Pundits unleashed: Tales of the campaign no. 001

There is nothing like an election call to spur the creative juices into action, sending hundreds of words from the cerebral cavity onto paper and into the air. With the Federal leaders traveling the country to shake hands, kiss babies and secure the vote Canada’s journalistic class has fired up the word processors to make sure we have every nuance covered in our date with the democratic process.

Chantal Hebert of the Toronto Star, takes a look at the risky campaign launched by the Martin Liberals and how the high wire act without a net may be more troublesome than they thought back in November.

Thomas Walkom bemoans the lack of any ideas, the bankruptcy of the party leaders to show any vision other than just getting elected for the sake of getting elected. All of the candidates titillate us with the ideas agenda, none actually ever flesh anything out. One believes this is called the “pig in the poke” strategy.

From the Quebec home office comes Miro Cernetig, who examines the winds of Quebec and how the Bloc Quebecois has returned to the theme of independence. A nightmare scenario for the Martinites who thought that this election would present them with a gift of seats and a stake through the heart of the Bloc. Not so says Miro.

As if that's not enough bad news from La Belle Province, Lysiane Gagnon suggests that Quebec really may not need Mr. Martin and his theories on participatory democracy.

Roy MacGregor at the Globe takes stock of the Ontario scenario, one of the key battlegrounds for three of the four leaders, will the McGuinty factor send massive amounts of needed votes over to Harper's Conservatives or Layton's NDP? Or will the animosity of the Harris years provide hope for the Liberals?

John Ibbitson suggests that this election may just be a tune up for a second run before Christmas. Sensing that we don't seem to trust any of the participants, this election may result in the most unstable Parliament in Canadian history!

The Sun chain's Greg Weston prepares us for dirty bombs, as the four main combatants prepare to over use such words as corrupt, extremist agendas, nation wreckers and spend thrifts. Everyone will have an achilles heel and each will be exposed over and over again in the next five weeks. Prepare for the scare agenda, where each side tries to scare the voter onto its roster.

Finally Drew Fagan sees ghosts! How Martin's campaign may resemble the bloodied campaign of 72, when Pierre Trudeau took office in a minority situation. Worse for the Liberals, Fagan harkens back to 1957 and the debut of a fresh voice and new broom swept by John Diefenbaker.

Regardless of your choice of pundit, if you're a Liberal strategist on Tuesday morning the reading is going to have you reaching for the Maalox.