Olympic Polling

The Olympics are over and politics has returned to normal. Well, at least as normal as politics can be when the country is feeling a groundswell of national pride. I think the opposition was expecting the Olympics to be either a failure, or that people would stop feeling proud of Canada the morning after the Closing Ceremonies. I'm not sure how the exact series of unfortunate events unfolded in Liberal strategy sessions, but nobody seems to have triggered the "what if the Olympics are a roaring success" contingency.

I ran a series of Olympic themed polls during the Games. Here they are.

WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING LEVEL FOR THE $117 MILLION OWN THE PODIUM PROGRAM?

$117 million (26%)
zero tax money (26%)
$300 million (18%)
$200 million (18%)
$25 million (6%)
$75 million (4%)

WHICH SPORT WOULD YOU RATHER WATCH?

Ice Dancing (37%)
Ice Boxing (31%)
Ice Dancing with hockey goons (31%)

WHO SHOULD PLAY GOAL FOR CANADA THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT?

Roberto Luongo (83%)
Martin Brodeur (17%)

WHICH BY YOUR DEFINITION WINS THE OLYMPICS?

Most top 3 finishes (77%)
Most 1st place finishes (23%)

WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THE FUTURE FUNDING OF OLYMPIC SPORTS?

Maintain status quo (30%)
Shift existing funding to youth level (25%)
Spend less (23%)
Spend more (20%)

WHICH REQUIRES THE GREATEST DEGREE OF CONTROLLED INSANITY?

Skeleton (40%)
Ski Jump (18%)
Luge (18%)
Aerial Skiing (15%)
Hockey Goaltender (7%)

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION OF THE BRITISH MEDIA'S COLLECTIVE CRAPPING ON CANADA'S GAMES? *multiple selections allowed*

I don't care what they say (69%)
They're covering up Britain's poor athletic performance (25%)
They're lowering expectations for London 2012 (15%)
They're right, we suck (3%)

HOW MANY MEDALS DO YOU EXPECT CANADA TO WIN IN VANCOUVER?

less than 20 (43%)
20-25 (30%)
25-30 (22%)
30+ (3%)

HOW WOULD YOU RATE CTV'S OLYMPIC COVERAGE?

Better than the CBC (54%)
Poor (18%)
I have no opinion (14%)
Excellent (12%)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE OLYMPIC THEMED MOVIE?

Cool Runnings (39%)
Chariots of Fire (33%)
Munich (18%)
Blades of Glory (5%)

DOES VIEWING CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE MAKE YOU MORE LIKELY TO SUPPORT A CAUSE?

No (98%)
Yes (2%)

WHO DESERVED TO LIGHT THE FINAL CAULDRON?

Wayne Gretzky (51%)
Rick Hansen (20%)
Nancy Greene (12%)
Katrina Lemay Doan (10%)
Steve Nash (4%)

GIVEN TODAY’S TRAGIC DEATH, SHOULD THE FASTEST SLED RUN EVER BUILT UP IN WHISTLER BE CLOSED?

Keep it in Whistler (83%)
Relocate those events to Calgary (17%)

WOULD YOU LIKE THE MANY FOREIGN ATHLETES AND DIGNITARIES VISITING CANADA TO BE WATCHING LIVE COVERAGE OF QUESTION PERIOD IN THEIR HOTEL ROOMS?

No (91%)
Yes (9%)

Olympic Polling from January

ARE YOU EXCITED TO WATCH THE OLYMPIC GAMES?

Go Canada! (56%)
I won't be watching (44%)

WHICH STUNT WOULD YOU CHOOSE FOR THE LIBERAL PARTY TO GET ATTENTION DURING THE OLYMPIC GAMES?

Iggy/Rae chain themselves to Parliament until it resumes (58%)
Ignatieff "Jump the Caucus" on a motorcycle (11%)
Candle lit inner-tube leap over Niagara Falls (11%)
Ignatieff public reading of Tolstoy (11%)
Funeral for death of Democracy (8%)

SHOULD WE PROROGUE PARLIAMENT UNTIL AFTER THE OLYMPICS? *from early January*

Yes (82%)
No (18%)

WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE A SPORT IN THE WINTER OLYMPICS?

Pushing Smart Cars out of 3 Inches of Snow (35%)
Women's Ski Jump (29%)
Driveway Shoveling (19%)
Freestyle Snowmobiling (7%)