I should've known something big was going to happen while I was spending last Friday at a midwest mall in the United States while all kinds of action was happening on the home front. It happened exactly two years ago when the same Prime Minister at the centre of the current political crisis was provoking national debate with a Quebec is a nation within a nation controversy.

Those were the early days of the Stephen Harper government. Now, it seems, we're witnessing the dying days of his short lived second term government -- reelected just 6 weeks ago to form a slightly stronger minority against a greatly weakened Liberal Party Opposition.

The impetus of the creation of a coalition of three divergent political parties now set to form a government is Stephen Harper's inability to outline a serious effort to tackle the ominous economic challenges that lie ahead in what is now generally accepted as a worldwide recession. Perhaps the reality of the Conservative's reluctance to throw money around is to a great extent due to questions swirling around what actions will be taken in two months time with a new administration in Washington. Of course any Canadian government can't easily admit the reality that our economic stimulus policies are significantly influenced by actions made in the United States.

But really, this big hissy fit carried out by the Opposition is less about rescuing the nation with a big stimulus package, than it is about being needled by a rather pushy Prime Minister who wanted to take taxpayer subsidies away from political parties. And so, a hormone generated bout of revenge by 3 humiliated leaders is about to impose its very unstable will on Canadians during very unstable economic times.

From what I'm sensing, Canadians' giddiness or outrage over this coalition is based on whichever way they voted in the election just a month and a half ago. Even going back several elections, though, Canadians have shown themselves to be anything but supportive of left of centre governments. As someone who has moved between supporting centrist Conservative and Liberal governments in the past, I've got a hard time accepting the Liberals cozying up so much with the NDP. I would guess that a lot of other voters who kept the Chretien majorities (before the taint of the sponsorship scandal) in power would share my sentiments.

More outrageous, however, for many more Canadians has got to be the position of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in propping up the Liberal-NDP alliance. Conversely, how are nationalist Quebeckers going to absorb the BQ warming up to the Liberal Party of Canada, with it's Clarity Act architect, Stephane Dion at the helm.

Need more be said about how appalling the political situation in Canada has become when the Liberal Party's most disasterous leader ends up becoming this nation's next Prime Minister? A leader who turned the natural governing party into a regional rump concentrated in Toronto and Newfoundland.

Much more can happen in the space of a week, but as it stands, the haste to which the political triad is moving could very well be its undoing. The Conservatives may very well be the beneficiaries some weeks or months down the road if Canadians are suddenly thrust into an election. If today's TSX all time one day record plunge is any indication of how the financial world is viewing the antics in Ottawa, a lot more damage can be done than a lackluster Conservative economic statement.

Well, the day has finally arrived. The millions of Americans who haven't already voted in advance polls are today casting their ballots after a long two years of debates, party coronations, political conventions, primaries, and the comings and goings of umpteen wannabe Presidents of the United States.

The significance of this election is great. The hugely unpopular administration of George W. Bush draws to a close after having to preside over a late second term crisis which saw the unravelling of the sub prime mortgage crisis, the subsequent Wall Street meltdown, and the $750 billion banking bailout. All this capped off an already badly tattered image of a nation embroiled in a never ending war in Iraq.

I think it's safe to say Americans have a hunger for better times, and that not many tears will be shed when George W. makes his final wave from the lawn of the White House before a helicopter points him towards exile in Crawford, Texas.

A horribly unpopular Republican presidency doesn't do anything to help an intelligent, experienced, and respectable hopeful like John McCain assume controls of the ship of state. It also doesn't help when the heir to the GOP is running against a young, charismatic, and gifted speaker promising change from the misery of the past four years.

For those simple reasons my bet is on Barack Obama winning this election. If it's not going to be a landslide it'll be a clear victory. The Congress will go in the Democrats favour making it all that more difficult for Obama to balance the challenges handed to him from the previous administration, and the expectations of implementing all that he promised in his whole Change mantra. It will be a difficult term to follow, for sure.

No matter how one feels about where Obama situates himself on the political spectrum, the historic significance of witnessing an African American become U.S. President is extraordinary. One gets the sense that these moments are actually major turning points in U.S. political history which only happen once in a generation.

