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You only had to look at the smile glued on Tom Mulcair’s face Thursday night to see this election is different from the ones that came before it.

Mulcair, who is often ferocious in the House of Commons, gave a deliberately muted and restrained performance in the debate, trying to project a prime ministerial air, a first for an NDP leader at the beginning of a campaign. He approached the debate like the coach of a hockey team with a one-goal lead in the third period, playing defence, trying to avoid coughing up the puck.

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It makes me think that his party’s internal numbers must be really good.

Most polls show him either ahead of the Conservatives or tied with them, which should mean that he will become prime minister, since Stephen Harper likely needs a majority to hang on to power this fall and that could be tough.

Mulcair’s team has obviously had him practising his smile, restraining his temper, turning him from Angry Tom to Smiling Tom. It’s worked pretty well, although he often looks nervous, which is appropriate for the coach of a team with a one-goal lead in a big game.