SovietCanuckistan

A couple of months ago, I wrote that I expected 'effectively no movement' in the election results, and ( depressingly ) it looks like I was right. Harper is still PM, sure, but without a majority, and in particular without convincing more even 40% of Canadians to vote for him. A few more interesting bullet points I've gleaned so far:

• Elizabeth may lost to Peter McKay. Big surprise. Also, the Greens have no seats, but more Canadians voted for them than Gilles Duceppe's Bloc.
• The Grits lost serious ground in B.C and Ontario, and I saw a few ridings where the Tories definitely benefited from Center-Left vote splitting.
• Stephane Dion qualifies to be Prime Minister of Newfoundland. And Montreal and parts of Toronto. But practically no-where else.
• Likewise, Stephen Harper could be dictator-for-life of Alberta-and-Norther-Eastern-B.C.-istan.
• Bill Casey was re-elected as an Independent! I'm personally quite pleased that he will be in parliament making the Tories uncomfortable for at least however long this shambles of a Parliament lasts.
• Justin Trudeau won his safe seat in Montreal, but there are lots of people in line ahead of him for Dion's job.

As for that matter, I suspect we'll have another election in about 2 years, and I hope to hell progressive politicians in this country get over themselves and form some sort of alliance / strategy / remedy for this mess. On that note, I personally think the leaders who should feel safe in their jobs are Elizabeth May, Duceppe and maybe Magic Jack Layton. Dion, clearly, has to show himself the door. I also have a suspicion that some people in the Tory camp will be unhappy with Harper's apparent inability to solidify a majority, *even when running against Dion*.

One of the most inspiring things for me in this year's American Presidential Election is the level of personal involvement so many people have put into the Obama Campaign, and the intensity of Obama's ground effort. No-one has ever attempted anything like that in Canada, at least not recently. There are good reasons for that: it's expensive, and Canada is big and empty. But in our oh-so-urban-rural-split country, you could probably win a majority just by locking up all urban ridings aside from Calgary and Edmonton.

Well, I'm depressed, but at least ther eis a good chance Vison Vancouver will dominate Vancouver's civic elections and my City will become a shining enclave of hippie-left progressiveness in a sea of Blue.