Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which tested voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which tested voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which gauged voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
By the numbers:
— Who watched: Over a third of respondents said they tuned in, while 37 per cent said they didn’t. Another 29 per cent said they watched clips or post-game coverage.
Among those who watched, it was a near-equal split by gender — 32.4 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women. 42 per cent were non-binary. 28.5 per cent of men and 28.8 per cent of women said they only watched clips.
The audience skewed older. Among those 65+, 43.4 per cent said they tuned in, the highest of any age group. Voters between 50 and 64 weren’t far behind, with 35.9 per cent saying they watched. Young voters were the least engaged, with just 23.4 per cent saying they watched, though 26.9 per cent said they caught clips.
Progressive Conservative voters were the least engaged, with 39.6 per cent skipping the debate entirely. Green voters were the most engaged, with 45.3 per cent watching. Undecided voters were checked out — over 60 per cent didn’t watch at all.
— Who won: 31 per cent of viewers said Ford came out on top, with Crombie at 23 per cent. NDP leader Marit Stiles, at 15 per cent, and Green leader Mike Schreiner, at 8 per cent, struggled to break through. 13 per cent saw no clear winner, while 10 per cent were undecided.
“When you have a quote, unquote ‘winner’ of the debate with only 31 per cent of the people who watched saying that they won — that’s a split decision,” said Robert Martin, a senior data analyst at Mainstreet.
Ford played it safe — and that’s all he needed. “When someone already has a commanding lead in the race, [31 per cent] is all they need to win. You don’t need 50 per cent of people saying you won the debate to win the election,” added Martin. “The fact that Ford actually won the debate with a plurality — that’s all he needs to continue on and get the majority.”
Did the debate move the needle? Interest, at best, was lukewarm. “People seem to care a lot more about the federal election than this provincial one,” he noted. In that environment, the Progressive Conservative leader’s task was simple: to “hold his own” to keep his lead intact.
For the incumbent, who is still ahead of Crombie with a 38.4 per cent to 29 per cent advantage, it was “mission accomplished.”
Stay tuned for a play-by-play of Monday’s debate and how it could shape the last stretch of the winter campaign.
Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which gauged voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
By the numbers:
— Who watched: Over a third of respondents said they tuned in, while 37 per cent said they didn’t. Another 29 per cent said they watched clips or post-game coverage.
Among those who watched, it was a near-equal split by gender — 32.4 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women. 42 per cent were non-binary. 28.5 per cent of men and 28.8 per cent of women said they only watched clips.
The audience skewed older. Among those 65+, 43.4 per cent said they tuned in, the highest of any age group. Voters between 50 and 64 weren’t far behind, with 35.9 per cent saying they watched. Young voters were the least engaged, with just 23.4 per cent saying they watched, though 26.9 per cent said they caught clips.
Progressive Conservative voters were the least engaged, with 39.6 per cent skipping the debate entirely. Green voters were the most engaged, with 45.3 per cent watching. Undecided voters were checked out — over 60 per cent didn’t watch at all.
— Who won: 31 per cent of viewers said Ford came out on top, with Crombie at 23 per cent. NDP leader Marit Stiles, at 15 per cent, and Green leader Mike Schreiner, at 8 per cent, struggled to break through. 13 per cent saw no clear winner, while 10 per cent were undecided.
“When you have a quote, unquote ‘winner’ of the debate with only 31 per cent of the people who watched saying that they won — that’s a split decision,” said Robert Martin, a senior data analyst at Mainstreet.
Ford played it safe — and that’s all he needed. “When someone already has a commanding lead in the race, [31 per cent] is all they need to win. You don’t need 50 per cent of people saying you won the debate to win the election,” added Martin. “The fact that Ford actually won the debate with a plurality — that’s all he needs to continue on and get the majority.”
Did the debate move the needle? Interest, at best, was lukewarm. “People seem to care a lot more about the federal election than this provincial one,” he noted. In that environment, the Progressive Conservative leader’s task was simple: to “hold his own” to keep his lead intact.
For the incumbent, who is still ahead of Crombie with a 38.4 per cent to 29 per cent advantage, it was “mission accomplished.”
Stay tuned for a play-by-play of Monday’s debate and how it could shape the last stretch of the winter campaign.
Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which gauged voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
By the numbers:
— Who watched: Over a third of respondents said they tuned in, while 37 per cent said they didn’t. Another 29 per cent said they watched clips or post-game coverage.
