What could have happened...

We can't really fault Dion, can we? After all, it was he who said "Do you think it is easy to make priorities?

Apparently it's easier to make priorities when you have leaders of two competing parties assigning them to you, and explaining what they are.

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In an alternate universe here's what could have happened:

Harper proposes the elimination of the $1.95 / vote subsidy.

Liberals either accept it or don't.
- if they take it, they suffer financially for awhile, but bounce back leaner and more focussed, as the Conservatives did not so long ago.
- if they don't:

NDP sees an opportunity:
-They are already grass-roots, and will have less to lose by this plan.
-They would have a tactical advantage over the Libs in the next election (financially), and perhaps usurp the Libs as the federalist Left option
-They could wear the white hats for participating in a plan that financially chokes off the Separatists, and make them irrelevant for perhaps a full generation.

Neither Liberals nor NDP did so.

Thus, they chose the other option, of validating the Bloc, emboldening the separatists, and as a bonus, stoking separatists sentiments in the West.

Good goin' boneheads!

Scholar, but no gentleman.

This is the footage of Dion's ride off into the sunset.
Others have had their fun with this message, but I'd like to take a crack at it when I have some more time.

Here's the link in case you have somehow missed it.

Part one: (mostly preamble, main body of speech begins well into it).


Part two: (continued from above).


Others have exposed the flaws in these arguments. Perhaps I will, too.

I'm annoyed, because, really, it IS GOOD to have a strong opposition. One that is more interested in the running of the nation than in regaining power. We now (still) have NO opposition to speak of in any meaningful sense.

The only thing left to do is bestow the man his parting gift. A quirky nickname to remember him by. Something that pays homage to his time representing his party.

Joe Who, and Mr. Dithers got their names, duly earned.

He spent much of his time telling his party not to show up for the confidence votes in Parliament.

"The smartest guy NOT in the room" is too cumbersome.

Let me be the first to suggest "The Absent Professor".