Graham Fox in a landslide!

Graham Fox has a good chance of taking this seat -After all the broken promises,tax increases, and slush fund abuses, Orléans needs new blood.

Also remember Phil McNeely’s incredibly dumb intrusion in federal issues last year when he condemned the Israeli government as “rogue” and demanded that Canada apologize for Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. He demonstrated for everyone to see that he is not ready for prime time. Fox but only by 1,000-2,000 votes or so…this riding doesn’t provide landslides anymore.

It’s truly hard to believe that Phil McNeely could accomplish less than when he was at city hall, but he did. Ottawa-Orleans lost a great, dedicated MPP in the last provincial election, this time around they will lose an MPP who has done very little for his constituents….Fox will win and Phil McNeely’s political career will be over.

Rumour in the riding is that Fox’s own polling has him down by 15% against McNeely who is polling in the 50 percentile… When it comes to name recognition alone, Fox is down in the 20 percentiles. Looks like a lock for the Liberals.

Who is Fox? I heard he just moved in to the riding in order to run for the PC’s. Frankly I don’t think he stands a big chance, he hasn’t done any work locally. Meanwhile McNeely has been around for ages, has his name in the paper more than any other Ottawa MPP and gets work done. There is a reason why people in Orléans refer to McNeely as Uncle Phil.

Uncle Phil, you’ve got to be kidding me….maybe the uncle that forgets birthdays and Christmas like McNeely has forgetten about his riding. Phil McNeely is like every other Liberal that has held this riding at any level of government…..useless and ineffective.

Dear Bob,

Open your mind you are discriminating against large numbers of Ontario children who want an education based on faith just like your Catholic neighbors. It’s always funny to listen to Liberals and how they claim to be the party of social conscience and then pull these type of stunts. Personally I’d rather have my tax dollars go towards this type of function as opposed to The Phil McNeely/Ontario Liberal slush fund for donors. Or towards the redesigning of the trillium…or hold on must be a space limit on this post….Ontario Liberal’s lied to us in the last election, and have since done very little to improve the standard of life for Ontarians. And Bob, the next time you post please try not to recycle old Liberal press releases verbatim.

Robert – You obviously don’t live in the riding, because you’d otherwise know that Phil McNeely is one of the hardest working riding MPP’s around the Legislature. Phil ran for council 7 years ago because your Party tried to put a bridge at Petrie Island. When your Party started downloading everything possible onto the City, he ran for Queen’s park and won. He’s fixing the split, building an Orléans Arts Centre, brought a MRI to the riding, a small business and enterprise centre to the riding, building a new school in Avalon, over $1.5 million in community organization funding, and a lot more. Not to mention that he is the most accessible MPP I’ve ever met, at least more accessible than Coburn ever was. I don’t think that guy ever spent any time in Orléans.

William is right. Anyone who lives in Orleans, even a staunch Conservative, will freely admit that this is an uphill battle for Fox.

Having been door-to-door with Phil, I can tell you that the response is overwhelmingly positive. Even those Liberals who tell use they are mad at McGuinty still won’t vote for Tory, so there you have it.

McGuinty and McNeely two names that instill trust within the electorate! Good luck selling that to Ottawa-Orleans residents….Fox victorious by a slim margin.

Where’s the McNeely campaign team of 2003? With Fox’s campaign….The truth about Phil’s inability to deliver results is becoming more evident each day….Get ready for retirement on Oct 10th!

I’ve heard that numerous Liberal members want to get rid of Phil and start fresh….they know he won’t leave on his own so an election defeat is the only option.

Graham Fox is a young (33 years old), brilliant individual who grew up in Orléans and is now in a positon to lead this community into the future. Phil has served his community well for many years but we need a new vibrant MPP who will tackle head-on the new challenges we face including rapid growth and transportation problems. I hear that many Liberals are supporting Fox because they are disappointed in the performance of McNeely and the Liberals over the last four years. They, also, are looking for a person with the energy and vision to take on Toronto to ensure we receive our fair share. I admit I am partisan - the thing is I am not supporting Graham because I am a PC - I am a PC because in Graham, I see great talent and opportunity for Ottawa-Orléans. We have a young dynamic community here and I would very much like to see a MPP who reflects that characteristic.

Phil, I supported you in the last election…I would’ve sent you my donation again but your governments health premium took it. Can’t say you have my vote this time around….Fox ain’t looking to bad.

