Conservative Revolution?

“CONSERVATIVE REVOLUTION IN CANADA” Michelle Malkin blares on her blog. “A nightmare of [the Liberals] own making”, “constructed out of the apocalyptic proclamations from America’s shattered left wing” blogs Angry in the Great White North.

The results aren’t in yet, but the gloating has already begun. Canada’s “shattered left wing” is being swept aside by the “conservative revolution”.

Or so we’re being told. By conservatives.

Assuming that the Tories will in fact win (it ain’t over til the, well, you know), what does it say about what Canadians want? Is this truly a conservative revolution?

The entire campaign revolved around Liberal corruption. The Libs were struggling with but overcoming Adscam. It wasn’t until the RCMP announced an investigation into possible insider trading in the finance ministry that the corruption charges really started to stick. Throw in a couple high-profile Liberal screwups (beer and popcorn) and the Libs started sinking.

So if the Conservatives win, they will clearly have a mandate to clean up government. The problem is that the Tories may win on ethics, but they will govern as if their mandate was much broader. That is when the truth of the claim that Canada is undergoing an American-style “conservative revolution” will be tested.

There’s no doubt that Canada’s conservatives are inspired by their American counterparts, so expect to hear more of the strident “liberal media – activist judges – four more years!” conservative call in the years ahead. But conservatives face an uphill battle here, a country that is fundamentally more liberal and open than the US.

The hard part for the Tories, after all, is just beginning. It’s easy to criticize, far harder to govern. Easy to bash the establishment, harder to defend the establishment, hardest of all to BE the establishment.

It’s especially difficult when faced by a chorus of opposition. Reports of the death of Canadian liberalism are greatly exaggerated, as the heralds of the “conservative revolution” will soon find out. Canadians everywhere are looking forward to having someone new to rake over the coals.

So enjoy your honeymoon with Canada while it lasts, neo-cons. The bill for all the champagne is already in the mail.