Many worry that bigotry is the uncertain factor in this election and will scare millions into voting against Obama. I have no doubt rednecked folk, and some old people will go by that, but I think that that sentiment is in decline and won't impact much on the results. Barack Obama transcends the politics of the old civil rights movement and he doesn't espouse the hostility of old style African American Democrats like Jesse Jackson. He's beyond that, and I think that makes Obama more palatable as a leader among non -African Americans.

I thought I'd compile a list of the most memorable words, names, and phrases of the 2008 Presidential campaign and some of my impressions.

Hillary and Bill Clinton became an insignificant force after Obama won the Democratic leadership. It's expected Hillary's silence was purchased with the promise of a plum job once Obama becomes President.

Hockey Mom was how Sarah Palin described herself when introduced to national audiences at the GOP convention.

Trig, Sarah Palin's youngest child born with Down's Syndrome. Rumors spread that it was actually Palin's pregnant 17 year old's daughter.

Drill, Baby, Drill was the conservative mantra at the GOP convention at a time when fuel costs were at record highs, and demand was being made for cheap domestic oil.

Joe the Plumber, or Sam Wurzelbacher, was recorded questioning Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small business tax policy during a campaign stop in Ohio. Republicans exploited him as a cause celebre against the Democrats.

Spread the Wealth was how Obama planned to help the economy in the aftermath of the credit crunch. Republicans used this statement against Obama suggesting he's a Socialist, even though redistribution of wealth is an obvious outcome after a government collects taxes.

Saturday Night Live became a hit during the campaign. Tina Fey's impression of Sarah Palin was a dead ringer. Ratings for the show soared, making SNL relevant.

$150,000 was how much it was revealed the Republican Party paid for Sarah Palin's Vice Presidential wardrobe.

Rev. Jeremiah Wright and "not God bless America, but goddamn America", as the reel looped endlessly to convey his inflammatory views. Obama was forced to distance himself from Wright, who was once his pastor.

The grandmother, who played a big part in raising Obama died on the day before the election. Obama took a couple days to visit her in Hawaii a week before her death.

Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State to George W. Bush, endorsed Obama, instead of McCain.

The Fundamentals of the Economy are strong so declared McCain in the midst of the Wall Street meltdown.

Europe was toured by Obama soon after he acquired enough party delegate votes. It was a huge international success.

George Bush was a big no show during the whole election campaign. He didn't even bother to personally show up at the Republican convention, and one time supporters did what they could from tainting the campaign with his presence.

Yes we can was the slogan of the Obama campaign.

Maverick was used to describe John McCain for his independent political stances. More characteristic of the John McCain from the 2000 campaign.

Biden's test remark was when he admitted an Obama presidency would face heightened international tensions as foreign rogue states test his limits.

Community Organizer was what Barack Obama was before becoming a civil rights attorney. Republicans mocked him for stating this as political experience.

Prisoner of War was what John McCain was for 5 years after his bomber was shot down during the Vietnam war.

ACORN, short for Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Obama's campaign hired an ACORN affiliate for $800,000 to conduct a get-out-the-vote effort during the 2008 primary. McCain's campaign released a web-based ad suggesting ACORN was partly responsible for the 2008 economic crisis.

Bill Ayers co-founded in 1969, the radical left organization the Weather Underground, which conducted a campaign of bombing public buildings during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1995, Ayers hosted "a coffee" for "Mr. Obama's first run for office." Republicans used this to convince voters that Obama has ties to terrorism.

Bush Doctrine was mentioned in a interview of Sarah Palin by ABC's Charlie Daniels. He wanted Palin to give her impressions of this doctrine, as if anyone but academics are really familliar with it.

The market meltdown a luck may have it, happened dead in the middle of the Presidential race, just in time for the debates.

In newsrooms all across the nation there will be a lot of wagering over who'll get what out of this federal election and how the seats will be arranged in the coming session of the House of Commons. Here is my best answer, based on wild guesses, and some inspiration from helpful predictions by my favourite political pundits:

CONSERVATIVE 127 143

LIBERAL 91 76

NEW DEMOCRAT 37 37

BLOC QUEBECOIS 51 50

GREEN 1 0

INDEPENDENT 1 2

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TOTAL 308

Update, October 17... well, I was pretty far off on my predictions but I was pretty much on target with the NDP (Final results are in bold). I didn't win the office pool. Oh well, maybe next time in another 2 years or so.

