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Today I am racking my brains, literally, trying to figure out what Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton will respond once confronted with the news Canadians, including their own supporters, overwhelmingly want Elizabeth May in the nationally televised leaders' debates. I see a few possibilities:

1. Dispute the results.

2. Cling to "seat = podium" argument (see Jack in full form: click here).  

3. Join Mr. Dion in welcoming Ms. May into the debates, albeit begrudgingly.

I suppose disputing the results is an option. But 20+ years later in this business, I can assure you there aren't biases or methodological holes to uncover, and, clinging to the "seat = podium" rule is seen by 62% of Canadians as Mr. Harper and Mr. Layton afraid of Ms. May, not as purists for rules that were once, possibly, enough to set the guidelines.

For the Network folks still mulling it over, my opinion, just for the record, is; if back in the 60's when the "seat = podium" guideline might have been the suitable proxy, had there been a national party with 308 candidates, receiving significant tax-payer funding, and that was widely perceived as the champion of the issue Canadians see tied with healthcare as the most important issue facing the nation, and the single most important issue Canadians expect will dominate the next election, then yeah, there's a darn good chance my voice would be among the 80% who want to hear what the leader of that party has to say on that issue, and all the other issues too.

There is, therefore, still time for a gracious and face-saving way out for Misters Harper and Layton. That is, as Mr. Dion has already realized ahead of the pair - option 3 - welcome Ms. May into the debates. Do it, I would urge, not just because of the valid criteria that justifies her inclusion and the other set of criteria that does not justify her exclusion, but do it because that's what Canadians want. Is there a better reason?

Given Mr. Harper didn't think the environment was important enough until just a few weeks ago, I won't suggest he doesn't belong in the debates for being so out-of-touch, if in turn he won't penalize those who were, in touch that is. On that basis, Elizabeth May certainly belongs in the debates. And while we are at it, perhaps Garth Turner deserves an apology for being booted when all he tried to do was give Mr. Harper ample warning about the importance of an issue which less than 3 months later Mr. Harper is surely wishing, at least privately, he'd embraced, not rejected.

Additional Survey results available at: http://www.corestrategies.ca/green.htm

I've lost count of how many times in the past couple of months I have been asked for my opinion on what I think, personally, the criteria ought to be for a spot at the debate podium. It's a fair question, for sure, but not a question I have the right to dictate the answer to any more than say Stephen Harper or Jack Layton.

Stéphane Dion, it appears, already has a pretty good sense of the right answer, so I won't spend too much time further arguing his point of view. He's done that well enough on his own saying "Well, I don't see why not," and "She would add her long experience on the issue of sustainability and the environment. I don't agree with her about everything ... but I certainly welcome her role in the public debate in Canada."

Forget mine or even Mr. Dion's opinion for a minute, I'll get to that soon enough. In the coming days, I'd like to share what Canadians think, on a host of issues, not just the debate, debate. We queried the views of 1,500 Canadians about the current political landscape in a scientific and methodologically robust public opinion survey.

The results are clear. Nearly eight out of every ten Canadians (77%) favour Elizabeth May in the debates. Amazingly, even other party supporters want her there, as depicted in the chart below. So when Liberal insiders and strategists criticize Mr. Dion for his public support of Ms. May, at least now he can say he was just being honest and consistent with what he, and Liberal voters, want.

Canadians want May in debates; well 80% anyway