Shell game?

You know, there's an awful lot of support from some right-wing pundits for a merger of the Canadian political left - note who's in support out of this group.

(In passing, it's a remarkably cool idea that Maclean's has come up with - getting public luminaries to comment on stories. Whether it's actually a good idea is something I need to think about a little more).

Now why would the right be so gung-ho about merging the left? Maybe because it would allow the political dialogue in Canada to be pushed even farther to the right than it already is? Or because it would silence any discussion about proportional representation at the national level? Or because it would, psychologically, give the Conservative Party a hypothetical 50% of the national pie, which is 15% more than they have in reality?

Pat Martin's actual comments were in fact fairly forthright, honest and unrehearsed, which is of course they're being called a gaffe and why he's getting into trouble.