As the 2008 Federal Election campaign progresses, editorial cartoons will be posted here. Click on the thumbnails below for larger images.

Added October 3, 2008 -- Some post debate commentary...

Susan Riley points out that Harper was still standing considering the evening's "Whack a Tory" performance by the opposition leaders. The most impressive things she thought of Harper's night was his stance on the economy and the fact that he didn't wig out and tear a strip off of any of his opponents. She thought Dion resembled a "Parish Priest" but exceeded the low expectations with his old fashioned manner of delivery. Of all all the leaders, she thought Jack Layton was the least impressive and rather predictable. Elizabeth May was fearless and articulate, "a brilliant and gutsy competitor who will drive grumpy old men crazy".

Don Martin wrote that for Stephane Dion this debate was crucial in order to stop the downward slide he's been suffering in the polls, something he was unable to do. Martin pointed that what worked well for Harper against his rival was his immediate denounciation of Dion's sudden announcement of a 30 day economic consultation project in the middle of the french language debate as knee-jerky and panicked. Jack Layton was disappointing for someone who should have gone after Stephane Dion in an election where New Democrats have a chance to pick up votes from disenchanted left of centre Liberals. Elizabeth May, while brilliant at times during the debate, seemed to become more and more, as the time dragged on, as someone for whom you'd park a protest vote for anyone disgusted by all of the above.

Thomas Walkom made a comparison with the U.S. VP debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden which started at the exact time the Canadian Leaders Debate started up. In the American one, Walkom states, "viewers tuned in not because they wanted to know what the candidates for America's number two job thought about the great issues, but to see which one would say something stupid." The pile on by the Opposition over Harper may have positive or negative implications. The efforts by Harper to push back on his opponents during the debate, may or may not backfire. Of all the columns written on the debate, Tom Walkom's was the lamest.

The Toronto Sun was particularly critical of Harper, for a paper that does a lot of brown nosing for the Conservative Party. While acknowledging the predictable pile on by the other four leaders, a post debate editorial stated that Harper did himself no favour by saying that "unlike Americans, Canadians aren't worried about losing their jobs or homes, only the falling value of their stock portfolio". The Sun gave a lot of credit to Jack Layton scolding Harper for revealing "a cold and callous side" and jeeringly asking whether he was getting his advice from Bay St. CEOs, George Bush and former Australian PM John Howard. They gave praise to Elizabeth May, but were less impressed by Dion's performance. Like all the above evaluations, Gilles Duceppe was an insignificant factor.

Added October 10, 2008 -- Endorsements...

Love 'em or hate 'em, just before voters go to the polls many Canadian mainstream newspapers make it known on the editorial pages who they think readers should throw their support to. At least this seems to be the case for most west of the St. Lawrence. I couldn't find any Atlantic Canadian newspapers who chose to endorse. Here's a tally of who endorsed who: The Globe & Mail: Conservative, The National Post: Conservative, The Vancouver Sun, Conservative, The Windsor Star: Conservative, The Kitchener-Waterloo Record: Conservative, Ottawa Citizen: Conservative, Montreal Gazette: Conservative, Calgary Herald: Conservative, Edmonton Journal, Conservative, Toronto Star: Liberal (surprise, surprise), The Economist: Conservative. For the record, The Victoria Times-Colonist did not endorse, and for what it's worth, Le Devoir endorsed the Bloc Quebecois.

I was privileged to be part of the decision making process at the Hamilton Spectator of endorsing a political party leading up to next week's federal election. (Exactly one year and a day since the last endorsement the Spectator was made.)

Our choice was nobody.

While that appears to be a lame and wishy-washy decision, it truly reflected the deadlock we encountered in debates which occurred in a couple hour long sessions over 2 days. We came close to endorsing the Liberals, and thankfully, we did not. Montreal's newspaper, La Presse, came to the same conclusion as the Spec's, that they couldn't endorse anyone.

I don't think it would come to anyone's surprise that my 2 cents worth of the decision making process found me advocating for the Conservatives, believing they would do a better job at handling the economy in these difficult times. While this government has been dismissive in its attitude towards Ontario as it copes with a disintegration of the manufacturing sector, it has significantly boosted subsidies and transfer payments to help the slumping economy. I think there's quite a few praise worthy qualities of the Conservative government that have gone unmentioned in a campaign which has put so much emphasis on gaffes, sweater vests, and which leader is more empathetic than the other.

