Tee Hee! Tories Win!

Well things went pretty well Monday (unless you count Toronto. Oh well, all the more reason to dislike the city). However, there are some eerie parallels to the 1979 election. Conservative minority, leader from Alberta, outgoing Liberal PM stepping down. The only thing missing are the Créditistes.

There has been some suggestion (okay, its my idea) that the Grits are attempting to recreate the 1979-80 scenario to pave the way for Martin's triumphant return. Perhaps the Liberals ensure that Harper's first budget gets defeated, and we go back to the polls. People then think, okay we gave the Tories a chance, they messed up, the Liberals have sat in the corner for the requisite 6 - 12 months, now we can go back to our debilitating addiction to voting Liberal and we can all get back to normal.Then Martin's next election night speech ends with "Well, welcome to the.......er.......2007??????"

I can't help but be reinforced in this irrational, paranoid fear by some of the numbers out of Toronto. Did anyone notice the margins of victory for the Liberals, particularly in Scarborough? They were huge! Belinda herself was never even in any danger. Its like there's some Stepford Wives thing going on Toronto where people march like zombies to the polls in a trance-like state ("MUST......VOTE......LIBERAL!!!!").

On another note, local Cabinet representation is going to be interesting. David Sweet will not be in Cabinet, period. There's no bloody way. Dean Allison, who's riding takes in all of upper Stoney Creek, Glanbrook and a sliver of the old city of Hamilton (so don't let anyone tell you the NDP won all of Hamilton's "three" seats), is a long shot, but would be a good representative. The general consensus is that the closest Cabinet Minister to Hamilton will be Diane Finley. I don't know if that will wash with the likes of Mayor Larry.

Personally, I hope that Rob Nicholson in Niagara Falls and Garth Turner from Halton make it in. But, then again, I am a holdover from the Mulroney glory days.

GO STEPHEN GO!!!!!!