This seat is much closer than people may think.The Conservative candidate’s numbers are up substancially,but, not enough to take this seat.This fact however raises the distinct possiblity of pulling enough votes away from the Liberals to allow the N.D.P. candidate John Hugh Edwards,who has been gaining support steadily in the last 2 weeks,to retake this riding for the New Democrats.This has all the ear markings of a N.D.P. gain on election night.

I expect that we will be hearing more from all the parties in the final week of the campaign, and that voters will be shopping around a bit with their vote. With undecideds in the Maritimes so high, compared to other areas of the country, I think there will be some shifting of support in the final week, to both the conservatives and the ndp. The Liberals are toast nationally, and as much as Cape Breton voters seem linked to the liberals at the hip, I think both the NDP and Conservatives will not only all of their core support (which has not been the case in previous elections in Sydney–Victoria), and that the soft Liberal supporters and undecideds are more likely to be looking elsewhere than the Liberals. My read of local opinion, from those who are decideds and undecideds, is that the majority of this vote will travel to Mr. Edwards of the NDP. I’ve heard folks of all political stripes here say that they like what they hear about Edwards, and that they’ve been ashamed of their representation with Eyking, who is a very nice and approachable guy, but is not effective beyond this. I would predict a repeat of the 97 results here in Sydney–Victoria. Folks here voted NDP against the Liberals that time, and I think they’ll do so again.

Many traditionally Liberal voters are toying with the idea of switching their vote (primarily to the NDP) to punish the Liberals for their mistakes and scandals. However, they are so afraid of Harper’s policies and a perceived hidden agenda that when it’s time to mark the ballot, they will hold their noses and vote Liberal.

no one can even threathen the grits here. Liberal win

I have to disagree with Nick….as someone who voted Liberal in the last election, I am voting NDP (and I think the Liberals may have lost my vote for good, depending upon what happens within the party). I predict there will be many “liberals” who will be putting their support behind John Hugh, as he is clearly the more intelligent of the two front-runners (although I must admit I’m a fan of Milburn, who I’d also vote for if he were running for the NDP perhaps).