So, why is the Conservative party having so much difficulty in the last few weeks? I could gnash teeth and find a sack-cloth or I could indulge in a little conspiracy theory. Remember that article by Tom Flanagan? The one where he said Harper's goal wasn't to beat the Liberals but to destroy them? Isn't it possible Harper is doing just that?
When the election was half-way through and Jason Cherniak was pulling out his hair bemoaning the lack of Liberal advertising I suggested in an un-published comment (you chicken, Jason!) that perhaps the Liberal party was trying to save themselves for the future by not spending close to the limit. Given all the speculation about the Liberal debt levels and their inability to fundraise I thought maybe the Liberals had gone into survival mode and were trying to keep the debt down.
Since then the Liberals have gone up, the Conservatives down, the Liberals are spending on ads all over the place and people are once again questioning Harper's campaign. What if it's all a deliberate plan on Harper's part? Think about it, if the Liberals spend the max and lose they are toast for the next ten years. Harper wants to destroy them and what better way than to lure them into a full on punching match at the end of the election? I'm sure Harper will be quite happy with another minority, especially because the Liberals will be totally unable to oppose his agenda. And I'm quite sure that if Dion loses he's out and the Liberals will have another destructive and expensive leadership race and convention. It's a no-lose situation for Harper.
