next time, cut out the Bloc and the Greens and make the debate more manageable. Lizzie will have no reason to be there next time - she won't have ANY MPs. And if one is talking, the rest KEEP THEIR BIG YAPS SHUT.

Harper was prime-ministerial. The rest ranged from whackjobs (Layton) to feeble (Dion).

Let's convince Canadians of this.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com

Poll.

Vote.

Re the gangs with handguns bit, if you get rid of those and they start going at each other with explosives, long arms, longbows, swords, siege engines, and whatever else, will the left figure out that maybe taking the gangs off the streets might solve the problem?

And on the arts item, with the Conservatives pushing money toward arts credits for children, one might suggest that artists could make good coin passing their craft on to the younger generation.

Crazy Jack Layton made a remark to Harper about how he lets companies outside of Canada buy our lumber and why doesn't he, Harper, create those same business interests in Canada to create jobs here at home??????

Is he mentally insane????? So selling Canadian lumber to American builders is "bad" for Canada because Canada should be building those American homes here in Canada - Is that what Taliban Jack, Mr. Economics Layton is trying to say???

It's Harper against four insane communists.

Paikin did a VASTLY better job than any moderator I have seen before. Very evenhanded. So much better than the no-name who did the French debate

Paikin is emerging as the best journalist in Canada.

www.theglobeandmail.com

vote in the poll.

The big "kiss or peck on the cheek" is up front and center in living color - see TO Star. Probably up on u-tube by now and one can only imagine how far and wide this is bound to go. Like they say, pictures are worth ........

Interesting that the Star and Globe both have Dion winning tonight's debate. Do vote and check the results.

Bit OT from the debate itself, but anyone notice CBC's pregame show and and how the leaders dress?

Of all the leaders and the photo's they chose, the only one to have their party's website advertised in the shot was the Liberals.

Any photo could've been selected, but the one they chose of Dion showed him coming off his plane, and painted in big bolf letters on the inside of the door (swung open as he's coming out waving), is liberal.ca. It's almost more prominet in the shot than Dion himself. Why that photo? He's a politician. He wears suits in every photo.

Again, most average Canadians don't tune into politcal program in general, especially the uninformed and undecided... but when they do, it's on nights like tonight. Isn't this just a "clever" way to send people to get the Liberal Party's propoganda out?

Layton now suddenly makes huge leap from about 11% to 23% in "who won debate" poll. Obviously some NDP boys are pumping the PCs hard somewhere.

www.theglobeandmail.com

Vote.

Whoa! Harper suddenly takes the lead, and Dion falls to third. (34, 29, 28)

Funny how the CTV crew is declaring Moonbat May the winner. Hilarious, typical MSM. Mind you, with their giving props to Moonbat, it might swing some doe-eyed voters away from the Fiberals to the Greenies.

Anyone catch Adrianne Carr? She was Green party leader here in BC for awhile, she's been on the sidelines for awhile, but she's as batty as May. Must be a requirement for their team membership.

RE: "Lizzy's insane" -- I found May's finger pointing to be offensive. It was nasty and showed poor control of her body language. I did not notice anyone else doing that. How would it have looked if Harper had pointed his finger at her in a similarly aggressive fashion?

Lori said... "Layton now suddenly makes huge leap from about 11% to 23% in "who won debate" poll. Obviously some NDP boys are pumping the PCs hard somewhere."

A big increase in support. Maybe those NDP supporters can run a telethon, raising money for Jack to pay for his next hernia operation, then he can prepare for the next debates, saying that he didn't pay for health care out of his own pocket.

JimmyF...the only reason Dion referenced a mammal [otters]is because insects are too difficult to articulate.Example: bizzy bubble beeze,or ard working hants.

Paikin was alright. However, I marvelled at the Arts questions: All four of the other leaders disagree with the cuts the government made to the arts. Are Conservatives simply barbarians?

Barbarians?

