The difference between American and Canadian voters is that in a one on one contest, Americans just might choose the rickety-reactionary McCain-Palin jalopy. There’s no way in a one on one contest that Stephen Harper would win.

Most Canadians don’t want a hard right government. But the configuration of our politics means they’re likely to get one.

Although there’s plenty to go around, the major share of the blame for this goes to the Liberals. They still believe that they are the titans of Canadian politics, the natural governing party, sure to return to the helm, if not this time under Stephane Dion, then next time under another leader.

Novice Liberal Bob Rae made this clear when he wrote in his blog that Jack Layton was the Ralph Nader of this campaign, not the Barack Obama. In Rae’s mind, Layton and the NDP are just spoilers who are blocking the migration of progressives to the Liberals who are the only ones who can defeat Stephen Harper.

Sorry Bob, if Layton is not Obama, Dion is not Mackenzie King or Pierre Trudeau. And you remind me more of Hazen Argue (older readers will get this) than of Sir Lancelot.

Yes, if Harper wins a majority–and he still can be stopped–it is a virtual certainty that the next election will be fought on different terms. Angry Canadians who will not be able to stomach one more minute of neo-con rule will force the other parties (not including the Bloc) to forge a one-time electoral alliance to get the Conservatives out. With the Conservatives then defeated, the new government will–fingers crossed–enact a system of proportional representation which will end the problem of vote splitting once and for all.

The too haughty Liberals still delude themselves that all this trouble could be avoided if social democrats would fold their tents and make for the Grit castle.

We’re not going to do it Bob. The last time social democrats voted en masse for the Liberals in 1993, the Chretien-Martin government endorsed NAFTA and gutted social programs.

Yes, a one time deal to bring in PR could be in the cards after four years of a Harper electoral dictatorship. But the Liberals will have to accept that New Democrats are a major political force that’s not going away.

Canadians don’t deserve what they’re likely to get this time. But our politicians are more like mules that visionaries.