A receptive public

While the Globe and Mail focuses on the Tory message in the latest Strategic Counsel poll, the news looks even better for the NDP (even if the party's number is slightly lower):

According to the survey, 66 per cent believed the Conservative notion that "the election is about the need for change."

By contrast, 44 per cent of those surveyed said they accepted Paul Martin's message that only the Liberals can ensure the right "kind of economic management to keep the economy strong."

The NDP message — that the election is about finding a strong voice for Canadians in Parliament and that neither the Tories nor the Liberals can provide it — was found believable by 60 per cent of those polled.

What the Globe and Mail's reporting ignored was that the stated Conservative message is essentially contained within the NDP message, which is itself driven by a need for change. The real question is who can answer that need...and from the survey results, 60% of those surveyed don't trust either the Libs or the Cons to provide it.

Mind you, the NDP still has to make its case over the course of the campaign that it can take the role as the voice of the public. But if a strong majority of all Canadians already believes that neither the Libs nor the Cons can speak for Canadians generally, then there's a huge opportunity waiting for the NDP.