Sunday night’s final leaders’ debate in the Ontario election campaign went a long way toward reinforcing the entrenched views that committed voters already had about their chosen party, but for those undecided voters who were looking for something to nudge them to one candidate or the other, it was another story.
Kathleen Wynne probably gave her best performance to date in this election, but it’s likely too little, too late.
She spent a lot of time defending her record, but as the old political saying goes, if you’re explaining, you’re losing.
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Doug Ford refocused his attacks on Andrea Horwath and the surging NDP, with repetitive assertions that things would be a hundred times worse under an NDP government.
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Horwath, Wynne hit Ford over his trustworthiness -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: ‘Don’t believe the dishonest NDP’ – Doug Ford -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Wynne to Ford “Have you been to a daycare?” -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Leaders offer their plans for childcare -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Leaders spar over hydro -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Ford believes in global warming, not carbon tax -
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Ont. Leaders’ Debate: Ford claims businesses are ‘terrified’ of NDP
Ford often looked ill at ease and in the open debate segments, he was more an observer than a participant, again raising questions about Ford’s grasp of the issues in this campaign.
Horwath countered Ford’s doom and gloom NDP scenario by resurrecting the ghost of Mike Harris and teachers’ strikes and hospital closures, but she did a poor job trying to dismiss the questionable conduct and comments from some of her own candidates, particularly about derogatory comments about veterans and workplace abuse accusations in NDP offices.
The questions directed at the leaders addressed the key issues in the campaign but the responses from the leaders were evasive and too often full of hyperbole.
Any undecided voter who was looking for some clarity Sunday night was deeply disappointed.
Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML.
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