SEAT PROJECTIONS & RIDING DISCUSSION -- SELECT PROVINCE/TERRITORY OR RIDING

2008 in Ottawa Center

Author: Jordan Alcock (Conservative)

14 Sep

This year is looking to be an interesting year in the Ottawa-Center riding.Â The incumbent, Paul Dewar won this riding in 2006 for the NDP, continuing the legacy of Ed Broadbent.Â The riding encompasses the Parkdale Market, Downtown core and Glebe areas of Ottawa, all predominantly left-wing areas.Â With the growth of the Green party, the Conservatives stand a better chance than ever at breaking the riding from the orange grip of the NDP, but they are not without strong opposition.Â Paul Dewar is a local candidate that has won the hearts of many in the riding, and he will be hard to unseat.Â The last Liberal Candidate in the riding managed to come within a couple thousand votes, and with the aggressive green policy proposed in the green shift plan, they may stand a chance at taking some soft NDP votes.Â

The real story in this election is going to be the leaders, and I’ve seen this first hand on-ground.Â Stephane Dion will need to prove his leadership qualities for soft-NDP and Green voters to consider his party, and the effects of Adscam are still being felt throughout the nation, and within the riding.Â Jack Layton will need to continue to present himself as the only real alternative to the “big boys”, and keep the pressure on Elisabeth May and the Greens.Â Stephen Harper will need to explain his policies, while defending his record.Â He will want to highlight his accomplishments, and most importantly his kept promises.Â He will need to keep the pressure on Stephane Dion, and ensure that Canadians continue to see him as a rather weak leader.

I took a trip down to the Brian McGarry headquarters on Thursday and met with some of the volunteer staff(and picked up my lawn sign).Â They are motivated, and hungry for a win.Â The riding will prove to be a long-shot for the conservatives, but there is a lot of room for dialogue, and a lot of great places to campaign.Â The team is strong, the office is impressive, and the organizational capacity is growing by the day.Â Most will expect the NDP to win this riding with ease, but if the McGarry team continues to be as pumped up as they are, they will make a formidable opponent indeed.

Â I will endeavour to keep you up to date of the goings-on within the riding, and will strive to be as objective as possible.Â I am a conservative, so do not be surprised if I am a little more in tune with whats happening in the conservative camp.Â Â Enjoy the race!

Filed under: Conservative, Eastern Ontario, Jordan Alcock (Conservative), Ontario

2 Responses for "2008 in Ottawa Center"

Tony Jones September 15th, 2008 at 3:07 pm 1
How do you feel that the tragic death of Paul Dewar mom will affect the local campaign. I pass through this riding on my way to work and my impression is that Dewar would hold, but will this change anything in your opinion?
Anonymous September 17th, 2008 at 4:30 pm 2
I think you are really underestimating the organization of Penny Collenette. She has a lot of resources at her disposal and has been campaigning for almost a year now. Mahoney was a pretty unappealing candidate to begin with and compared to the establishment ties the Collenette name has his ground work was a joke. I’m calling this for the NDP in a close one of 1-2,000 votes but there really is a strong possibility it could go liberal depending on what happens nationally.

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