Mario Dumont proudly started his day on Thursday with the announcement that he was about to embark on the ‘final swing of the ADQ.’

A campaign blitz of 24 ridings in 72 hours had been planned and about to be executed.

We were told we’d be on a tight schedule. No lollygagging allowed.

“There are a lot of ridings in which there are important races going on,” said Dumont about his end of campaign blitz. “And we think that it can make a difference and we’re very optimistic.”

Our first stop of the day was in Berthierville where 32 people had come out for a breakfast pep talk with Mario.

That’s in the riding of Berthier, which the ADQ handily won with 42 per cent of the vote in 2007.

Next up: Joliette (the city and the riding). I counted 20 people that time.

Off we went, rushing back into buses to keep on schedule, to Repentigny (also city and riding.) 40 people and snacks.

And on it went. In smaller and in some cases, much dingier headquarters.

At our second last stop of the day, the room was so small, our sound technicians had to set up some of the equipment in the hallway.

I asked Dumont where his supporters were:

“We’re in the middle of the morning,” he answered. “So a lot of our supporters are at work. Some of them because they are free or retired have some free time for us this morning, but our supporters are, our volunteers have been on the ground day after day on the campaign and they’ll work hard until Monday night.”

So the question is, where were they at 10h30, 11h30, 15h00, 16h00 and 19h00?

In the end, Dumont finished his day in a packed house in Granby.

About 200 people came to see him and his candidate for the Shefford riding… who seemed to be the only one in the ADQ with good news that day.

A local poll gives François Bonnardel a huge advance.

You could tell Dumont was feeling vindicated, even a little relieved to be speaking in front of an enthusiastic crowd.