Love is all you need

Of course the headline and main theme involve the typical "pox on all their houses" analysis. But Angus Reid's polling on public attitudes toward Canada's politicians and parties actually includes little but great news for at least one party:

In 2007, 18 per cent of Canadians were “disgusted” with the Conservatives, and that number has climbed slightly to 22 per cent. The 30 per cent that felt that way about the Grits in 2007 has fallen off to 20 per cent. About 15 per cent were turned off by the NDP, but now it’s 9 per cent.

Under the heading of “fear,” 18 per cent of those polled back in 2007 said they were afraid of what Harper stood for, but that’s dipped to 13 per cent. Only 11 per cent said they were afraid of then Liberal leader Stéphane Dion. But the poll indicates he struck fear into the hearts of fewer Canadians than Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff does today at 15 per cent. Few Canadians are afraid of NDP Leader Jack Layton.
...
Three per cent of those surveyed said they “love” Harper, up from 2 per cent in 2007, while only 1 per cent showed this level of affection for Ignatieff. One-fifth of Canucks profess their love for Layton, up from 4 per cent in 2007. The outcome was roughly the same for the parties.

So what's worth highlighting in the above? First, there's the fact that the NDP is carrying virtually no significant negatives - which looks particularly noteworthy since it comes after the Cons' effort to demonize the NDP as part of a possible coalition. That isn't to say that a more concerted attack on the NDP as a contender for power couldn't do some damage, but it certainly looks like a compelling indication that the smears so far haven't stuck - and that the vast majority of people may not be particularly receptive if the Cons try to start up again.

More interestingly, though, there's the fact that the NDP's efforts to build up Jack Layton as a positive leader look to have accomplished far more than the Cons' attempt to develop a personality cult around Stephen Harper. Indeed, the most significant change in attitudes since 2007 looks to be a stunning increase in the number of respondents professing "love" for Layton - while only a tenth of the Cons' usual voting base is willing to associate the same term with Harper.

Of course, it's an open question whether that personal approval will enable Layton to inspire voters to move into his party's camp. But at the very least, it can't be said that Canada lacks at least one reasonably beloved party leader - and it makes sense that such an option could be the antidote to public apathy built on the negative perceptions of the alternatives.

Update: Angus Reid has released the full report, and the portion of the article above about "love" looks to have mistaken a 5% showing for Jack Layton (still tops among leaders) for "one-fifth of Canucks". But there's still plenty to like for the NDP, including the plurality impression of each leader and party: "displeasure" for both the Libs and Cons and their respective leaders, compared to "optimism" for Layton and the NDP.