Not the outcome I would have preferred; but clearly this is the will of the people. It could have been worse, obviously.

Now, of course, they're talking about NDP numbers as if their success four years ago had meant the country truly had begun to trend socialist, making this a catastrophic collapse. (I'm not saying it doesn't feel that way.) However, if one takes an historical perspective, it is sadly clear that (a) they only became the Official Opposition because the Quebecois collectively decided they couldn't bear the thought of voting for the Liberals or Conservatives ... or even the Bloc. And (b) Layton was enormously popular personally, far more than his party ever was.

So the Orange Wave turns out to be a passing ripple. :(

In fact (and this is weirdly true of all the parties), these election results are not unlike the figures of thirty years ago. I mean, I remember when the NDP's winning forty-odd seats would have been a triumph. Hell, I remember my parents squeeing over a mere half dozen or so.

So the numbers in this election are hardly something newly dire. Perhaps it will even result in the party turning from the centre to find its roots again. Mulcair has been excellent in the House; but he—and Layton before him (for all that I, like everyone else, admired the man)—have tried to get votes ... and a mandate ... by becoming a social democratic party rather than the NDP of yore. Or the old CCF that my parents worked for, years before I was born. Before pink turned orange, you might say.

The Liberals have a reputation of running from the left and governing from the right, but—

—if running deficits really does lead to infrastructure investment
—if we get the long-form census reinstated
—if taxes go up for the rich and down for the poor
—if they unmuzzle research
—if (and I really do care about this) we keep getting our mail delivered!

—maybe this time the new broom will sweep clean more than the dirt of the past ten years.

At least we've got rid of Li'l Stevie and his back-up band.