10 02 11	Marco Ricci 72.138.2.68
I would agree that this riding is leaning Conservative right now. The margin of victory for the Conservatives here in 2008 was rather large (almost 20 points). The Liberals are polling higher in BC right now than they were in 2008, and so they have the ability to get back some of the votes they lost, but it may not be enough. It's kind of surprising that Raymond Chan was bold enough to run for the Liberal nomination again considering how poorly he did in 2008, so it probably makes sense that they didn't give him the nomination this time. While Peschisolido is at a disadvantage against Wong, perhaps the Liberals need someone other than Chan to run here for a change. Peschisolido was an Ignatieff supporter in the leadership, so he will probably have Ignatieff's help in the next election, which is a plus for him. He also seems to be taking his attempt to win back this riding seriously and is opening a new community outreach office which Ignatieff will help him open during the Olympics this week: http://www2.canada.com/richmondnews/news/story.html?id=72d4b62c-96cd-43b7-946d-19c6153a2742 Whether this is enough to win the riding, remains to be seen.
	09 10 05	Dr Bear & Prof Ape 70.30.36.105
Can not see Peschisolido defeating Alice Wong. As we recall, Peschisolido was the sitting Liberal MP (after crossing the floor) but lost the nomination to Raymond Chan (who he defeated in the previous election) who was defeated by Alice Wong last time around. Now Alice is well know and well liked in the riding. Joe...well...we tend to hear negative things. Still he has a shot if the HST becomes a hot topic issue and the Liberals surge in BC. Then again the Liberals are not clear on their position on HST and it would be the NDP likely to capitalize on such a backlash. Not in this riding, the NDP have never been competetive here.
	09 09 26	24.85.230.16
Joe Peschisolido has just been nominated as the Liberal candidate here today. Mason Loh was the only one who could really give Alice Wong a run for her money because he has a strong resume. Pechisolido has angered many people here in Richmond when he crossed the floor in 2002... that ‘Jumpin Joe’ label hasn't left him. His lack of roots in the Chinese community in this riding gives him a great disadvantage. Alice Wong has worked hard here over the past year and she is truly ‘everywhere’ as she is very involved in the community. I think she has earned the respect of Richmondites. As a capable incumbent, I predict she will solidify her already vote count to over 50%. While her English communication skills are okay, her Chinese debating skills shine... she is a fesity ‘spitfire’ debater. Peschisolido will have a hard time facing her in debates. Remember the Aberdeen Debate last time around? There was huge resentment against the Liberals who got boos from the crowd. It should be no different this time around. Michael Ignatieff's public relations has been a mess. Many voters don't know what he stands for and don't know what he would do differently from Harper. I'd move this riding solidly to the Conservative column.
	09 09 09	S.O. 174.88.6.195
There are few certainties in life; death and taxes are two of them. But Alice Wong winning re-election has to be another sure thing. While the riding is definitely not a traditional Conservative stronghold, her margin of victory in the last election (roughly 50% compared to the Liberal 31%) against an incumbent MP who had represented the riding since 1993 (with one exception: 2000-2004 where he was barely edged out 44%-42%) makes her a sure thing. With the benefit of incumbency, even if Raymond Chan ran again I can't see this riding going back to the Liberal Party. There would have to be some massive shift in public support from the Conservatives to the Liberals that would put this riding in play again.
	09 08 27	wyatt 24.235.142.160
With over 8,000 vote lead and close to 50% of the vote in '08, Wong should hang on to this. Particularly when she'll have the incumbent advantage, and the improved profile of a Parliamentary secretary.
	09 08 23	96.49.110.185
In the last election, Dion did not connect well with the minority community. Rather, many ethnic groups backed Harper's Conservatives which ended up with strong results in ridings with high minority populations. The Conservatives gained a significant percentage ethnic support in the last election (nearly tied to the Liberals), destroying the usual Liberal landslide-dominance on this demographic. Richmond (with a majority Asian population) turns out to be a reasonable ‘litmus test’ to determine which party has strong ethnic support. Many, including myself, thought this riding would go Conservative by 1000-2000 votes max. However, Alice Wong won this handily by a huge margin of 8000 votes, which is the largest victory for any candidate since 1993. She has been an active MP in her community, and I believe she will be re-elected in the upcoming election. Plus, many in the Asian community agree with the centre-right principles of the Conservative government, such as tougher crime sentences and tax cuts. The question that remains is: Will Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals re-connect with the ethnic community and win ethnic-rich ridings (such as Richmond) back? It is true that Liberal fundraising has improved greatly, but in terms of electorate support, Liberal growth seems to have stalled. Support for Ignatieff has not been significantly greater than that of Dion's. Thus, I believe this riding will stay Conservative (Alice Wong).