Oh, and I had to leave the room every time Layton spoke. He was unbearable as he jumped between faux-outrage and faux-concern.

And Lizzie May about politicians keeping their promises: I used to be a lawyer, but when I became a policitian, I feel hardly better than....

...and I shouted at the TV, "...a lawyer!!!"

If anyone wants an exhibition of the obnoxious, it's alive on the Van Dusen call in show on CPAC.
Liberal rep, Susan Smith is the Queen of obnoxious.

If the media has anything to do with it, Harper will be lucky to get even a minority.

"Lizzy sez the poor dears need literacy classes to keep down crime." -- I was glad Harper got a chance to respond on this one. There is this perception that Cons cut literacy programs -- when what they cut were aspect of the literacy bureaucracy (academics getting grants for newletters, conferences, etc.) -- in favour of more money to actually support literacy training. Many people on the left do not understand this. Why would they? The press has made no effort to clarify this -- nor many other really quite positive Conservative initiatives.

Among the five leaders, all seated at a round table at the National Arts Centre here, Dion had the quietest demeanour, rarely raising his voice and, though English is a language he is still learning, he made his points with relative clarity. While other leaders, including Duceppe, often interrupted others in a format that allowed for some candid exchanges, Dion generally waited for moderator Steve Paikin to call upon him and offered his own sharp criticisms of other leaders.

- excerpt from the National Post's assessment.

Apparently, he even brought Paikin an apple.

Harper pulling away - 37% to 27% Layton, 26% Dion.

Keep voting

www.theglobeandmail.com

The most striking thing about the debate was how calm Harper was as all four of them, but especially Layton, launched very personal attacks on him. My 10 year old marvelled at their rudeness. Harper never did the same, called everyone by their first names, and was calm.

Dion, attacked twice by Layton in that offensive manner that Layton does, nearly lost his cool the second time.

No one bothered attacking Duceppe or the crazy green lady, and Layton took a few mild Harper attacks.

But Harper took the full brunt of 4 crazied lefties, and never got even a bit flustered. I truly admire that.

Ham wrote... "Paikin was alright. However, I marvelled at the Arts questions"

Ambush TV. "Important" issues were being discussed? Heh. The lead topics as chosen by the media... The 3 lead topics most important to Canadians: economy, health care and... art funding? Talk about serving one up on a tee for the opposition. Paikin stated at the beginning of the debate that questions were chosen from over 4,500... what percentage of those 4500 were about arts funding? C'mon! Who of the 3 — CTV, CBC, and Global — managed to get that one in? Wheeling and dealing like corrupt judges in Olympic figure skating

40% to a leftist tie @ 25%

After watching U.S. vice-presidential debate, I switched to Canadian....hmmmm..... panel (?) My son went into hysterical laugh and I still wonder how that table from Air Canada lounge at some remote airport was transported to the studio ?

Oddly, the most CPC friendly major media headline from today's debate so far is from the Red Star:

Harper Hits Back in Debate

A more assertive Prime Minister Stephen Harper pushed back at his four political rivals Thursday night, charging their prescriptions for addressing the financial slowdown would wreck the Canadian ...

I wonder how long that will last as the lead Toronto Star headline. Not until tommorrow morning, I'd bet.

Harper did ok, all things considered. I wish he took the gloves off though.

Can't wait for the Canadian Press take on this.

"And Biden's "facts" are already being challenged on the news networks."

Ah, so by your definition of losing a debate, you must disagree with Stephen Taylor that Harper won the debate when he was corrected so constantly.

Harper won the so called debate. Very cool person with all the nattering around him. Always answered in very clear and concise tone, didn't back track, defended his government policies and very good delivery.

Voted in G&M poll. Harper leading at 41%

Tough call on who should win the Castro trophy ... better to have 5 (can't forget MSM) large trophies designed by someone on an arts grant. Win-win-win-win-win-win ("Artist").

I have zero respect for Canadian news outlets anymore. The media are disgusting liberal bias whores.