I find this extremely funny!!! Who is Graham Fox? What is his mission statement? Exactly..Nothing. The problem with you “tories” is that u seems to have tricks with facts and numbers that seem to rival Criss Angel. You essentielly bankrupted the province, you are reason why are property taxes are high, you were the reason why we had school strikes and the list goes on.

Graham Fox and the torie smear campaign have done nothing but attack man that has been honest and loyal to his riding…you guys should be ashamed!! Meanwhile u want to create policy that we all know you can’t keep! You want to cut taxes while maintaining are services or better yet improving them. I am sure that takes money soooo…were do you plan on getting it? Mr Fox, since you know this riding so well, I wonder why you allowed your party leader to make fool of himself in regards to the “split” or is that what your aides told you and Mr. Tory…if I were you I would get new aides! Extremely out of touch!

Mr Fox, Mr Tory….. Truthfully none of you have any idea what is going on in this riding or in the province for that matter. As a MPP Mr. Fox will help Mr. Tory bankrupt the most populous province in the country, to essentielly short education by 1.2 billion while giving taxes breaks to his rich friends.This as usual will be another cross for the middle class to bear.

To conclude, Mr Fox I read your website, and found that you give little information on your policy views vis a vi Ottawa Orleans. You say “leadership matters” but you give not hint on the type of leadership and seem to turn to Mr. Tory’s plan as copout. Which gives us somewhat of an idea of your leadership skills… A) You have no platform for the riding and B) You hide behind others and you lack the ability to be bold. Also have you ever wondered why nobody in this riding knows you or is trying to know you? Perhaps they are not interested in changing ship. What you are selling they are not buying!

All I have to say is OA…in reference to the middle class “bearing” policies you needn’t look any further than your Liberal friend Dalton and Phil. The policies implemented by this group over the past four years have exploited the middle class for EVERYTHING they are worth. This segment of society is over taxed and undervalued by your Liberal government.

As for comparing websites and the content on them…your Liberal buddy McNeely’s last update was in August of 2007…real connected. Looks like the Ottawa-Orleans Liberals are getting nervous as the campaign of fear ramps up!

OA asks —
Who is Graham Fox? - The answer is on the web-site (you claim to have read it)and in his literature. He is a 33 year old father of 2, resident of Orléans who after being raised in this community went away to university for one degree then to the London School of Economics for a second degree. He then returned to his home town where, amoung other things, he headed up the Franco-Ontarien festival, sat on the Board of Directors for the Montfort, worked full time and took a very active role in raising his young family. Following a very well respected tenure in the public policy field, he resigned from his postion as Vice-President so as to seek the honour of representing the people of Ottawa-Orléans as MPP.

OA says — Graham Fox and the torie smear campaign have done nothing but attack man that has been honest and loyal to his riding…you guys should be ashamed!! -

You admit you don’t even know Graham Fox but have no difficulty smearing and attacking him - I have lived in Orléans for 14 years and am well aware of Phil and his contributions to the community. Over the last four years, on the political level, they have been meagre at best. A local weekly (while very subtle) says it all - a picture of Phil meakly standing beside Minister Sorbara with the caption - Phil listens to Sorbara - EXACTLY… I wish he would stop LISTENING to the party elite and start TELLING them what Orléans needs!

OA also accuses a man, he admits he does’t know, of — As a MPP Mr. Fox will help Mr. Tory bankrupt the most populous province in the country,…. ((WARNING: snide comment follows - Yes, you have stumbled on the hidden agenda OA; that is exactly what Graham and John Tory are plotting away - lets bankrupt this province - it will be so much fun!!! get real - snide comment ENDS))

Check out the facts concerning the Ontario economy and how it has withered during the last four years. We are LAST in economic development amoung the provinces - where we should be topping the list, we are failing miserably, in large part due to the Liberal economic policies of high taxes and an unfriendly business climate. But even for the factors outside governments immediate control (high dollar, slowing US economy etc) there is no apparent plan or leadership to mitigate the downturn or diversify our economy so we are hurt less.

It is quite apparent OA is a partisan Liberal but that is OK - I am a parisan PC (and proud to admit it).

I love blogs because all people get to express opinions and views - but lets stick to reasoned debate. Strip away all the partisan baggage and I agree with some questions OA raises - every voter should be asking questions of every candidate.

Who are you? What have you done in life? What can you contribute to the future of Orléans? Are you reflective of the citizens of Orléans? Are you willing to speak out on our behalf?

