Almost makes you wonder if the 51st State might not be Puerto Rico.... but might be Alberta.
JDG Calgary support for war rises: poll Alberta leads in national pro-U.S. shift Mark Reid Calgary Herald http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=%7B4B9E4240-E7DA-47B9-8102-CDFDFDA45 300%7D Support for the U.S.-led war in Iraq is surging in Calgary and across the province, with three-quarters of Albertans in favour of Canada joining the fight, according to a new poll. However, despite growing support for the war in Alberta and across the country, the Chretien government is standing firm on its decision to keep Canada out of the conflict. "The (federal) government really blew it by looking at short-term polls (saying Canadians were against the war)," said pollster Faron Ellis of JMCK Polling. "You're now seeing a shift everywhere, outside of Quebec, in favour of the war -- and Alberta is leading the edge of that shift." The new poll, commissioned by the Calgary Herald and Global Television, also suggests young Albertans are more likely to oppose the war than baby boomers or seniors. Conducted on March 26 and 27, JMCK Polling surveyed 872 Albertans. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20. The survey asked one question: "Do you believe that Canada should be a part of the military coalition supporting the war against Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq?" In Calgary, a whopping 72.5 per cent said they wanted Canada to fight in the war. Support for the invasion dipped slightly in Edmonton, but 58.6 per cent of respondents there still wanted Canada to enter the conflict. As for the rest of the province, support for the war is soaring at 75.1 per cent. The results show support for the war has risen since a similar poll was conducted by JMCK last week. That poll suggested about 52.5 per cent of Albertans disagreed with Chretien's decision to keep Canada out of the war. In Calgary, 58.1 per cent were in favour of joining the invasion, while in Edmonton, 62.4 per cent of people wanted Canada to stay out of the Iraq conflict. In recent days, national polls have indicated growing support for the war across Canada, excluding Quebec. However, in Ottawa, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Jean Chretien said the polls will not change the federal government's stance of non-involvement in the Iraq war without United Nations approval. "(The war in Iraq) is such an extremely important issue, it's normal that people have strong opinions on it," said spokeswoman Frederique Tsai. "The prime minister did say that while we are not part of the coalition, we want the U.S. to win and we want them to win quickly, with a minimum of casualties." Ellis said the new poll suggests Albertans have become "polarized" by the war, with pro-war and antiwar camps staunchly refusing to budge from their ideological bunkers. However, with U.S. and British casualties mounting, and with the war now a reality rather than an abstract notion, more and more fence-sitters are deciding to shift to the pro-war camp. "There's a polarization and an intensity of opinions on both sides," Ellis said. "You are never going to change the peaceniks or the hawks, but it's the floating majority in the middle that you see moving." At the beginning of the war, peace activists held rallies across Alberta and around the world in protest. However, in recent days, pro-war forces have held several rallies in Alberta and Ottawa to show their support for the Americans -- and to express their shame and embarrassment at Chretien's decision to keep Canada out of the fight. John vanderHeyden, a Picture Butte senior, spoke at a pro-war rally in that town on Friday. VanderHeyden welcomed the poll results, saying all Albertans should support the United States in its time of need. "Saddam Hussein is a monster and should be removed . . . and the Iraqi people should be liberated," vanderHeyden said. "The States, they are our neighbours and we should support our neighbours. If there were a war over here, the U.S. would protect Canada." Calgary peace activists, meanwhile, were skeptical of the poll results, saying they believe the majority of Albertans and Canadians are against the war. "The vast majority (of people), worldwide, are opposed to the war," said Gordon Christie, spokesman for the Calgary and District Labour Council. Julie Hrdlicka, the Calgary spokeswoman for the Canadian Network for Ending Sanctions in Iraq, said the poll, if accurate, merely gives her incentive to work harder at getting her pro-peace message out. "It motivates me to push harder," Hrdlicka said. "A lot of people don't know the issues." According to the poll, more men (73.7 per cent) than women (64.3 per cent) support Canada's involvement in the war. Support for the war is strongest among seniors (77.7 per cent) and baby boomers (73.7 per cent) and weakest among Albertans under the age of 29, with 41.4 per cent of young Albertans opposed to the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein. Ellis said many of those in favour of the war said they were embarrassed and ashamed of Canada's dove-like stance. Gordon Turtle, spokesman for Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, said the poll shows that, when the chips are down, Albertans support their American neighbours in times of trouble. "Regardless of where people stood before the war broke out, now that it's underway, there's a lot of support for our American allies," Turtle said. [EMAIL PROTECTED] For the latest developments, watch newscasts and updates on Global TV. For continuous coverage, log on to canada.com search word: War Desk Showdown with Saddam. This story features a factbox "Calgary's position on the war in Iraq". � Copyright 2003 Calgary Herald _______________________________________________________ John D. Giorgis - [EMAIL PROTECTED] "The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the world, it is God's gift to humanity." - George W. Bush 1/29/03 _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
