Week 6 of the federal election campaign: what we learned

After an eventful six weeks, the polls aren't anywhere close to suggestinga clear winner.

Even more surprising: The party that was assumed to have called a long election to capitalize on its own financial and logistical advantages is the one that's seen its footing slip.

Until now, the Tories were fighting a stay-the-course campaign premised on other changes being risky. Even their campaign theme musicwasn't updated.

By the end of the week,change was in the air onthe Conservative team:a campaign leader pulled off the tourand back to the war room, a chief of staff hauled into that same bunker and an offshore strategist contractedto find new messages for new target voters andreverse downwardtrends.

Let's sumup week six:

Open to change?

When a politician changes course, is it a spineless flip-flop, or a prudent and pragmatic response to shifting circumstances?

A week ago, Stephen Harper's instincts in the wake of a mounting Syrian refugee crisis appeared to be to double-down ondefence.He said Conservatives had already addressed the problem with acommitment to accept a further 10,000 Syrian refugeesin early August, and further, onlyTories understand the importance of fightingISIS so thatpeople no longer haveto flee.

Not just the other campaigns, but mayors, premiers and civil society groups were all out suggesting Canada's response could and should and, in so far as they could act on their own, would be stronger.Far from being a crisis Canadians weren't prepared to dig deep for, money was offered for refugee relief at the provincial and local level.

At first, Conservatives suggested fast, substantial action was difficultbecause the federal government is in "caretaker mode" during a campaign. But being in campaign mode so soon was the Tories' idea.

By the end of the week, Harper signalled change was coming, and by Saturday it began, with a minister sent out to announce a new $100 million federal relief fund to match donations.

Callfor change

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Perry Bellegarde also changed course. Turns out his suggestion that he doesn't vote because he needsto remain non-partisan didn't go over wellamidefforts to mobilize aboriginal voters.

"I sought advice, I sought guidance, I sought direction from leaders and elders and people and they were all consistent," he told reporters at an event in Ottawa on Thursday.

"As national chief, you're expecting all the citizens and First Nations to vote, but if you don't vote, that's sending a mixed message, so they recommended that I lead by example."

"I will be voting on Oct. 19."

Change by coalition?

In 2011, a lot of time and energy was spent talking about the possibility of a coalition to replace Stephen Harper's Conservatives. Thenvoters rendered it all moot by returning a majority.

Four years later, everyone listened closely to the responses of the four federal party leaderswhen the CBC's Peter Mansbridge asked them whathappens if there isn't a clear winner this time.

Perhaps an election is no time to talk about co-operation. But their remarks suggested dim prospects foraformal coalition between the Liberals and the NDP. Even Elizabeth May, while offering to help mediate adeal to replace the Conservatives, doesn't want her Green Party in a coalition.

All three of the contenders seem focused on getting to a seat count that renders it moot once again.

'Mansbridgebump'

Thinkpolitics has beenreduced to 15-second soundbites, even shorter gifloops and 140-character tweets?

The opposite seemedtrue when the Googlesearch engine traffic was analyzedthis week: a bumpappeared to correspond with CBC News chief correspondent Peter Mansbridge's long-form, sit-down interviews with the three contendingfederal party leaders on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

Does that signal a strongappetite for longer, detailed conversations among an electorate struggling to make up its mind in a tight, three-way fight?

What to say, except... *facepalm*

It's been a bad, bad week for local candidate search teams, nomination green-light committees and the candidate vetters at campaign headquarters.

• Social media can be Achilles heel for politicians, aides
• ANALYSIS |Forget the polls. Who's winning on social media?

Why did it take a series of tips and blogs from the dark arts practitioners in Canadian politicsto research and unleashthisurinating, impersonating, posing, conspiracy-theorizing and just plainblabbermouthingdeluge?

You had one job, candidate vetters.

And bad enough that prospective MPsdid and said that stuff, but since theydid... did it not occurto them to destroy the evidence?

Say it with me: Google yourself. Pull down that multimedia.Delete those tweets.

Up next: more debates

Next week brings a new phase in the campaign, with a series of debates offeringnew hosts and new formats.

Anyone hoping that the turmoil of thenegotiations to setthedebate lineup was behind us was surely disappointedto see aletter from the Liberal Party, and comments from Tom Mulcair, suggesting the Sept. 28Munk Debates format, which was supposed to be bilingual, was still in dispute.

Rudyard Griffiths said a month ago he was getting nostaglicfor how thebroadcastersconsortium used tohandle all the partisan gamesmanship. As the bickering continues over his event, more might agree.

That's what change brings.

And finally....

Justin Trudeau: "More, more, more, more"

9 years ago

Duration 0:54

A humorous look at one of Justin Trudeau's favourite campaign words

We take a fun look at one of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau's favourite words from the campaign trail.