We have been home from Cuba for a few days but I have not been in the mood to blog and the news has been too dismal. At some time in the next week or so, I will write about the Cuban "workers' paradise" but not for now.
The pre-election polls stabilized a bit while we were away and there were weak indicators of a modest shift back to the LP, but, it seems, nothing nearly enough. On election eve, all the talk shows and pundits are calling for a CP minority government and beginning the chatter about the style and priorities for a Stephen Harper government. The polls still have the CP leading the LP by 9-10% points and show a surge in NDP support as it becomes more apparent that strategic voting will not be enough to stop the CP and some people want to vote on principle.
undoubtedly, the LP has run a disastrous campaign. It misjudged the CP strength and was totally unprepared (and maybe underfinanced?). Now we watch to see if the BQ will win more seats than the LP or if even the NDP will fare better. The prospect of a BQ official opposition to a weak and uncommitted federalist government is alarming. I fear SH will do anything it takes to keep the BQ's support in order to preserve his government so that he can carry out his other reform agenda.
SH will be the first PM in over a hundred years (?) who is not a lawyer and his contempt for the rule of law, democratic process and the Supreme Court is obvious. It remains to be seen if the bureaucrats in the PCO will rein him in and give him a good lesson in civics before he is sworn to office. I fear that all his promises of moderation during the campaign will be cast aside the moment he is declared the winner tomorrow night.
