This evening on CBC News: Your Turn, we asked our viewers if this week’s political scandals, gaffes or inappropriate comments have affected their vote. Do mistakes and mis-steps change how people feel about the candidates? Do they matter?

• See also: "What were they thinking?"

With reports of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s Listeriosis comments, Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon’s aide’s remarks to an Algonquin constituent, and the resignation of the NDP’s Dana Larsen (for a less, ahem, ‘pot-ty’ mouthed behaviour), the voters have surely had a week to question the good sense of some of our politicians, or the company they keep. We took a look back at the week that was (and that some wish wasn’t).

Phil Triadafilopoulos joined Suhana in studio to talk about the impact of the unexpected and unplanned on election campaigns. The electorate is always more aware of a candidate when they’ve made the headlines, and are likely to pay attention to them for the given reason, but it’s how they present themselves afterwards that matters most.

The mail

A couple e-mails we received, but didn’t get a chance to put on air:

Why are we talking about goofs and gaffes instead of something relevant.... like the outrageous promises by all the opposition leaders.
— Josh Sehn

Some say that all politicians lie or have too if they want to get elected. As long as we let them off the hook for saying one thing and then doing the opposite then we deserve what we get. However, I am afraid all too often people protest by not voting because they think all politicians are dishonest.
— Don Madge

I'm always aghast at people who are persuaded to suddenly vote for someone else because the candidate they intended to vote for made a mistake in their speech/mispoke. Don't these people understand the basic political philosophy of each party? If one understands the basic philosophy of each party, then you pretty well know what side of an issue they will take, what policies they will or will not support, what laws, bills, etc. they will introduce, or veto.
— Rauni Ollikainen, Victoria, B.C.

Next week

Be sure to tune in next week for an opportunity to speak (or type) your mind on these topics: whether Canada should have a mandatory voting law, the Afghanistan mission, attack ads and the American election.

Have a great weekend.