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I haven't yet contributed to or commented on this thread, but I've been following along quietly. I'm still digesting all of this.
One thing I'll add, though, is that I give Harper a lot of credit. He's proven on a number of occasions--in the last government--that he has a strong capacity for politicking. Much of the degradation of the Liberal party over the past few years has happened directly through the actions of Harper. He's shown me that he's a politician's politician. (Which, coincidentally, is why I don't want him to ever get a majority.)
Although it may seem he's made a few "mistakes" lately, I'm not so sure this is the case. He's got a briefcase full of things he can pull out at any time to make an example of the Liberals to the benefit of the Tories. He will show that the Liberals have had a track record of going along with the Tories, whether it was as positive support or through a lack of negating actions.
I'm thinking he's doing some more mining here with the threat of the coalition. When it comes time for the Tories to go for their majority (if there ever comes a time), they will have a ton of talking points to communicate to the public. This is currently the strength of the Tory position in this minority environment.
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Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing?
—Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön
Humankind cannot bear very much reality.
—From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot
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