Going into the 2013 election, nearly all polls showed the NDP well ahead of the BC Liberals, with at least one showing the NDP ahead by as much as 20 points. Two months prior to the election, The Province newspaper's front page featured a column by pundit Michael Smyth with the banner headline: "If This Man Kicked A Dog He Would Still Win The Election."
The 2013 BC election was characterized by strong polling showing the NDP ahead of the Liberals. A columnist's article, published in The Province newspaper, made a controversial comparison between the leader of the NDP and someone who would still win an election despite their negative actions.