Craig, the West is hardly prairie trash. It's where the NDP party I often support started medicare in Saskatchewan, its leader Tommy Douglas polled nationally as Canadian of the 20th Century.

The current premier of Alberta, a woman, is also leader of the provincial NDP party and Manitoba is often governed by the NDP. That's the prairies. Harper is a conservative aberration, beyond the pale for 70 per cent of Canadians.

Conservatives put their country before their party. One of my gunning buddies, an admired professional in our community, put a sign on his lawn: "I am a conservative but Harper has to go." He's admired for that, too.

Canadians differ greatly from Americans.