Harper is turning into a One Trick Phony

Almost two years and one leader ago, the Liberals took part in an effort to form a minority government due to a lack of confidence in an incompetent Conservative regime. Since then Parliamentary governments in Britain and Australia have formed actual coalitions establishing a new normal for Westminster governments. But Mr. Angry?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is adopting a strategy to gradually persuade voters they have a "stark choice" in the next campaign: a "stable" majority Conservative government, or a "coalition" government of Liberals, New Democrats and Quebec separatists.

Go ahead and use your persuasive powers. Ain't gonna get traction. The last "coalition" attempt was led by Stephane Dion. As much as I personally admired Dion, the Conservative trash talk had left its mark. This allowed the Conservative anti-democratic distortions about our form of government to stick.

But this is 2010. The year of the census. Fighter jets. ATV rides and rule making. The Liberal Express. Canadians have elected three minority governments in a row because that is the mood Canadians are in. There isn't any evidence they are ready to change their minds. But with ongoing improvement in the performance by Ignatieff and the implosion of the NDP; voters may very well decide to pass the minority mantle to the Liberals.

Harper's personal attitudes reflect the 1950s. His electoral strategy reflects 2008. Talk about yesterday's man.

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