Canada PoliticsNo clear winner in Quebec leaders’ debate as real battles begin Monday
Picking a winner in a televised leadership debate is often a mug's game.
Very rarely does anyone emerge as a clear victor — more times than not candidates merely solidify the support of their political base.
Sunday's Quebec leaders' debate was no different.
Politcal analyst Steve Rukavina provided one of the better overviews of the debate on CBC Newsworld:
"Nobody won last night's debate. It was a four way draw. Each of the leaders actually performed pretty well and did what they needed to do. Not a lot of minds were changed [Sunday]."
"Francois Legault from the CAQ, he did what he had to do in getting out his populous message. He had few stumbles but no major gaffes.
PQ leader Pauline Marois got in some good shots at Legault and also some good shots at premier Jean Charest...so she performed well.
[Françoise David] the leader of..Quebec Solidaire, which is left leaning separatist party, was so widely picked by columnists this morning of last night's debate largely because she had nothing to lose.
And the Premier Jean Charest managed to deflect just enough attentinon from allegations of corruption against his government to reduce those attacks and hold his own."
There were, however, a couple of impressive 'zingers' during the debate.
"I don't see anybody fighting on the bus for a referendum," said Francois Legault, explaining why his Coalition Avenir Quebec is ready to put sovereignty on the back burner.
[ Related: Photos from the leaders' debate ]
Quebec Solidaire leader Francois David probably had the best quote of the night when she jumped on Pauline Marois after the PQ leader pulled out the blame-it-on-Ottawa card.
"That's too easy," David said.
"Everyone in Quebec hates Stephen Harper."
The more significant battles begin Monday night.
In a new U.S.-style debate format, the three leaders will now debate each other in one-on-one deliberations.
On Monday night, it's Charest versus Marois on TVA.
"Marois will attack Charest on corruption [and] on his record," Rukavina said.
"[Charest] will cut back at her by saying 'all you care about is a referendum and we're going to focus on the economy'"
Charest will square off against Legault on Tuesday and Marois and Legault will go at it on Wednesday. These French-language one-on-ones will focus on four themes: the economy, governance, social policies and national identity.
[ Full Quebec 2012 election coverage ]
With the pollsters claiming that this is a close race, the one-on-ones have the potential of being election 'game-changers.'