Oh that felt good.

Seriously, though, I would love to court a Conservative media mogul from the US (with plenty of capital) to take the wind out of the sails of the Canadian media.

Just caught this bit again on CPAC.

Right after Mr. Harper says "I believe all you guys are sincere in your beliefs", showing some class, Layton pipes off "where's your (policy), inside your sweater"? What a slimey pr!ck Layton is.

Biden was too detail obsessed? Isn't that what we want from our politicians? Details so that they can, you know, try and back up their points with facts? All Palin did was say Maverick 434 times and not answer 3/4 of the questions and repeat and re-repeat her talking points. Saying that, however, she wasn't terrible, but that isn't saying much.

Paikin was fair and tried his best to even out the 4 on 1 swarming problem. I loved how he smoked out the smirking weasel Layton on how he had used the Shouldice private medical clinic.

Meanwhile, over at the Red Star, Harper is also winning the poll, by more or less the same margin: 40:25:25.

It's kind of pathetic though - whereas at the Globe over 4500 people have voted, at the Star only about 200 people have done so.

That paper should be heading for financial failure sooner rather than later.

I have also noticed that the comments that they post on their articles have been increasingly right-wing, even with moderation (and they definitely moderate much more than the Globe from my experience).

Make your vote.

www.thestar.com

Can someone please slap Lizzie May [I please have a brain] until she has enough sense to realize you cannot compare Sweden and Germany to Canada. Both countries could fit in Canada's mass several times. Our cost of transporting goods likely exceeds their total energy demand. Do I also have to mention their tax burdens compared to ours.
While you are at it you can also kick Terry Mileski (sp?) in the groin for wasting valuable oxygen making the same case for Norway.

jcp: When you mentioned a nerf bat, I envisioned an incredibly entertaining debate. It would still hurt the ears, brain, and intellect as this one did, but it would be a lot easier on the eyes to see pompous politicians being whacked with a foam bat. I am totally for this form of entertainment. Bring it on.

I'm pretty sad about how truly awful the televised debates are. They're so terrible it's impossible to sort out who's saying what. How am I supposed to tell that how badly they're lying if nobody ever shuts up?

Stephen Harper's finest moment, IMO. Never has a sitting prime minister been subject to such a coordinated attack in a debate, and never has a pm acquitted himself so admirably in the face of specific, tough points.

The usual survival tactic in such debates is to deflect onto your opponents and onto other topics. Mr. Harper took each piece of proverbial bait, calmly, and chewed it up and spit it out. It substantially hollowed out his opponents, unless they think endless reiterations of "fifty billion/corporations" etc etc is the same as credible policy.

As the debate went on, it became clear that there was only one person in the room who deserves to be pm. Harper has his feet on the ground, a thorough knowledge of the details, and a knowledge of how things realistically work. He knows what is and isnt' unrealistic; the others came across as moving play pieces on a board game called "Shameless Pandering Politics."

Harper had a monopoly on credibility, in a way that should be apparent to anyone who's not entirely partisan.

This particular format revealed the candidates way more than the ol' standing in front of a podium and speechifying ever did. Anyone can speechify -- witness May and Layton's rote little set pieces. Mr. Harper can think on his feet; he doesn't come across as being "on message" so much as smart and capable.

BTW, I thought Paikin did a great job and was balanced and non-partisan and fair. When various candidates pointedly evaded questions --- Jack and May -- he didn't let them off the hook, and he had a good sense of what was happening in the room.

This pig-pile debate was a national disgrace. Annex Alaska & Palin for PM!

"But let's try to remember all of the things many of the conservative commenters here have said about her next time someone wants to whine that Democrats are sexist and unfair with Palin.

"a single mom, because who could stand that thing?"

"the quintessential obnoxious fat boorish slovenly socialist Canadian broad""

The difference, of course, is that the insults hurled at Palin are for the most part untrue whereas, on the other hand, with May "if the shoe fits"

HT.

