How can we persuade Canadians to vote for us?
Where, oh, where have we gone wrong?
So cry the Martinite backroom boys who, come to think of it, didn't do so well with Paul Martin either.
Similar hand-wringing is portrayed here.
Scott Reid, who was director of communications for former prime minister Paul Martin, said the Liberals are actually doing worse than the polls show.
The problem is that Liberal support among those likeliest to vote is soft, while Tory support is strong.
"We've got to really start to pay attention to committed voters," he said Wednesday. "The sad truth of our democracy at this moment in time is that 60 per cent of people tend to vote, particularly when cynicism is running as high as it is with respect to the prospect of an election. So how are we doing among the committed voters, those who say they are likely to vote? Those numbers are even tougher for us. And that has got to change before we get to a ballot box."
Mr. Reid said the party needs to figure out a strategy to "identify a coalition of voters that allows it a victory."
Here's a thought...
How about the Liberal Party of Canada offering something to attract MORE PEOPLE TO THE BALLOT BOX?
How about a meaningful policy to dump our single member plurality voting system in favour of a multi-member system that delivers proportional representation?
How about making the votes of all those who visit the ballot box count? Instead of what it is now, like 27 percent of eligible voters electing a party to a minority or false majority and getting a Prime Minister NONE of us had the opportunity to vote for?
Guess not.
(Doncha love the straw man arguments of the status quo?)
NB: As Ed Broadbent said recently on a September 2009 CPAC/Macleans discussion on democracy, until the Liberals or Conservatives back proportional representation, it won't happen. And that means, I ain't holdin' my breath. (H/t to nbcdipper for prodding my memory.)
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