Remember the old saw? Figures don't lie but liars can figure.
I was reminded of that yesterday when the Liberal press gleefully announced that the Liberal Party is pulling ahead of the Conservatives. They base this astounding news on the results of a couple of polls.
Nobody has asked us prairie dogs for our opinion on anything since Confederation but we still have opinions. One opinion is that no one should take an opinion poll seriously.
The design of the poll can skew the results in whatever way the pollster wishes. Even if the poll is designed honestly there are various factors which can make it unreliable. A lot of people simply believe the last person that they saw on tv or heard on the radio. Polls taken immediately after a political leader has appeared on tv will usually skew in his/her favour.
Many Canadians are not favourably disposed towards the U.S. President. As such, the cheap shot that Martin took at the U.S. in Montreal probably resonated in the polls, favourably for Martin. But us prairie dogs believe that most Canadians are fair-minded people (except for their dislike and mistreatment of gophers) and therefore Martin's cheap shot will not have any lasting effect.
The real story in those poll results seems to be the one that nobody is talking about. Namely the anti-everybody else bias of people in Central Canada. Everybody kicks us prairie dogs around so we can recognize a boot when we see one. For generations Central Canada has been putting the boots to Western Canada and Quebec.
Quebecers have seen the light and are close to leaving Confederation. If the Central Canada mafia don't change their ways it can't be long before Western Canada produces a strong and serious seperatist political party.
Don't say the prairie dogs didn't warn you!!
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