Buckdog

The biggest threat to the Liberals is the growth of a progressive movement that will either (a) 'separate' from the Liberal base or (b) form its own party. Either way, the Liberals have to come to grips with the FACT that their party will never have a majority again.

Now, as you state, many in the Libs are perfectly content with that and the delivery of more draconian laws from the (So)Cons.

Next steps?

This forum will probably continue with the illusion of seeking 'majority' and much discussion will occur that can best be described as 'political alchemey' ... trying to turn lead into gold by finding the right formula.

Jeff ... I tried to post your comment and it has not posted ... can you try again .. my apologies ..?? .. I don't know what happened .

(I hit the back button on my browser a few times and was able to find it...)

It's worth noting the AR poll was on a party merger, not a pre or post-electoral coalition.

And wouldn't at least a few NDP heads explode at the prospect of a LiberalDipper Party led by Michael Ignatieff? I think at least a few current-day NDPers would have some issues belonging to a party under his leadership, to say the least.

Any hypothetical merger would see bleeding on both the Liberal Right and the NDP Left, I think it's safe to say.

"And wouldn't at least a few NDP heads explode at the prospect of a LiberalDipper Party led by Michael Ignatieff?" ... well .... there is that ... touche ...

That being acknowledged on my part, let me point out that there are a number of other options for co-operation. In Saskatchewan, we did have a New Dem / Lib coalition between Roy Romanow and Jim Melenchuk. It kept the Saskatchewan Party from taking power 1999-2003 AND it allowed both Libs and New Dems to operate as separate and independent political parties in a joint government.
Lots of options ..
(and thanks for reposting ..)

POSTSCRIPT:
And in anticipation of snarky Sask Lib commenting on the success/failure of the Lib/NDP Coalition government in Saskatchewan, ... it DID fulfill it's purpose of keeping Elwin Hermanson's Sask Party from forming government. It was the RIGHT WING of the Sask Lib party that worked to screw the deal and so savagely attacked their own leader, Dr Jim Melenchuk. These same RIGHT WING Liberals would have been more content to have had the Sask Party form government. Again, Righties in the Liberal Party causing proplems in any Lib/NDP co-operation.

Don't count on progressive Libs to turn this around. Many of us have simply given up and left the LPC. Those of us in BC have already had our fill of Liberal-In-Name-Only (LINO) government. I've even had one LPC supporter defend the party becoming Conservative Lite claiming the Canadian public has itself moved far to the right. I guess that explains Iggy's stellar polls numbers, over and over and over again.

I think that the Liberal Party will continue to wallow in a distant second as long as they have no real leadership, and by leadership I mean a leader who reinvents the party with a genuine new platform of real accountability, environmental concern, etc. Even if the right wind of the Liberal Party is happy to let Harper continue in power, a real Liberal leader would make the changes necessary and pull everyone into line.

The Liberal's left flank needs to either:
1) Leave and join the NDP; or
2) Team up with the NDP and left Greens and form a new party.

The Blue Grits are the biggest enablers of the most regressive governments in Canadian history.