I suppose there are two schools of thought on the advisability of a Tory-Alliance merger. The “ideological” one, to which I generally subscribe, argues against a merger on the grounds that the Tories are really just dimbulb Liberals (see “Never the twain…” below). But the non-ideological one may have some merit: let’s call this the “Anybody but the Liberals, Sweet Jesus!” school.

To the “Anybody But” crowd, the Liberals are so corrupt, so disgusting, that just about any political maneuver would be worth it if it would get rid of them, even for just a few years. This argument is strengthened by the daily discoveries of the litany of Liberal misrule. Examples abound:

etc. etc.

Depending on my mood, I find this a variably compelling argument. In fact, the Liberals ARE so appalling, and obviously have so much contempt for Canadians (particularly westerners), that just about anybody would be a welcome replacement, even (gasp) the NDP. But surely the blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of Canadians themselves: at least, Canadians in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic provinces.

Voters in Eastern Canada persist in supporting the federal Liberal party, despite all the evidence that proves their corruption. Ultimately, Ontarians, Quebecers, and Atlanticers must not care about this. Maybe there are reasons for this: Ontarians view the Grits as the middle-of-the-road “home team”; Quebecers who vote Liberal do so because they want to support the Canadian (versus the separatist) party; and Atlantic Canadians must see the Grits as the party of the social welfare net. All of these characterizations are true, but they beg the question. Does the corruption simply not matter??

The “Anybody But” advocates argue: yes, it does, except there is nowhere else to go for the average Eastern Canadian voter. My view is: I wish this were true. Easterners could easily vote Alliance, or Tory for that matter, but they don’t want to. Maybe they’re so anesthetized by the merger of the Liberals and the media that they take the Chretien view on political corruption; that’s just the way it goes. It’s the Canadian version of the Clinton effect in America: an ugly personal life is excused (at least, for Democrats) on the grounds that “everybody does it.”

But everybody doesn’t do it. Not because the PCs and Allaince and NDP are any holier than the Liberals. Instead, it’s just that they haven’t had the chance yet to get as corrupt. But so what! There’s no WAY any of them could fail to be an improvement on the Liberals…

Which is sort of beside the point that I was starting out to make. Although I am firmly in agreement with the “Anybody But” people when it comes to their disgust at the way the Liberals are treating Canada like their political toilet, I do not believe anything the political parties do can make this go away. The Tories and Alliance can merge, or not merge, and it won’t make any more difference than if the NDP and the Bloc merged. Would that make even one person change her vote away from the Libs? Not bloody likely.

The only way to get “Anybody But” is for Canadians to get sick of the Liberals. Don’t tell me there’s no alternative. There are several–and although none is as polished as the Liberals, equally none is as parasitical and warped. The Liberals are drinking the blood of the Canadian body politic. It’s up to voters to swat them away.

And I’ll believe that when I see it. God, I’m depressed.