So the Liberals have got the reins for the next four years. God help us all. So why did the polls get it so wrong, and what went wrong for the NDP to actually lose two seats?
I think part of the reason the NDP failed is that they neglected to respond in kind to the attack ads from the Liberals.
A good counter, I think, would have been to show B.C. Place stadium, that it cost taxpayers almost a billion dollars to put that retractable roof on, and the next shot could show a hospital patient forced to wait in a linen closet while waiting for treatment. Or children standing in a soup kitchen lineup.
The other reason is the Angus Reid and other polls, which I believe highly influence the outcome of an election. Scenario: Many Liberals decide not to vote because they believe the Liberals will win hands down. Along comes the Angus Reid poll showing the NDP with a comfortable lead.
The aforementioned Liberals all start to panic and now figure they have no choice but to go and vote in order to ensure their party wins. Pre-election polls of this nature should be abolished as soon as possible, simply because they cause too much interference with the natural process.
Many secondary schools in the province staged mock elections to teach their students to look at the issues and make an educated decision. They voted overwhelmingly (73 per cent) in favour of the NDP. They got it right.
Congratulations to all who voted Liberal; you have screwed the middle class for the next four years, and made it tougher for the young people to find a decent life in British Columbia. Well done.
Mark Billesberger
Penticton
