Before 18 months pass, 25% of Jack Layton's instant NDP MP's will have tired of what it takes, and walk away

The political pundits were hard at before the night was even over – and one thing is definitely certain – things will not be the same again. First a party dedicated to the removal of Quebec, from Canada, was decimated at the polls -- and Gilles Duceppe (leader of the Bloc Quebecois) lost in his own riding.

It is my sincere hope that they will not rise from the ashes of what remains.

But where did all those voter go?? Well for some strange reason, or perhaps not, they went to the New Democratic Party. Quebecers for some reason seem to favour heavy government intervention in many areas ... and an almost paranoid fear of anything federalist.   Even still, why the New Democrats?

I this writers humble opinion, a large number of very idealist young people decided to ride what was becoming a wave, and swarmed to some one who in almost every other area of Canada looked at as an impossible choice to be Prime Minister (still however probably a good voice to have in parliament). Almost everything in Layton's platform involved heavy government intervention, and an almost guaranteed rise in taxes.

No surprise then that Jacks Layton's so called "Orange Crush" stopped short at both the east and west borders of the province of Quebec.

And who are these NEW New Democrats ... many of the are people who never in a million years ever believed they would actually be elected -- and so now what will Jack do with them?

Jack Layton won the province taking 43% of the vote and winning 58 of the provinces 75 seats. Will Jack Layton be able to make these people into effective members of parliament – only time will tell. BUT many will recall the last time there was a huge swing to one federalist party -- it was with Mulroney and the Progressive Conservatives, and we all know where the Bloc Quebecois had its roots.

My opinion has no more weight than anyone else, but I predict that before 18 months passes, 25% of Layton's instant MP's will have tired of what it takes and walk away from their role as elected officials ... and another 25% will have morphed into some other form of left leaning sovereignist party.

Oh and by the way, those who so gleefully jumped on the Orange Crush bandwagon because it sounded cool --- the term Orange Crush actually refers to the defoliant Agent Orange used during the Vietnam war.  For those too young to know ... agent orange killed thousands outright ... those who weren't killed directly by it suffered from cancer ... and mothers in areas where it was sprayed had children with horrific birth defects.

Oh ... I almost forget ... the Liberal Party suffered a humiliation at the polls as well, with party leader Michael Ignatieff also going down to defeat in his own riding. Winning only 34 seats in Monday's election, there is now a question if the party will even survive. I for one question the need to even have a Liberal Party at all sensing a party under the banner of the Liberal Democrats would better provide a home for liberals within an NDP party.

Canadian voters will then have a clear choice on the centre right with the Conservatives --- and on the centre left with Liberal Democrats ... environmentalists will have the Green Party to support.

It makes sense to me – and even more sense here in BC where the name Liberal, as it applies to the party claiming it, really has NO meaning. It's simply brand name recognition, and to me that doesn't seem to be much for some one to hang their hat on, or to be proud of.

Tomorrow I'll talk more about that. For now ... I'm Alan Forseth in Kamloops, and those are the thoughts of one conservative.