When we watched the pre-election TV coverage, we saw the CPC [conservatives, Harper] gaining ground. The polls showed this too, that the CPC had risen to being TIED with the Liberals. The actualy results were very different. The NDParty got DOUBLE THE NUMBER of MPs elected and ONE MILLION more votes than last time - DOUBLE the NDP vote. Had the polls shown this rise in NDP popularity, the electorate would have responded like they allways do to polularity - they get on the bandwagon. Also, and this may be a bigger factor in the "strategic" vote, where people thought they had to vote Liberal to stop a CPC majority. We heard this message a lot, and TV is responsible for playing that Martin clip so much. I just heard the TV say: "22% of voters made their decision at the last minute" {this from a poll taken after voting today [9pm in BC, june 28 2004]. So the NDP could have really benefitted from some more positive coverage, and to hear a balance to Martin's message Karlin