Four years ago, I was not a very active person in politics - work, family, volunteer stuff etc. When the first Liberal budget came down including the tax increase, I phoned Mr McNeely’s office and left a message for him - I told him I strongly objected to his breaking his word and voting for this tax increase. I said in that message that I would be watching the vote and if he supported the increase, I would work to have him replaced in office at the next election. I am keeping my word to him. What a concept. I wish he had kept his word to me.

Hi Ron,

I am glad we have reached an agreement that exceeds are partisans squabbles. Parliamentary Democracy is the fruit of public freedom and liberty cause it appeals to the grassroots.

My “attacks” on Mr. Fox come from what he has revealed to the riding. He supports a Tory Policy which makes no sense, he didn’t even know that the province allocated 45 million dollars to the split.

Consider this Ron, The PC plan considers pulling 500 million dollars from publicly funded education to faith based private schools, while short changing public education 700 million. Do you think the middle class agree with 1.2 billion taken out of our education system?

John Tory’s proposes that we have OHIP cards cover the expenses of private as well as public clinics. Essentiely he is taking money out of public heatlh care to fund private clinics. The expenses of private clinics may exceed the cost of some public clinics, Meanwhile he is telling the province he plans to repeal the health tax. Do you know how he plans to pay for this without deficits as far as the eye can see?

Of course he plans to reduce taxes across the board, while endorsing new spending all over the place….where is this money going to come from?

This is what Graham Fox endorses, essentielly he has defined himself through a plan that is neither fiscally responsible nor in the best interest to our riding. Yet he is an economic guru from the “London School of Economics”, but seems to think that 1-2= balance.

One word to Mitch. If you think the middle class have been exploited, then wait till you get a Premier Tory and MPP Fox. When we have strikes, longer waiting lines.

But I respect your positions, but respectively disagree.

Ottawa - Orleans continually elects the worst City Council/MP/MPP’s in every election (Royal Galipeau, Bob Monette, Eugene Bellemare, Phil McNeely).

For everybody talking about Dalton McGuinty being a “Lair” let’s remember that Mike Harris “Common Sense Revolution” was far more damaging to Ontario than anything McGuinty did (and I’m not even a Liberal voter).

McNeely will win this election. The reason Marc Godbout lost federally was that the NDP ran an extremely strong candidate in Marc Leahy (15% of the vote).

If the NDP get less than 6% of the vote, McNeely will win.

Phil is an MPP who shoots his mouth whenever he wants to. He reminds me of a masculine version of Diane Deans (who lost the federal nomination in Ottawa South to McGuinty’s brother).

Are people forgetting that this is the same guy who called Israel a ‘rogue state’ source: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=15641fbd-22c3-4320-b77e-617bd78af140&k=65278

Dalton immediately distanced himself from Phil, acknowledging that his comments were ‘inappropriate and disappointing’.

What does this mean for the residents of Ottawa Orleans? It means that if you vote for Phil, and if he wins the seat, he has little to no clout or respect at Queens Park. As someone previously stated, his own party wants to dump him.

I will personally be voting for Fox. I know I can count on him to not make foolish comments, to act as a real leader in the community and I know he’s a guy who would be given a position of power if the conservatives pull off a victory in either this or the next provincial elections.

A remarkable series of statements on this blog. Pulling back from some of the rhetoric, the PCs are running above what they did last time by 2-3% (last Ipsos-Reid) while the Liberals are down 7% and the Greens and NDP are all cutting into Liberal support. Given a Liberal margin of 11% last time (with redistribution), it should be a quite tight race. I honestly don’t think the Liberal incumbant brings anything extra to the table and the PC candidate is very strong.

I saw Mr. Fox on TVO a couple weeks back and was extremely impressed. You can definitely see momentum building in his campaign. Several people who worked on McNeely’s campaign team are now working with Fox.

That right there says enough.

Fox will win this seat. The only question is by how much.

I just got in the mailbox the other day a brochure from Phil McNeely. I was suprised because it looks like he is running as an independent. There is not a mention of liberals or even anything that says Dalton McGuinty’s name. So is he running as an independent? If so, he can have my vote, if not hello Fox.

B

I see the same people claiming Mr. McNeely is doing nothing and is losing his supporters but after doing my own research on the topic I do not agree with either. He has brought an MRI to Orleans, he is fixing the 417 split as we speak, there is a new arts centre coming to Orleans, and he continues to support and improve Petri Island. These are just a few of the accomplishments I’ve found in my research. I was on the fence for who I would vote for having just moved to the area but after meeting Mr. McNeely at my door last week and doing my homework he definitely has my vote.

