Political daydreaming

Twenty years ago today Bob Rae did the unthinkable -- he became Ontario's first NDP premier.

I remember watching the television that night and seeing the stunned looks on everyone's faces as the ballots were counted. The Rae government was elected with just 37 per cent of the popular vote but they won a majority of the swing ridings.

Liberal arrogance lost Premier David Peterson the election that year, not brilliant NDP strategy. He arrogantly called the election just three years into the Liberal-NDP coalition government much to the dismay of voters who didn't want an election.
Peterson didn't think he could lose the 1990 election. After all, the Conservatives had just made Mike Harris their leader and the party was nowhere near ready for an election. And the NDP had never formed government in Ontario before so who was going to vote for them? Well Peterson was right about the Conservatives but wrong about the NDP.

Fast-forward to 2010 and what do we have? Another self assured Liberal premier in Dalton McGuinty who's banking on Ontario voters being afraid to vote for Conservative leader Tim Hudak in fear of another 'Common Sense Revolution'. Andrea Howarth and the NDP, who will ever vote for them again anyway?

Ontario voters are ready for change. A recent Toronto Star-Angus Reid survey showed 76 per cent of the electorate want a new government at Queen's Park.

Granted, McGuinty has taken a beating over the summer with the HST and hydro rate increases. Any poll now would show the Liberals in a free fall. The party's numbers are bound to improve before election day in October, 2011.

The Liberals are bound to go on the offensive any day and give Conservative leader Tim Hudak a taste of his own medicine. Every day I get two or three media releases from him attacking the McGuinty Liberals. It will actually be refreshing to see McGuinty fight back because there's nothing I like more than seeing Conservatives under attack.

I expect the Liberals will attack Hudak for all his failings -- translation, they'll tie this Conservative government to the previous administrations of Harris and Ernie Eves. Could it work? I can't wait to find out.

If it does and voters go to the polls in October, 2011 who will they vote for? A Conservative party they're afraid of or a Liberal party they want to turf out? Or will they protest and mark their ballots for a party that has no hope of forming a government? Will history repeat itself 20 years later?

Howarth better be prepared for the unthinkable if that's what happens.