Among those who watched, it was a near-equal split by gender — 32.4 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women. 42 per cent were non-binary. 28.5 per cent of men and 28.8 per cent of women said they only watched clips.
The audience skewed older. Among those 65+, 43.4 per cent said they tuned in, the highest of any age group. Voters between 50 and 64 weren’t far behind, with 35.9 per cent saying they watched. Young voters were the least engaged, with just 23.4 per cent saying they watched, though 26.9 per cent said they caught clips.
Progressive Conservative voters were the least engaged, with 39.6 per cent skipping the debate entirely. Green voters were the most engaged, with 45.3 per cent watching. Undecided voters were checked out — over 60 per cent didn’t watch at all.
— Who won: 31 per cent of viewers said Ford came out on top, with Crombie at 23 per cent. NDP leader Marit Stiles, at 15 per cent, and Green leader Mike Schreiner, at 8 per cent, struggled to break through. 13 per cent saw no clear winner, while 10 per cent were undecided.
“When you have a quote, unquote ‘winner’ of the debate with only 31 per cent of the people who watched saying that they won — that’s a split decision,” said Robert Martin, a senior data analyst at Mainstreet.
Ford played it safe — and that’s all he needed. “When someone already has a commanding lead in the race, [31 per cent] is all they need to win. You don’t need 50 per cent of people saying you won the debate to win the election,” added Martin. “The fact that Ford actually won the debate with a plurality — that’s all he needs to continue on and get the majority.”
Did the debate move the needle? Interest, at best, was lukewarm. “People seem to care a lot more about the federal election than this provincial one,” he noted. In that environment, the Progressive Conservative leader’s task was simple: to “hold his own” to keep his lead intact.
For the incumbent, who is still ahead of Crombie with a 38.4 per cent to 29 per cent advantage, it was “mission accomplished.”
Stay tuned for a play-by-play of Monday’s debate and how it could shape the last stretch of the winter campaign.
Doug Ford won Monday’s leaders’ debate — but not by a landslide.
That’s the verdict from a new poll by Mainstreet Research, which gauged voters’ reactions to the 90-minute melee.
Conducted Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, via IVR, the survey — provided exclusively to this newsletter — polled 1,243 adults, 18 years of age or older. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 3.4 per cent.
By the numbers:
— Who watched: Over a third of respondents said they tuned in, while 37 per cent said they didn’t. Another 29 per cent said they watched clips or post-game coverage.
Among those who watched, it was a near-equal split by gender — 32.4 per cent of men and 35 per cent of women. 42 per cent were non-binary. 28.5 per cent of men and 28.8 per cent of women said they only watched clips.
The audience skewed older. Among those 65+, 43.4 per cent said they tuned in, the highest of any age group. Voters between 50 and 64 weren’t far behind, with 35.9 per cent saying they watched. Young voters were the least engaged, with just 23.4 per cent saying they watched, though 26.9 per cent said they caught clips.
Progressive Conservative voters were the least engaged, with 39.6 per cent skipping the debate entirely. Green voters were the most engaged, with 45.3 per cent watching. Undecided voters were checked out — over 60 per cent didn’t watch at all.
— Who won: 31 per cent of viewers said Ford came out on top, with Crombie at 23 per cent. NDP leader Marit Stiles, at 15 per cent, and Green leader Mike Schreiner, at 8 per cent, struggled to break through. 13 per cent saw no clear winner, while 10 per cent were undecided.
“When you have a quote, unquote ‘winner’ of the debate with only 31 per cent of the people who watched saying that they won — that’s a split decision,” said Robert Martin, a senior data analyst at Mainstreet.
Ford played it safe — and that’s all he needed. “When someone already has a commanding lead in the race, [31 per cent] is all they need to win. You don’t need 50 per cent of people saying you won the debate to win the election,” added Martin. “The fact that Ford actually won the debate with a plurality — that’s all he needs to continue on and get the majority.”
Did the debate move the needle? Interest, at best, was lukewarm. “People seem to care a lot more about the federal election than this provincial one,” he noted. In that environment, the Progressive Conservative leader’s task was simple: to “hold his own” to keep his lead intact.
For the incumbent, who is still ahead of Crombie with a 38.4 per cent to 29 per cent advantage, it was “mission accomplished.”
Stay tuned for a play-by-play of Monday’s debate and how it could shape the last stretch of the winter campaign.