I don't know if anyone caught a picture of Lizzie before yesterday's election debate. She showed up wearing one of those Mao jackets that were so popular years ago amongst the hippie set. If you can find it and know how to use photo-shop,a picture of May,Dion,Layton,and that french guy as the 'gang of four" would be very 'appropos'.

Regarding the globe and mail poll.,Between 10:07 p.m.and 10:09 p.m.,my time,Layton gained about 400 votes.Hmmmm.

Does Lizzie realize the amount of pollution created to produce, package and distribute all of the food she is eating? What a Hippo-crite!

May was the clear leader ... vote Green!!!! or NDP!!!! ... can't remember what Taliban Jack said, but it was good!!!!

Good is better than bad after all!!!!

[quote]I have zero respect for Canadian news outlets anymore. The media are disgusting liberal bias whores.[/quote]

Postscript,
The CBC had the Post leader interviews after the debate. All the reporters were Mad as Hell at Layton for attacking Dion. The Anchor (CBC) commented but I don't think he realized the significance. I have been involved in several productions (insider) of US political coverage and have never seen such a display of an obvious Media conspiracy, even OFF camera. YES they are Liberal Whores.

Duceppe would be an excellent leader if he were a federalist.. Why have someone in a debate that is not interested in Canada. Dizzy Lizzy fits that same mold; she is committed to the United Nations. Canadians are more than fit to make their own mistakes..

Dion: His Political rational sounds like it came from a socialist in France! I then found out that he is a Citizen of France. He is IMO a EU Communist on a mission

USA debate: Joe, & all those that HATE America, always express concern for the global opinion of Americans. Since 9/11 I don't give a dump

Green shift = National. Energy. Program. Period.

[quote]I have zero respect for Canadian news outlets anymore. The media are disgusting liberal bias whores.[/quote]

Postscript,
The CBC had the Post leader interviews after the debate. All the reporters were Mad as Hell at Layton for attacking Dion. The Anchor (CBC) commented but I don't think he realized the significance. I have been involved in several productions (insider) of US political coverage and have never seen such a display of an obvious Media conspiracy, even OFF camera. YES they are Liberal Whores.

Duceppe would be an excellent leader if he were a federalist.. Why have someone in a debate that is not interested in Canada. Dizzy Lizzy fits that same mold; she is committed to the United Nations. Canadians are more than fit to make their own mistakes..

Dion: His Political rational sounds like it came from a socialist in France! I then found out that he is a Citizen of France. He is IMO a EU Communist on a mission

USA debate: Joe, & all those that HATE America, always express concern for the global opinion of Americans. Since 9/11 I don't give a dump

Gah! I wake up to find Dion leading in the G&M poll.

34 for Dion to 33 for Harper.

www.theglobeandmail.com

Vote

Dion 34%; Harper 34% at the Globe.

VOTE!

P.S. Harper won for sure: he got better and better--and more time--as the evening went on.

There was a debate last night? Who cares, who actually watches this crap? I already know who I'm voting for and I'm not going to change my mind based on a well placed barb backing a bad argument. I'm not after a wit with a sharp tonque, I want a leader not a smart ass to run my country. This nation has already had that train wreck, his name was Trudeau.

I personally would have preferred if Steve Paikin had used a tazer to shut up the blabbering fools.

A few points:

- The way dion tried to look sincere and understanding every time the camera came to him was pathetic as was his English. If folks believe he was more intelligeable than before then I'm glad I missed that.

- May shouldn't have been there, period. There was a time when her finger pointing, constant interupting and calling the PM a liar would have earner her a challenge to a duel. Maybe she could move to Sweden.

- Duceppe shouldn't have been there either. The Bloc is not a national party. It cannot do anything to represent the ROC.His biggest beef was he wanted the "profits" Quebec deserves, not like Alberta and Saskatchewan.

