Landslide and a book

I didn't see that one coming.

While I fully expected Dr. Kellie Leitch to win Simcoe Grey, I thought it might be close. I certainly didn't expect her to win by a wider margin than Helena Guergis got in the last vote. Leitch got 23,000 votes more than Guergis.

Then again, what's not to like? Smart, driven, a doctor for heavenssakes! Compare that steady hand with the Guergis scandal, whether it was real or not. I suspect some people voted for Leitch just to stop Simcoe Grey from being the centre of attention for a while.

I was constantly amazed at the people who said they were going to vote for Guergis, not because they were so impressed at the job she'd done as MP, but because she'd been 'dun wrong'. It seems I was not alone in my consternation. But she has plans to make hay from her troubles. She says she's planning a speaking tour and is writing a book. Will the 8,600 people who voted for her buy it?

It will be very fun to watch Stephen Harper swat away Jack Layton for the next four years. After all, Harper doesn't have to play nice anymore. He's got his majority and can remake the country in the image he want. Now's when we will see whether there really is a scary hidden agenda. Will there be a CBC four years from now? Will health care look the same?

Here's a bet I'm willing to take to the bank: I've shaken the hand of the Health Minister.