If we had the sort of elaborate betting infrastructure the punters in England and Las Vegas enjoy, I’d put a few hundred on Kathleen Wynne emerging victorious in the next Ontario election. Yes, I’m serious, because what an immense pay-out you’d get from such a contrarian bet.

Sure, it goes against conventional wisdom. After all, she hit 12% in the polls recently. They say Donald Trump is against the ropes, yet he clocks in at three times Wynne’s numbers!

Now, I certainly don’t think she’ll pull off a majority – likely a minority. And then at that juncture she’ll do what they thought she might have done earlier this year: resign and let the party choose some fresh-faced scandal free minister (I’m thinking Michael Coteau. Never heard of him? Yeah, that’s the point) to lead them into the next election, intent on climbing back into majority territory. That old game worked for the Alberta PCs before and, don’t forget, it’s how Wynne got into power in the first place, replacing the by then stalling Dalton McGuinty.

But why especially now do I want to run up to the bookmaker and place my wager on a win by Wynne? It’s not just because a new Forum Research poll puts the Liberals in fighting form – placing at a decent second 30% ranking behind the PCs at 38%. They’re behind, sure, but after over a decade of scandals and overspending, you’d think it would be much lower.

No, it was two moves by Wynne this past week that underscore how when it comes to politics, she’s the consummate professional, never to be underestimated. They both have to do with the Sudbury bribery trial and the subtle but remarkable way she re-framed the narrative.

First, there was this tidbit — as reported by my colleague Michelle Mandel: “Unlike virtually all witnesses who come to court to testify, Premier Kathleen Wynne remained standing and despite her high heels, never once sat during her four hours of testimony in the bribery trial of two high-ranking Liberals. She had a message to send: that she was here to testify of her own volition, that she did nothing wrong.”

If she’d sat in the stand, a court sketch of her sitting at the same spot where we’re accustomed to seeing accused criminals would have made the papers and the evening news. Even though it’s a fact that she was there solely as a witness and not the accused, if you’re just looking up at the muted TV while waiting in line for coffee, you might have thought otherwise. Besides, the image would be out in the online world, free for social media gadflies to Photoshop it and turn it into whatever meme they want. Wynne took that away from them.

Then, there’s the threat of a lawsuit she sent to Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown, demanding an apology for when he misspoke to media, telling them Wynne was standing trial. What effect did that have? It distracted us from talking about the trial itself.

Maybe we’re talking about how the threat is cynical. Maybe we’re talking about how they should just drop it. But we’re talking about it, nonetheless, and it’s resulted in both making it crystal clear to everyone that Wynne is not on trial at all and it also took a story about her and her party being on the defensive to one about them being on the offensive.

The Liberals have more than doubled the size of both the budget and debt since taking over in 2003, while leaving a laundry list of scandals in their wake – eHealth, Ornge, gas plants, etc. – which have culminated in investigations and now trials.

You’d think it would be a no brainer that they’re out for the count. Yet, this week reminded us of Wynne’s greatest asset: She’s a fighter.

She should’ve lost her seat in 2007 to former opposition leader John Tory. And she wasn’t supposed to win the leadership against favourite Sandra Pupatello. She fares well when the odds are against her.

Kathleen Wynne is a pro who plays with her elbows up. That’s exactly what she’s going to do in the next election.

afurey@postmedia.com