- Layton deserves the Big Bad Oil/Bush Bashing award. His sweater jokes got old fast and the "I feel your pain" man of the people was stale. His hand gestures almost made me wish that I could reach out and break a few wrists.

- The PM had much more poise and tact than I could ever muster. Everyone complained about no platform of promises but totally missed the point that he was telling them and Canada, of what his government had already accomplished and what they planned to do. The CPC has been keeping promises while everyone else is just promising the world with money they don't got.

- The post game media were obviously watching something different than what I saw. Just how many senate seats are vacant right now anyway? All in all, I'm not sure if it was worth staying up past my bed time (I start work @ 6am Atlantic time).

I'm the Texas Canuck and I approve this comment.

I think every University/college student in Canada invented a new game last nite.
Every time the word Bush is used you drink.

IMO that was not a debate at all, all i seen was a gang attack, very little debate amongst all & whats with liz Gawd i wish they had cut her Mike she would not Shut-the-F***-Up even when it was not her turn.
I did not see the PM once interupt his opponents, I dunno maybe that was the strategy, Let them babble.
When the PM took on Dion near the start I thought Dion was going to cry.
As for the MSM saying layton & lizzie were the winners, Well look at it this way Who has had more time to say Anything about nothing.
Best line of the Nite has to go to Duceppe When asked when you become PM what will be the first thing you will do?
Duceppe said he knows HE won't ever be PM, But Niether will 3 of you sitting here. Note he looked right at Dion,Layton & Diz.

bryanr -
"As for the MSM saying layton & lizzie were the winners," etc.
layton may have been the winner in the eyes of MSM, but he still is a communist and needs to to be called on it.

Geez watching that circus last evening should kill any push for proportional representation for a long time. That is what Parliament would be like under PR. It would be Question Period 24/7.

My take: Harper was cool under fire. Dion was better in English than I expected but my expectations were low. Layton is a master of cheap shots. May is a rude heckler. Duceppe is irrelevant to the English debate (I flipped to Palen/Biden when Duceppe spoke).

All you brilliant folk around here calling Layton a "communist" are probably the same ones who argue that the Liberals are part of "The Left", and that Bush's bail out and administration is "Socialist". Now you're all welcome to contest the meanings of those terms, attempting even to re-define them, but as of now you're really stretching. I can't think of a worse misapplication of labels.From the Left:

"Saying that Bush’s fascist move this week is actually the same thing as “socialism” just because it involves the state and capitalists is a bit like saying that cancer-causing cigarettes are the same thing as chemotherapy because they both involve cancer and its spread.

Paikin did a great job moderating a very flawed debate format. I was astonished when two members of the CBCs "At Issue" panel declared May the winner. May? Really? Her constant background nattering when others were speaking was annoying in the extreme. She seemed more like a comedy club heckler than a political leader.

The most notable difference was Harper's command of the issues. His ability to recite specific policies was very impressive. The others confined themselves to generalizations, dogma, platitudes or promises to "consult". Harper repeatedly got into the details.

Harper may not have won the battle of the clever soundbite, but for anybody who watched the debate in its entirety he stood head and shoulders above his adversaries.

Dion looked lost and frequently confused.
Layton confined himself to slogans and soundbites.
Duceppe had no business being there.
May needed to STFU when it wasn't her turn to speak.

Big mouth Lizzie May is running for Liberal Environment Minister. She should just get it over with and admit it.

The debate was an unwatchable cringefest.

That was no debate.

It was a smear job of Canada's Prime Minister on the part of the other candidates and the media. Paikin was not able to moderate, as all the participants but Prime Minister Stephen Harper were yelling out, interrupting, and going over their allotted time.

What a free for all. It was worse than a TV wrestling match where you expect wrestlers to be brazen, rude, a**holes. That wasn't what I was expecting from Canada's so-called political leaders.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper needed nerves of steel to stay calm in that melee. He won hands down. He told the country what the CPC has done and what they plan to do. The others simply slashed and burned the CPC platform without, for the most part, telling us what they planned to do THAT WAS DOABLE.

