I will predict that Ignatieff will completely and fully rule out ANY coalition. That will score more points then lose.

I predict that Jack Layton will say the NDP are ready for a coalition and that should just about put a nail in the coffin for many NDP candidates looking to win a new NDP seat.

Coalition has become a dirty word. It will reappear in the next election because the Conservatives already see the political merit in pointing it out. They will use it to try to pin both Ignatieff and Layton down.

Jack is still defending his coalition maneuver and the fact that he has to defend it would suggest that this is an issue that puts the NDP on their heels not stepping forward.

The better NDP route would be to maintain working with the parliment that Canadians Form, which by all accounts will be another minority government. 

WHile a coalition is a far superior tool then the current Bullshit we see today in parliment, IE a written agreement not to bring down the government is far better then the threat of election every third day, the fact is, people don't understand the value of a coalition and its far to late to explain that after the fact.  Its not campaign material.

Therefore I fully and completely expect Ignatieff to say in no uncertain terms... NO COALITION and then after the seat count and the election is over.... a coalition if necessary. :)

I expect the NDP has a strong base, but will spend alot of the next campaign on their heels.

Its hard to promote a party that is viewed in the general public as a party that has been against everything, and exactly what did the NDP accomplish in the last parliment?