The Demographics of Canadian Partisans

Post Reply New Topic

The Conservative voter is male, over 45 (and even more heavily over 65), does not live in Quebec, and is economically well off. Those who make more than $80,000 per year are especially enamored with the Tories (38.4%), but the middle class ($40,000 to $80,000) also lean slightly more towards the Tories than the average. Out of the five major metropolitan regions, the Conservative voter is most likely to live in Calgary or, to a lesser extent, Ottawa-Gatineau. There are some regional variations to this profile, however. In Atlantic Canada, the Conservative voter tends to be younger and more middle-class than the rest of the country.

The Liberal voter can be either female or male, but is slightly more likely to be female. He or she is 45 years old or older, and more likely to be over the age of 65. He or she is economically well-off, with the $80,000+ group most heavily weighted. The Liberal voter is less middle-class than the Conservative voter. He or she likely lives in Vancouver, Toronto, or Ottawa-Gatineau. The Liberal voter is more regionally varied, however. In British Columbia, the Prairies, and Ontario, he is male. In Alberta, she is under the age of 25 and middle-class. The Liberals do better amongst the youth in Alberta likely because the Conservatives are the "establishment", and it is more rebellious to be a Liberal here than anywhere else in the country.

The New Democratic voter is female, under the age of 25 and to a lesser extent between the ages of 25 and 44, and makes less than $40,000 per year. She is most likely to live in Vancouver. In Quebec, however, the NDP voter is slightly more likely to be male, and in Atlantic Canada she is middle-aged and more middle-class.

The Green voter is a lot like the NDP voter. She is female, under the age of 25 or perhaps middle-aged, and makes less than $40,000 per year. She is most likely to live in Toronto. In Quebec and Atlantic Canada, however, the Green voter is male.

The Bloc voter is slightly more likely to be female. She is between the ages of 25 and 64 and is middle-class, and probably lives in Montreal.

When you take all of this into account, it is easy to see where the battle lines are drawn. The Tories do well amongst males while the New Democrats and Greens do best amongst females. The Liberals and the Bloc are more gender neutral, and are thus either fighting the Conservatives for the male vote or the NDP and Greens for the female vote. The Conservatives and Liberals are the choice of older people, while the NDP and Greens are the choice of younger people. The Conservatives and Liberals wrestle over the upper class vote while the NDP and Greens fight over the lower class. Each party has its niche, and all have to dip in the large pool of middle aged and middle class voters to make gains. "Establishment" voters, people who vote for the Liberals or Conservatives, are older and richer. "Opposition" voters, people who vote for the New Democrats or Greens, are younger and poorer. It all aligns very well to the political spectrum.

One exception is the Bloc Quebecois. Unlike any other party, they are not the domain of any one group. Only a few more females than males choose them, and they are the favourite party of people who aren't very young or very old, and who aren't very poor or very rich. The "average" person in Quebec, thus, is a Bloc Quebecois voter. Only when you go to the extremes of age and class do you find the other parties doing better. It seems to me an interesting demonstration of how the Bloc Quebecois is less of an "interest" party than the other four. Aside, of course, from Quebec's interests.

These results show, in part, why the Liberals and Conservatives are the parties likely to form government. Older people vote for them, and older people vote in greater numbers. Richer people vote for them, and richer people can donate more money. The NDP and Greens are at a distinct disadvantage because their support comes from people who vote less and financially contribute to parties less. It is a formula for perpetual opposition.

Now, any projects must be run though ultra-corrupt PPPs. The rule is that if some bigwig isn't making profits off something then it's a waste.

Very interesting. The Conservative stats don't surprise me at all. The Liberal ones to a little--I was expecting it to extend a bit farther into the lower-middle class. Greens being similar to NDP makes sense--the two parties have very similar outlooks on most issues.

I don't really fit these trends though. I come from an upper-middle class family but am definitely not conservative. I used to think of myself as Liberal, but have grown more and more open to the NDP and increasingly drawn to the Greens. I think I might join up with the Greens when I'm in university. I was reading their platform a moment ago and like almost all of it. It's just their policies on nuclear power and GE foods that I don't like Why do so many environmentalists have to be technophobic?

Very interesting. The Conservative stats don't surprise me at all. The Liberal ones to a little--I was expecting it to extend a bit farther into the lower-middle class. Greens being similar to NDP makes sense--the two parties have very similar outlooks on most issues.

I don't really fit these trends though. I come from an upper-middle class family but am definitely not conservative. I used to think of myself as Liberal, but have grown more and more open to the NDP and increasingly drawn to the Greens. I think I might join up with the Greens when I'm in university. I was reading their platform a moment ago and like almost all of it. It's just their policies on nuclear power and GE foods that I don't like Why do so many environmentalists have to be technophobic?

Taken together, center and progressive voters form a solid majority in this country. What the Prime Minister has been trying to do on an ongoing basis is squeeze the Liberal Party out of existence, so that the primary voter choice will not be Conservative - Liberal, but Conservative - NDP, with the expectation that the center will break right, rather than left.

Well, the trends are aggregations of contradictory groups that composit each political party. Also, you fit the trend of a New Democrat being under 25 and " the NDP voter ... in Atlantic Canada ... is ... more middle-class."

The Liberals occupy a very solid position with university educated, affluent, urban Canadians. In fact, one of their difficulties in the last few years has been the erosion of their support among young progressive voters who are increasingly looking at the NDP and the Greens.

Very interesting. The Conservative stats don't surprise me at all. The Liberal ones to a little--I was expecting it to extend a bit farther into the lower-middle class. Greens being similar to NDP makes sense--the two parties have very similar outlooks on most issues.

I don't really fit these trends though. I come from an upper-middle class family but am definitely not conservative. I used to think of myself as Liberal, but have grown more and more open to the NDP and increasingly drawn to the Greens. I think I might join up with the Greens when I'm in university. I was reading their platform a moment ago and like almost all of it. It's just their policies on nuclear power and GE foods that I don't like Why do so many environmentalists have to be technophobic?

You forget nanotechnologies, they want to only financing nanotechnologies research on how they can be warmful. Or so i heard... Certainly a stupid position... They just have no idea of the potentisl applications of fullerene.

We should add that the typical NPD voter live in Québec now.

Forgive me as i try to contain my rage as to WHY Toronto would vote conservative. =.= Must be because of that new mayor they have. -.-