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The talent void in the Conservative party leadership race is prompting strange scenarios among Alberta loyalists.

Their first and faintest hope: Stephen Harper comes back, wins the leadership with ease, runs off Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and recreates a Conservative national government.

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There is no hard evidence for this, but you have to wonder why all these refusals and exits are coming at such a crucial moment.

Jean Charest stepped halfway in, then promptly out. Rona Ambrose, who’s very close to Harper, won’t run.

On Thursday, Ottawa MP Pierre Poilievre wrapped up an exploratory campaign he launched only two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, former Harper confidant Tom Flanagan endorsed Peter MacKay in a Globe and Mail column.

He said MacKay, from his time as a loyal Harper minister, has the necessary experience and understands western interests.

Is Harper himself clearing the way for MacKay? It’s a thought, but we shouldn’t take too much from Flanagan’s musings, by his own admission.