Pundits' Guide, a project of Ottawa number cruncher Alice Funke, has rapidly established itself as the go to site for policy wonks and election geeks in search of meaningful information on the federal political scene.

Today, Alice provides a powerful counterpoint to those who are advocating strategic voting on October 14. Here are the major highlights of her argument [full text at the link; some bolding is hers, some is mine]:

Since Tuesday, catching up on sleep has taken precedence over catching up on blogging. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't have a lot to say about the outcome of the vote. So, somewhat belatedly, here is my take on the highlights and lowlights of the 2008 Federal Election results.

The good

Jack Harris winning three-quarters of the vote in St. John's East (the highest percentage of the vote gained by any candidate in any riding) and Thomas Mulcair holding on to Outremont. This election marked the first general election that the NDP has ever won a seat in either province (they had won two previous by-elections in Newfoundland and one in Quebec, but did not hold the seats in subsequent elections).

There is a yawning gap between the platform Stephen Harper is presenting to the Canadian people and what Canadians tell pollsters are their major concerns. The dangerous disconnect between what the people want and the plans of those who control the state is all too clear in our fraying democracy.

Canadians list health care and jobs as their top priorities. Harper's leading issues are: corporate tax cuts, crime, jet fighters, deficit reduction, and income splitting. A Fortress North America security deal with the United States is very much on his to-do list. Further down the list is the privatization of CBC television and a much-expanded role for religious organizations in the delivery of social policy.