One hardly knows where to begin to comment on today's Probe/Free Press latest mangled interpretation of the public mood.In case you missed it, Probe now puts Team Baby Huey ahead 43-38.
For the first time, however, the story carries the question raised on this side of the fence many times about Probe's methodology -- notably the fact they ask party preference only, sans leader.
Probe's Scott McKay says this criticism is unfounded. Yet in the same breath he points to the nationwide popularity of Stephen Harper and Huey's own leadership race as driving factors behind the "surge".
Would McKay say that since leaders don't matter, the Tories would be sitting as apparently pretty as they are under ol' Stuey? Or Ken Waddell? Sure, why not? Because leadership doesn't matter, right?
You can't have it both ways. Either leadership matters, or it doesn't, boys.
Normally, we differ with CJOB's Vic Grant's generally less than progressive views. But this morning his take on the poll was absolutely correct. The Tories have accomplished nothing in the past two months that would in reality account for such a shift.
"It appears to be a combination of manipulation and wishful thinking," concludes Grant, a man we doubt very much would be sad if the Tories regained power in Manitoba.
He ends with the remembering from the not-too-distant past the polls published by the Free Press putting Paul Edwards (who dat?) ahead of Gary Filmon before the 1995 election.
(Double bonus points for readers who correctly identify who Scott McKay used to poll for back then.)