Many outside the province of Quebec need to be reminded, although it was explosive at the time, when Harper announced that Quebec would be declared a "nation within a nation". I think it turned out to be a smart political maneuver by Harper, and it essentially sent the whole sovereignty movement into a comatose state. Just look at how the Bloc and Parti Quebecois have been flailing about trying to figure out what they represent with no hope of a referendum on Quebec independence anytime over the horizon.

Another masterful stroke of political brilliance by Harper was bringing the Liberals on side to support an extension of Canada's combat role in Afghanistan to 2011. By bringing John Manley into the issue an ideological battle was imposed on the Liberal Party between Chretien-era fence sitters and those more in line with Conservatives who felt we were obligated to take on a more active role in battling the Taliban, liberating women, and allowing children to freely go to school.

We don't give enough praise to the Canadian men and women who are now fighting for a better life for millions of Afghanis. While it has been a huge expense for taxpayers, I do not think the nearly 100 Canadian soldiers who have sacrificed their lives while in service in Afghanistan have died in vain. The mission has made us relevant on the international stage and we have adequately stepped up to the plate to face our treaty obligations while other nations have proved themselves to be what we used to be, laggards. Without the Conservative's commitment to boosting the military, which has been so desperate for funding for decades, our role in Afghanistan would not possibly be where it is today.

On a couple other foreign fronts I think the Conservatives have done very well to restore good relations with the United States. Many will incorrectly declare, and this includes everyone in the opposition, that by being friendly with the U.S. since the Conservatives took office in 2006, it translates to us all being Bush lovers. Nonsense. I'm just glad the snubs and "Bush is an idiot" days of the Liberal Party remain as history. The U.S. is our number one ally, and I'm happy we have a government that acknowleges that.

Lastly, on human rights in China, I prefer to be on the side of angels when a Prime Minister finally takes a stance on criticizing a nation with an abysmal record of treating its own people. This contrasts with previous Prime Ministers who glossed over human rights for the sake of establishing trade deals enabling more and more sweatshop products to flood our markets.

There. I've mentioned just a few of the good things I've seen in this government. Of course, there are plenty of not so good things this government has done as well, that much of the opposition and media is reminding us of -- things that have many Canadians finding the need to express an anything but Conservative attitude. The one thing that gives me the need to express an anything but Liberal warning is their Green Shift Plan. My own newspaper's reservations best sum up how I feel about it, The main plank of Dion's leadership and his party's platform -- the Green Shift plan to move to a carbon-tax-based economy -- has been an admirable effort to raise the environment to the top of the national agenda. But this plan has evolved even during the campaign and is not widely understood. What would its impact be on the West, particularly Alberta, and what would the fallout be on the resource sector -- oil and gas -- that is a primary engine of the national economy? What would its impact be on steel manufacturers and what would that mean to Hamilton? Many questions hang over it, but it would be the cornerstone policy of a Liberal government.

And I should add, how the heck do you implement such a policy as the economy is tanking? The Liberal's flimsy 30 day, five point, commission, task force, tribunal, what-ever-you-wanna-call-it-to-sound-really- important economic plan to talk to a bunch of economists ain't much of a plan. And there you have it, perhaps the only written election endorsement you'll ever see coming from an editorial cartoonist during this election. Go Harper.

Update ( October 21): How the U.S. newspapers are overwhelmingly endorsing Barack Obama.

CBC's Election 2008 web page

So far, Canada's 2008 election campaign has one big whine fest. Today people were feigning outrage towards the Conservative Party for an alleged attack ad, posting an animated clip on a website showing a puffin pooping on the shoulder of a shrugging Stephane Dion. Yesterday, it was revulsion over a media consortium's decision not to allow the Green Party's, Elizabeth May, a spot in the coming leaders' debate. Stephane Dion accused Harper of being a liar when Harper accused Dion about lying about the Green Shift carbon tax being revenue neutral. The day before that it was anger directed at Stephen Harper for dissolving Parliament and triggering an election. So much whining it's making me whine about the whining. We really are lame up here.