Colby Cosh goes PR!

Well, what else would you conclude from this election-night post?

The exact dimensions of that "big step forward" Jack Layton said his party had achieved tonight: 2004 popular vote -- 15.7% 2006 popular vote -- 17.5% Layton's support was universally overestimated before the 2004 vote, lauded all the same as a heroic achievement afterwards, and then universally overestimated again before the 2006 vote. Tomorrow morning I am sure to see a dozen headlines about the NDP's "breakthrough." How does the fellow do it? Does it have something to do with the moustache?

The NDP won half again as many seats this time out, 29 to 19, as in the last election. So what, Colby sniffs: It's the popular vote that counts. Whaa???? The last time we broached this subject, Colby was very strong on the point that it's who wins each constituency, not its overall share of the popular vote, that should determine a party's standing. Now he's gone all PR on me. But see his extremely sharp insights into the respective Quebec-based strategies of Stéphane Dion and Stéphane Harper.