IMO, Ellie May and Duceppe should never have been at the table. Neither of them can form a government and they were the loudest, rudest, and most intemperate participants. The word BULLY comes to mind.

Anyone else notice that Mr. Peace in The World, Jack Layton looks like he'd rather have a fistfight with Harper than a debate?

*
i was thinking info-mercial... sort of
a political "hair club for men."

turned it off after 10 minutes.

*

Layton"s"Kitchen table issues"...sure Jack. May insults not only my intelligence but that of the Canadian electorate as a whole...40% plus of whom are illiterate.

"40% plus of whom are illiterate."
T.S., be nice to the people who could end up handing Harper a majority.

The debates probably did not fundamentally change the outcome of the election. I've come to the conclusion that a majority for Harper may not be any better than a minority. Here's my reasoning:

Judging by the frenzied reaction in Quebec to the alleged "cuts" to subsidies for poverty-stricken artists, if Harper does get a majority, he might find himself beholden to a handful of Quebec MPs who will demand trainloads of loot for Quebec interests in return for not crossing the floor to join the neo-Marxist Bloc and creating an instant minority government.

If he gets a minority off the bat, at least he knows ahead of time where everyone's loyalties lie.

Lizzie May did a good enough job and presented enough options to make the left brain explode.

BWAHAHHAHAHA.

Well I missed it I saw a preview of the movie Passchendale which kicked ass!

Judging from the comments it turned out as I expected and I made the right move.

"May shouldn't have been there, period."

Agreed

"There was a time when her finger pointing, constant interupting and calling the PM a liar would have earner her a challenge to a duel. Maybe she could move to Sweden."

No, not a duel. Duels are for people who are your equals. In a kinder, gentler time, that disgusting performance she put on would have earned her a public horsewhipping.

I had to laugh. My wife has absolutely no interest in politics and watched the debate for about a nano-second.
Her comment...
"Who does her hair? It looks like she cuts it herself looking in a mirror."

Last night's debate reminded me of a family:

- The dad, Stephen Harper; and the four kids:

- the loud, rude obnoxious one (Jack)
- the quiet, nerdy one (Stéphane)
- the extroverted, flaky one (Elizabeth)
- and the one who's always threatening to run away from home unless he gets his own way (Gilles)

I watched the whole cringe-worthy debate and the Pravda aftermath. I'm still feeling dirty this morning.

Incredibly, two of the pundits on "Canada's most watched political panel" actually said that the barking May came out ahead in the debate. I actually have some respect for Andrew Coyne, but not sure after that remark. Better commentary from Chantal who basically noted that by surviving the gang-up Harper may not have earned a majority, but it wasn't foreclosed either.

It always amazes me that those whose economic illiteracy is so painfully obvious are the ones who run off at the mouth incessantly. Jackass had a few good moments last night, but mostly he displayed his ignorance of economics and his excessive rudeness - that buffoon should not be allowed in polite company. Hussy May was equally rude and, if anything, even more ignorant than Layton. I have to say, though, that however poorly prepared and forced to defend bad proposals, Kermit Dion was at least polite and sounded a lot more reasonable than the two extreme leftists. Duceppe was merely brooding in the corner and was frequently, but at least not incessantly, rude. Our boy Steve didn't land any knockout punches, in fact it was clear he was restraining himself considerably, but he came off best just be being polite and speaking in firm, but reasoned tones against the cacaphony of leftist idiocy with which he was beset.

It was also very apparent from last night's debate and post-mortem on Pravda that neither Kermit Dion nor Terry "Reality Check" Milewski can tell the difference between a tax cut and social spending. I worry that a good part of the electorate is similarly disabled.