P.S. I am also very dissapointed with Mr. Fox trying to politicize the Terry Fox run last weekend. Why would you ever try to take away fro m such a great cause and do what he did. Shame on you!!!

For those who are “outraged” that Graham and some of his friends supported the Terry Fox run, I recommend you read the Orleans On-line letter entitled “Former Terry Fox Run chair defends candidate’s participation in event” - She says, in part -

“On the 25th Terry Fox Run, many organizations wore company t-shirts, proudly displaying their number of participants, and a friendly rivalry was created. The companies that encouraged employees and supporters to go out and participate in this annual, family event, definitely raised the awareness and funds for cancer research. Also, I would like to point out that the Terry Fox Organization encourages companies and groups to sign up as a group and they do have a separate form to register as such.”

As I was informed, Graham acually ran the event and did so in 49 minutes - does anyone know how fast Phil did it in? - was he participating or just there so people could write that he made an appearance? Either way, it is normal for all political leaders in a community to show up for these events. The fact that Graham shares a last name with such a distinguished Canadian is neither his fault nor something he should be ashamed of. The fact that he brought people with him, collected donations for the charity and was a visible, vital, active participant in a very special Orléans event should be applauded, not condemed. Politicians show up everywhere - they should - how else can they get the pulse of their community and ensure they reflect that. Based on the political leanings of those posting the criticisms, it is obvious they are scraping the bottom of the barrel if this is the most negative thing these partisans can find to slur Graham’s name. Like I mentioned in prior posts. I am partisan - not because I want to slur Phil’s name but because I truly feel that it is time for a new, young, dynamic MPP who is prepared to devote the next 10 or 15 years to improving our community and putting Orléans on a level it deserves. For me, that person is Graham.

I want to thank you for the great laugh - By eliminating all culture and faith from our union dominated, single-thought system we PROMOTE A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY and by ensuring all our faith based schools, the students, parents, teachers and staff are insulted, excluded from our public system, made to feel like second or third class citizens we are PROMOTING A INTEGRATED, MULTICULTURAL CANADIAN SOCIETY. Truly the left wing elements have gone around the bend. I have always suspected that you will do anything and say anything to get your sticky fingers on the taxpayers money but now you seem willing to throw anybody and everybody of faith under the bus just so you can win the seat. You must be so proud of yourselves. By the way, since you are still propogating the big lie about the 400 million — please explain why you feel that the 53,000 students are not entitled to receive funding if they choose to enter the public system? Because it is ONLY if the private schools are disbanded and the children enter the public system will any money be spent on them. Is it because they are less deserving of support? Is it because your ideological views are so much better than theirs? Or it because those terrible people of faith don’t belong in “polite” society and should be shunned, ostricized, and ignored. Please - set aside your partisan blinders and realise we are talking about children; we are talking about tax-paying parents who have the right to be involved with the education of their children. People do not exist to conform to a government’s policy. Government policy is supposed to be there to help and support the citizens. ONE ideological group dictating that there will be only one educational system, built in their image, run by the high priests of their idiological cult and all others are to be spurned, discredited and reviled is wrong - it is undemocratic, uncivilized and so very very Liberal. I support many educational options because I do not want to live in a society where I am told what to think or what my children will think; a society where only the unions decide what is taught in a school; a society where a parent’s view is not welcome in the school system; a society where you either take the one stream of educaton the government allows you or you go away; a society where people don’t matter -only the annointed few who dictate from on high. That is the way we are headed and it is not a pretty vision.

—-please explain why you feel that the 53,000 students are not entitled to receive funding if they choose to enter the public system?—-

Ron, please explain to me how funding a uni-cultural, uni-religious, uni-ethnic school is contributing to multiculturalism. The like that you are bringing them “into” the public system is such a PR crock. You want to subsidize segregation!

Last time I checked, we don’t live in Alabama and its not 1962!

You are contradicting your own platform. The Progressive Conservative stance is that they will extend funding to all faiths…it will not be uni-religious, or uni-ethnic it will segregate our children who currently go to school together and enjoy the same benefits. You can not pull that much money out of the public board and expect it to survive no more then you can expect that same 500 million to be able to fund these faith based schools efficiently. It’s easy to see that this is just an attempt to stir the pot and go along with a fiscal plan that promises the world but would never be approved by any auditor.

