Ever Heard of Data, Guys?

The Toronto Star adopts the "blame the NDP" line:

If the threat is real, why did Layton put Canadians in this fix, earlier than need be in any case, by making common cause with Harper and Duceppe to bring down the government? And by parroting Harper's claim that the Liberals were too corrupt to govern?

Canadian Auto Workers union president Buzz Hargrove, a lifelong New Democrat champion, certainly recognized the risk to which Layton was exposing the country. That led Hargrove to throw his support behind the Liberals early in the campaign.

Now Canadians should ask Layton why they ought to vote for the New Democrats instead of the Liberals, when any split of the centre-left vote will increase the likelihood of a Conservative victory.

Here's the problem with this entire theory: there's no evidence that the NDP is actually responsible for a decline in Liberal numbers. Indeed, the NDP's polls are almost exactly where they were at the beginning of this election. The Liberal decline in the polls has been driven entirely by disaffected Liberals, and a recent surge in Quebec.

If the Conservatives win this election, it won't be because of the NDP - the Liberals have lost, and it's entirely of their own doing.

As for calling this election, that was always in Paul Martin's hands as well. If he'd really wanted to avoid an election (as he did in the spring) he could have made a deal with Jack. Paul Martin chose otherwise.

The NDP didn't force this election - the Liberal government did. And now they're going to lose it, because of their own hubris and stupidity.

But there's something far more problematic about this entire line of argument - the idea that the NDP has to stand down every time the Conservatives look scary. The problem is, we're progressives. The Conservatives always look scary. So Liberals aren't arguing for strategic voting, they're saying the NDP should disband. The Liberals don't think we matter.

The Liberals no longer have anything to offer Canada. In ages past, the Liberal Party was able to offer both hope and a vision of unity to Canada. Today, all it has is fear and division.

It's time to leave them behind.