Jim Elve at BlogsCanada has invited me to join the BlogsCanada eGroup , immediately following the election.(Apparently, Jim wants to keep the group rather stable until after the 29th.) On pace for over 50,000 hits during the election campaign, the BlogsCanada eGroup has become one of the best known blogs in Canadian politics. Post writ it will take on a broader mandate including international affairs. I thought, then, that this might be a good time to ask my readers to nominate C...

Stephen Harper's claim that his party could now win a majority government is not just lousy politics, but falt wrong. The Conservatives and Liberals remain deadlocked at 32% in polls . When the Liberals fell below 40% it was called 'minority territory', but now -- while still eight percent lower -- we're to believe that the Conservatives are on the cusp of majority? Look closer: There are 75 seats in Québec -- and no indication that any of them will go Conservative. Seat pro...

The further we get from last night's performance the more difficult it becomes to digest. The lasting impact of our national debates hasn't been made in the moment, but in the foundations laid for the coming days. What are politicians selling, what are voters buying -- and what is this god forsaken election really all about? Measuring the leaders' debate by that standard reveals a microcosm of the election at large. Our national discourse is bereft of policy, as the leaders jockey...

CTV talkers are already discussing a Conservative/Liberal alliance, to maintain Parliament while the Grits regroup. The NDP will inherit Pearson-Trudeau legacy -- abandoned by Paul Martin.

Wow. The most interesting election in twenty years? As far as I can tell. CTV has already called the moment of night -- Jack Layton's denunciation of Paul Martin for refusing to bring equal marriage to a vote in Parliament. Stephen Harper was clearly the coolest of the bunch, but seemed to simply fall below the radar for extended periods of time. That, though, may hurt Paul Martin most; he needed Harper's agenda front and centre. Duceppe played his welcome role as an instigat...

Given Gilles Duceppe's virtually uncontested victory in last night's french language debate, there's no clear momentum going into tonight's english-only showdown. All the little Dippers from the NDP war room (except this one, I work nights) will be gathering at the party's downtown Ottawa offices to view the action. Sadly, I can't say that they'll be playing James Bow's debate drinking game , but it's sure to be an evening of fun nonetheless. As for the Big Media Moment (more lam...

Harper raised, almost exclusively, issues that will hurt him in Québec. Martin was arrogant and hollow. Duceppe was strong, but perhaps unnecessarily confrontational. Layton rose above the fray, but still isn't using all the tools in his box on taxes. Overall, Duceppe wins on points -- given that this was his and Martin's show. Layton wins on the lower card -- clearly coming out above both Martin and Harper. Ultimately, Layton and the NDP were undercut, mainly, by their...

Stephen Harper just said that he would "respect a woman's right to abortion". Stephen Harper: Pro-Choice Warrior (9:42pm)

It's the big night -- for one quarter of Canadians. Let's get right to the leaders... Gilles Duceppe Your the Stephen Harper of french language debate. Lay back, enjoy yourself and let the others kill each trying to get at'cha. You'll pound away at the old hobby horse: the patronizing Liberals, thinking they can buy Québec's votes with promises of money and power. That's always good. Your certain to be pressed on how you could possibly support a regressive, anti-Québec C...

At the risk of dragging a horse on stage and literally beating it to death -- another word about ads. Of particular interest is a single frame of the most recent Liberal attack ad. The disarmingly entitled "Harper and the Conservatives", now appearing on television, seems to include a brief 'flash' between a shot of a handgun pointing into Canadian homes and a shot of a smog filled industrial town. Some claim that this 'flash' manipulates the viewer, creating the "subliminal ima...

The NDP began airing four new ads this week, closing in on the home stretch. The two spots above, "Ontarians Know" and "Affordable", were released Wednesday, along with another english language ad, " Both ". There are even ads in Mandarin and Cantonese . Previously on Canuckistan , I laid out several prospective NDP tactics for the final weeks of the campaign. I believe that these three elements could lead to an historic breakthrough: Paint the Liberals and Conservativ...

Slow news day. Check these out . Oh yeah, there was this .

A truly phenomenal political commercial , courtesy of the Liberal Party of Canada . Sweet Jesus, is this ad terrifying! Do not misunderstand. It's a sleek, professional spot. It has every component of a crushing body blow. It's delivery is high art. But this thirty second montage of reeling, staccato visuals leaves the viewer thinking that whoever conceived it must be as evil as the monster it describes: Fade in, bleery sunlight. VOICE: Stephen Harper would ha...

This morning, journalists asking questions about same-sex marriage were heckled by Stephen Harper supporters present at a Brampton, Ontario campaign stop. As Harper did little to shutdown the jeering crowd, he was -- himself -- eventually chastised by a frustrated scribes. You can see most of the press conference here , on the Thursday morning edition of Politics with Don Newman .

I've previously discussed how New Democrats can leverage public distrust of the Earnscliffe Party to bolster their own credibility. In the past two days, however, polls have shown a creeping Conservative advance -- even the possibility of a Conservative minority government. While Stephen Harper makes gains amongst centrists, fear of a Tory resurgence may send scared New Democrats back to the Grits. A change in equilibrium requires a change in stratagem. The NDP can still gain...