It’s an easy choice the Liberals have the right idea with education…lets just move forward and improve what is working.

Brian sez extend funding to all faiths…it will not be uni-religious, or uni-ethnic it will segregate our children who currently go to school together and enjoy the same benefits.>>
I am sure the publicly funded Fundamentalist Islamic Schools will be full of diversity!

McNeely has the edge here:

1. New poll numbers show the Liberals are well ahead of the Conservatives in Ontario, including in Eastern Ontario

2. There is even less of an NDP campaign than usual in this riding which helps the Liberals

3. While Fox has made an effort, McNeely has greater name recognition

4. McNeely appears to have more lawn signs than Fox

Can you believe this guy? If you haven’t guessed I’m talking about John Tory. He throws this divisive plan at us in an attempt to get the minority vote and now that he realizes it’s not popular he backs off it. Does he really think we don’t see what he’s doing. I’m assuming Mr. Fox will now go against what he so strongly defended at the debate last week. And although the smooth talking Mr. Fox might make it sound good we all know at this point he’ll do anything to get a vote.

Here is fact.

1. Fox wins sign war
2. McNeely’s wins name recognition
3. Tied in terms of their leaders
3. McNeely plus for the lack of a NDP campaign
4. Fox wins in terms of media coverage
5. Fox easily won the debate last week
6. Fox will get the citizen endorsement
7. Its an uphill battle for fox for sure

Many here on this forum have been partisan in their ideas….terry fox or otherwise. The fact remains that I am partisan and will be voting for Fox on the basis of faith-based schools, and only on this basis. Its fair, just and concrete.

Yet aside from this, both candidates have their positives and negatives.

I am going to at this time call it for Fox by the slimmest of margins. Its definatly and uphill climb but if he keeps it up by election day he should just pull it off - just!!

So, if you like him you better get out there and help him. If you don’t you better run to McNeely’s office quickly!

Hi James,

Not sure where you get your facts.

1)It’s extremely clear that Mr.Mcneely is running away with the signs race. Actually this should not be a debate as you concede in point 2) That Mr. Mcneely has the name recognition. Why would people who have no idea about a candidates views or do not know who he is have his sign on their lawn. Perhaps you need to count again James.

3)You just said that both candidates are tied in terms of leaders….. Again James, I wonder where you are getting your facts…Perhaps you should read you right wing biased paper the “Ottawa Sun”. In it new polls are confirming a pull away lead for the Liberals and some are even calling your leader a “flip flopper” for his inability to hold his stance on faith based schools. Majority is in the sites for the Liberals.

4) Fox’s media coverage has been fueled by the so called “stars” he has been bringing out with him on the campaign trail. The people he has selected seem to have one thing in common….. FAILED LEADERSHIP!!

a)Bernard Lord: clearly a failed leader in New Brunswick as the first election he called saw his removal from Office

b)Peter Mackay: failed PC leader, the last of the moderates, before the invasions of the extremists. Seems to enjoy calling his ex Belinda a “dog” Good work Mr. Fox, that women vote is assured.

c)Joe Clark: Do I need to say anything or is that name enough. Mr. Fox was Chief of staff of a leader that rivaled in failure to Kim Cambpell. Joe failed twice. Once as Prime Minister as his popularity and his own powerbase collapsed. Another as leader of the PC.

5) Mr. Fox won no debate, his rhetoric no substance. Mr. Fox has no agenda for this area as his policies are that of Mr. Tory’s. Shall I remind you that your candidate had no idea about the funding to the split.

6)Fox’s impending endorsement from the citizen is no suprise. As the citizen and the sun are both conservative media. May I remind you that Phil did not have neither endorsement and still one 4 years ago.

James, people are starting to realize what the Tory “tories” have to offer. They se deficits and strikes, and we can almost picture upcoming Fox excuses…. That is why Mr. Fox will not win this election, and why the Provincial Liberals will maintain their majority.

OA

Let’s remember - if McNeely was able to defeat an incumbent MPP and former Mayor of Cumberland (Brian Coburn) last time, now that he is the incumbent MPP and is running against a lesser name than Coburn, he should certainly be able to win.

For Fox to win, the PC’s would need to be higher provincially.

It is with the greatest regret that we are forced to remove all comments by Bob, Mark, Mike, David and Ron. These are all from the same person. We consider this a blatant attempt to subvert genuine debate by fabricating multiple identities in an attempt to amplify their voice and creating the impression of consensus. We are committed to free speech, but such abuse will not be tolerated on DemocraticSPACE. We hope our readers will understand our position.

