19 points!

According to a poll I just read, the Conservatives are ahead of the Liberals by 19 points in opinion polling. (19 points is almost a guaranteed majority gov't.)

I find this hard to believe, for several reasons.

Prior to and up until this past election, I had a fairly intense dislike of the Liberal Party.

Even still, I could never imagine voting for them... but my intense dislike of the Liberals has dissipated to some degree.

Wasn't the last election's result largely driven by people who were sick of the Liberals? So sick that they just had to get out and vote them out?

If it's harder to be sick of the Liberals (since they no longer occupy the seat of power), what continues to drive their polling numbers down?

Yes, they don't have a leader, but Paul Martin's favourability ratings were horrible anyway. It'd seem as if having him step aside would give them a boost, since they no longer have an indecisive and desperate man at their helm.

They also seem less devious now... no longer plotting sinister parliamentary moves in order to stay in power for as long as possible...

Or maybe Canadians just liked them when they were all devious and power-obsessed?

Sometimes it seems as if that's what most Canadians expect and even appreciate.

(What else could explain the weird phenomenom of so many people I know fondly recalling Jean Chretien's term in office?)