A Conservative Minority

So a small Conservative Minority is where we have ended up.  My initial thoughts, in random order:

• waiting for results until 8:30 sucks.  Sucks.
• Ontario is coming along, but still isn't ready to take the plunge; same for Atlantic Canada
• Quebec was a pleasant surprise, including the only independant member.  The Bloc vote faded down the stretch, as Paul Wells said it would
• Once again, the Liberal vote was a couple of points higher than the polls said.  Maybe some people are ashamed of telling pollsters they'll vote liberal...
• Stephen Harper will be a good PM, and hopefully cautious.  No one, and I mean no one, wants another election in the next year or two.
• The west voted for significant change (other than Goodale in Wascana); Landslide Annie even lost her seat.
• The trend is interesting: Liberal majority, minority, opposition.  But they salvaged over 100 seats, which is more than most people thought.  Who knows if they will keep going down, or recover, in the months ahead.

More tomorrow...