Democratic Space - (from the original Ron/the one whose comments are still on the blog) Thank-you for your comments and identification of the blatent abuse of this means of debate. It is simply one more example of the deep rot at the heart of the Liberal party, both federal and provincial. I say that with sadness because without TWO strong parties holding each other in check, there is little chance we can progess as a province or country. On a federal level, the rot is quite evident. I think it is starting to show at the provincial level too with the lack of honesty and integrety displayed by the leader and many of his followers. I hope the open minded and intelligent Liberals (I happen to be friends with several of them) can wrest control of their party back and restore it to a healty and respectable institution. Currently it is neither.

1. Fox wins sign war

I noticed on my way to work this morning that many of McNeely’s signs had magically disappeared. Even some lawn signs. (!?!)

5. Fox easily won the debate last week
How many undecided voters attended?

7. Its an uphill battle for fox for sure
I would never count him out or take McNeely win for granted. Its still up in the air.

I also noticed many of the McNeely signs had “fallen” and everywhere they were placed, Fox’s signs seemed to appear immediately. After moves like this, all the slandering of the Liberal party, and flip-flopping on their stance of faith-based schools, I question if Tories have any strong stances or thoughts of their own.
Fox is playing dirty, which was proven when he brought loud hecklers to disrupt the debate last week. I commend Mr. McNeely for being honest and not participating in these childish games.

“Democratic Space…where democracy happens” For a site that claims this as there name you’ve taken quite a stance against the liberal party and particularty against this ridings liberal party. It is one thing to call someone out on missrepresenting themselves but to claim the liberal party in general is doing it is a discrace. As an administrator you would be expected to take no sides but you have. If democraticspace has a free minute I’d love to know how you got onto the payroll of the progressive conservatives. As I’ve said before I always vote for the person and not the party but abuse like this on a suposed democratic space by administrators makes me question how corrupt these campaigns really are. I look forward to a response.

Brian — nobody should interpret the actions of a few bad apples as representative of the Liberal Party as a whole. I don’t for a second believe these actions were coordinated by the Liberal Party, just a few overzealous supporters. Anyone caught doing the same will be treated the same.

I have also noticed that several McNeely signs had “fallen” and wherever they were placed, Fox signs happened to be placed on the same spot moments later. These actions, along with the constant slandering of the Liberal party and flip-flopping on the stance of faith-based schools, makes me question if the Tories have any thoughts of their own.
Mr. Fox is playing dirty. This was again evident with the loud hecklers he brought to disrupt the debate last week. I commend Mr. McNeely for being honest and not participating in these childish games.

Drove through the riding today during my appointments in what is probably my final appraisal of this district. McNeely clearly has the edge in lawnsigns, particularly in Blackburn Hamlet, and to some extend in Chapel Hill and parts of Orleans. Fox is doing as well as McNeely in some parts of Orleans and Cumberland.

This riding now appears to be a bellwether riding - it goes provincially and federally in the direction of the winning government:

1999 - Brian Coburn won for the PC’s when Mike Harris won a 2nd term
2003 - Phil McNeely won for the Liberals when Dalton McGuinty beat Ernie Eves
2004 - Marc Godbout won for the Liberals when Paul Martin beat Stephen Harper
2006 - Royal Galipeau won for the Conservatives when Stephen Harper beat Paul Martin

Based on the exisiting support for McNeely in the riding, and the fact that the Liberals are leading provincially, the odds are that this riding will be won by McNeely on Wednesday.

I predict a narrow (indeed razor-like) win for Fox. Here is my reasoning…the Liberal provincial campaign has stagnated for the past week ro more (they are playing it safe I am sure, but this may allow a slight rebound to the frantic PC and NDP campaigns). There is heavy local PC advertising, building on the “don’t give McGuinty another majority” theme. The Sun and Citizen have enthusiastically endorsed Fox.

Weather on election day is going to likely be rainy and cool - PC voters this time are more committed than their Liberal neighbours. Long commute times to the downtown mean that many Orleans voters will only vote in the evening.

Let’s say a PC win of 400-500 votes.

Wow, Dean Sherratt. You weren’t just wrong. You were spectacularly wrong. Libs by 9000 votes.

At least you tried to be logical in making your prediction. That’s more than I can say for many user predictions on this site.

What you failed to take into account was that most voters had already made up their minds heading into the last days of the campaign. Lesson learned I guess.