▁strugg les ▁and ▁char is ma , ▁his ▁more ▁moder ate ▁approach ▁and ▁prominent ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁Me ech ▁Lake ▁Acc ord ▁while ▁in ▁Ott awa ▁rem ind ed ▁und ec ided ▁national ist ▁vot ers ▁of ▁federal ▁mis steps ▁from ▁years ▁past . ▁ ▁Polit icians ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁described ▁his ▁appeal ▁as ▁mess ian ic ▁and ▁almost ▁impossible ▁to ▁personally ▁attack , ▁in ▁contrast ▁to ▁the ▁well - w orn ▁figures ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum . ▁" No " ▁ad visor ▁John ▁Paris ella ▁noted ▁that ▁at ▁focus ▁groups , ▁when ▁presented ▁with ▁statements ▁B ouch ard ▁had ▁made ▁that ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁like , ▁participants ▁would ▁refuse ▁to ▁believe ▁he ▁meant ▁them . ▁New ▁pol ls ▁eventually ▁showed ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁Quebec ers ▁int ending ▁to ▁vote ▁" Yes ". ▁ ▁" No " ▁forces , ▁including ▁Johnson , ▁were ▁shock ed ▁by ▁the ▁development , ▁which ▁required ▁wh oles ale ▁changes ▁in ▁strategy ▁three ▁weeks ▁before ▁the ▁vote . ▁ ▁Un w illing ▁to ▁believe ▁Par ize au ▁had ▁given ▁up ▁his ▁leadership ▁role ▁volunt arily , ▁most ▁in ▁the ▁" No " ▁camp ▁and ▁Ott awa ▁had ▁assumed ▁a ▁coup ▁had ▁taken ▁place , ▁though ▁the ▁man oe uv re ▁had ▁been ▁planned ▁and ▁volunt ary . ▁The ▁dram atic ▁events ▁prompt ed ▁many ▁federal ▁polit icians ▁to ▁lo bb y ▁for ▁similarly ▁dram atic ▁inter vention ▁from ▁Ott awa ▁and ▁the ▁federal ▁government , ▁which ▁were ▁refused ▁by ▁the ▁" No " ▁committee