Dion - Needs a tissue
Elizabeth - Needs a sedative
Jack - Needs theme music to his commercial
Duceppe - Needs a Fur De Lis flag in the background
Harper - Needs to be removed as Prime Minster

Thanks OW, for your message from the "Needy"

Dion hardly bothered attending and was un-intelligible and insignificant to what passed for debate.
What is more shocking is that anyone can take Layton and May seriously.
They are raving communist lunatics, with NO self awareness, that would destroy our economy immediately if elected.

A lot of Canada, and specifically the people that reside in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor, Winnipeg and Vancouver city centres conduct their lives in a fantasy realm of sophomoric politically correct Disney Oprahisms founded on "Little Guy is always noble and right, and everything powerful, large or American is wrong and evil".

Canada is "F''d.

Stefi, May and Jack acted like crazed rabid sewer rats, disgraceful uncivilized debaters.
Watching Jack Layton "strike a pose" is as deep as his waters run.
His schtick shouldn't pass for political debate in freakin Uganda.

During a hockey fight Canadians openly BOO the third man in and hate an unfair fight.
How can the "Monkey In The Middle", four against 1 formated round table be advisable, unless you're an ABC lefty CBC employee, trying to hang on to your $100M year Boom Mike Holder job.

Do you think the entire crew from the show lives in Jack's neighbourhood.
He bragged 5000 artist live in his riding.
I can attest to that; probably more!
They obviously picked the format, set the seating arrangement, chose the camera shots, twisted the feedback knobs and did the makeup and lighting.

The last words (yelled over the moderator's closing comments) at Canada's political leaders debate , were intended to be a swipe at America.
Who would have believed a year ago that anybody could get into an official political debate sponsored by our taxes that was any crazier than Taliban Jack.
May is astoundingly, crazier.

The last guy wondering towards the cameras on the set by himself, as they shut down the lights, was Jack Layton, totally oblivious to the fact that everyone left.

I believe that Harper has never been in Majority "terror- tory".
The polls are artificially manipulated and used to scare Liberals into getting out of their cars and voting for a disfunctional, morally broke party of grifters, who's only purpose serves to keep the MSM/Arts/Bureaucrats gravy train on track.
Harper will win with a few more guys on his team but no majority.

Canada could use a Sarah Palin, she kicks ass.

Moved back and forth between the two debates. Must say the U.S. debate was much more civilized. I remember Jacko moaning about cuts to culture/arts and complaining that artists were the poorest people in the country, making 11K a year (or some low figure - can't remember). My thought was may be they should FIND A DIFFERENT OCCUPATION!! if that's all they were making, Geez.

I'm a musician. I get no money from government and maintain my living by working for it outside of the area where I'd be trying to get by on 11K a year. Maybe Jack's neighbours could give that a whirl. They might even discover something other than anti-Bush to sing about.

This was no debate - It was nothing more than a lynching. Mr. Harper handled this situation with dignity and class that shows he is a true winner.

It's an old joke that's been beaten to death, but...

All I could think of when watching Jack Layton was; Do I get a copy of how to Buy and Sell on EBay if I vote for him?

Both the English and French debates were so very very painful to watch

Funding the "arts" is the highest priority that this country should have. Not! It shouldn't have been a talking point. If that's what the MSM thinks is on the top of everyone's mind going into the voting booth, they are sorely out of touch with the common people. Gas prices, the strength of our economy, employment, and the like are far more pressing issues and IMHO got short shrift in the debates other than Layton screaming that 90,000 jobs have been lost when 100,000 new jobs have been created.

I agree with others who have pointed out that if artists can't make a living from their art, they should get a new line of work, one that will allow them to pursue their art in their spare time. Give tax credits to those artistic activities that create jobs, like the film industry, but spare me another gallery installation of meat clothing or paint dribbles.

Let’s remember the Liberal Record

Stole the Gst to pay the deficit.

Missing money.

Crow rate gone.

Rural population slashed across Canada.

Farms slashed across Canada.

Liberal supporting lawyers corrupt omissions over the Nisa Program proposed class action and the prosecution of farmers for selling grain across the boarder with allegedly back dated law.

