Canadians on the Harper Tories Survey Sept 06

[GAP]

The numbers don't seem to add up to anywhere around 100%, not sure where the rest of the numbers are allocated...

Nik on the Numbers....Canadians on the Harper Tories
http://www.sesresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-SU06-T185.pdf

In order to get behind what is driving the perceptions of Canadians, SES and its partner the Sun Media Group asked Canadians what they liked and disliked about the Harper Government (open-ended question - no prompts).

Keeping promises and getting the job done were the top two articulated positive views of the government. Being too close with the US and the war/military policy were the top two articulated negative views.

We also asked Canadians why (unprompted) they were comfortable or uncomfortable with the Conservatives potentially winning the next election and forming a majority government (check it out below).

  Methodology
Polling between August 18th and August 23rd, 2006 (Random Telephone Survey of Canadians, 18 years of age and older). The margin of accuracy will be wider for sub samples. Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.


  Canadian Voters (N=1003, MoE ± 3.1%, 19 times out of 20)
Question: What do you like, if anything, about the Stephen Harper led Conservative government?

1. Unsure (28%)
2. Nothing (22%)
3. Keeps his promises (12%)
4. Gets the job done (9%)
5. His policies (6%)


Question: What do you dislike, if anything, about the Stephen Harper led Conservative government?

1. Unsure (32%)
2. Nothing (15%)
3. Too close to US (11%)
4. War/Military Policy (7%)
5. His policies (7%)


Question: Why? (comfortable with a Stephen Harper led majority)

Top Five Reasons for those Comfortable with a Tory Majority

1. Doing a good job (21%)
2. Best choice (9%)
3. Give them a chance (8%)
4. Doing an okay job (6%)
5. His policies (6%)


Question: Why? (uncomfortable with a Stephen Harper led majority)

Top Five Reasons for those Uncomfortable with a Tory Majority

1. His policies (14%)
2. Dislike Harper/Conservatives (13%)
3. Can't be trusted (10%)
4. Doing a poor job (8%)
5. Minority better/keeps them in check (8%)

For a complete list visit the SES website at: http://www.sesresearch.com

 

[HDE]

Man

  I'm seeing these questions laid out in print and still find it a chore to figure out what I'm actually being asked so I can only imagine someone on the phone trying to figure out what the h#ll they're being asked. 

 

[GAP]

Man

   I'm seeing these questions laid out in print and still find it a chore to figure out what I'm actually being asked so I can only imagine someone on the phone trying to figure out what the h#ll they're being asked. 

+1

 

[Magravan]

They are open-ended questions... What do you find positive about them, what do you find negative about them. Why would you be comfortable with them, why would you be uncomfortable with them?

If they asked leading questions, then they would be accused of biasing the sample. This way, they are just asking very basic questions, and grouping the answers that come up most often, much like the old Family Feud show.

If I was asked, I could come up with points for them.

 

[McG]

More detail in here: http://www.sesresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-SU06-T187.pdf

and here: http://www.sesresearch.com/library/polls/POLNAT-SU06-T185.pdf

 

[HDE]

That may well be the case, however when does asking "open-ended"," very basic questions" cross into the trivial/meaningless ???  What conclusions should we actually take from this?

 

[Magravan]

That some of the population would be pleased to see a Tory majority, others wouldn't, and based on the sample, why they wouldn't. If nothing else, it gives the opposition a list of things to play on when it comes to a debate, and for the Tories to be prepared to defend against...

It doesn't strike me as any more useless than most of the polls about politics though...