Canadians woke up to a strikingly changed political landscape today, largely because of one national politician\u2019s charisma and another\u2019s lack of it.<\/p>\n
National elections yesterday produced Canada\u2019s first majority government in seven years. At the same time, it all but wiped out Canada\u2019s traditional ruling party, the centrist Liberal Party, and propelled the historically marginal socialists to the important role of official opposition. Observers are already talking about the permanent demise of the Liberals, which has governed the country for most of the past century.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a huge defeat. It\u2019s almost as if the Democrats were elected in only three States, and it changes the map of Canadian federal politics,\u201d\u009d said political scientist Stephen Clarkson.<\/p>\n