Slashed health care.

Liberal lawyers paid for filing statute barred Indian Residential School claims while the churches were let off the hook.

Private lawyers contracting with the crowns causing a conflict of interest. This is one of the most important issues not being addressed and makes for bad case law and justice.

"Are Conservatives barbarians? C'mon, let's have a go at this"

This is what consitutes an astute question at a Canadian political debate...

Gilles Duceppe former carded communist.
Elizabeth May Green (watermelon) Party - Green outside - RED inside.
Dual citizen Dion - socialist.
Taliban Jack Layton - closet communist.

Hopefully non of the above will ever join forces to govern this country.

Debate format - bloody awful!

I vote Lizzy off the Island for any future go round in the future.

"Ham wrote... "Paikin was alright. However, I marvelled at the Arts questions"

Ambush TV. "Important" issues were being discussed? Heh. The lead topics as chosen by the media... The 3 lead topics most important to Canadians: economy, health care and... art funding?"

Arts funding? Hello!! We are currently embroiled in a war in Afghanistan. That insignificant state of affairs falls somewhere below arts funding? I'm going to have to call "bullsh!t" on that little gem.

Thank-you everyone for the great observations and laughs. Excellent comments EBD, Joe Molnar and Texas Canuck.

My best laugh was this one by DDT:

Harper's the only one who looks like a leader. Lizzy's insane, Layton is back in the 30's, Duceppe keeps taking about the Invisible Hand without knowing what it is and Dion looks like a wet chicken.

Thanks DDT for the most hilarious picture painted with words. Deyawn looks JUST like a wet hen - some people have never seen one of God's most egotistical stupid birds, the chicken - alive and soaking wet. It is quite the sight (rather like a wet cat except a chicken has no comprehension of the probability that in the future it will be dry ).

Last night PMSH showed us why he is so respected around the world: he loves Canada, he cares about Canadian Citizens and he is working FOR us. The 4 left wing cry babies and the bolshevik pandering msm...not so much...the latter want, in their most shiny dreams, to drag all of us into their evil, filthy, sewer of human hating and sucking us under, right up to our necks in thick dung until we cannot get out to help ourselves.

Take a look at my internet political ad and see what I think about the debate.

Watch my new anti-harper ad and see what I think of the debate. Cheers!

Todd, that video is lame and the production values really suck. BTW, oh yes oh yes I can trust Stephen Harper. The alternative is picking panic artists who think an economic plan is a giant government tax sucking machine.

When governments try to change the true nature of the markets, they only makes things worse.

Get out of the way, make sure the conditions are conducive to growth, and ensure nobody take illegal advantage of the situation.

Or we could elect Liberals with their economic plan to enrich themselves at our expense; something they've always done.

BTW, I'm saying "I told you so" to Jack too Late-on. He blew his chance to present himself as an alternative to opposition, and now Bob Rae has said, rightfully, it's time to target the NDP.

How can anyone think this politically and economically illiterate is intelligent?

Harper was facing four left-wing leaders, leaving him pandering rather than offering real conservative solutions. Even though he proved he's still the best choice, he pandered to the left on the questions about forcing taxpayers to fund the arts and the CBC (he even bragged about increasing CBC funding! Can an endorsement from Heather Mallick be far behind?).

He brought up the election spending gag law — which he went to the Supreme Court to try to have squashed when he was president of the National Citizens' Coalition — as an example of something his government has done well. I was outraged. Wouldn't it have been great to see him stand up for a serious income tax cut rather than try to appease the know-nothing left?

He will obviously continue to be better than any prime minister we've had in more than 40 years, but if that's our standard we are setting the bar awfully low. He is capable of better. I hope the rest of his campaign and his second mandate prove to be more inspiring than his performance last night.

Lezzy May's answer to the last question from the public was priceless
The Question was"what would your first job as prime minister be"
Lezzy said she would like to come help him finish his shed!!!!!!!
man that women is a moonbat