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No wonder Harper couldn’t run on his own record. No wonder he had to resort, instead, to the low politics of fear and division, to dress codes and hot lines, hot buttons and dead cats.

Let it be said, that for a time, those gutter tactics seemed to be working. For a time, the polls showed the Tories in a position to win another majority, or at least a minority big and strong enough that the opposition parties wouldn’t have the political licence to unite to to topple them. And let it be said, too, that a CPC victory is still a very real possibility. Harper still has solid voter support in places like vote-rich suburban Toronto and across the West. And if the not-Harper vote splits, riding-by-riding, between the NDP and the Liberals (and the Greens and the Bloc and the odd independent like Brent Rathgeber) lots of Conservative MPs could be elected with relatively few votes.

But I’m proud to see so many Canadians – including conservatives – decrying the politics of xenophobia and malice. I’m proud to see so many people, of all political stripes, demanding a better campaign and a better government.

I don’t presume to tell you how to vote on Monday. Edmontonians are some of the most independent, subversive and surprising voters in Canada. You’ll cast your own votes, for your own reasons, whether you’re voting for the party you support, for the local candidate you admire, or for strategic purposes.

All I humbly ask of you is that you vote, not out of fear of your neighbour, but out of hope for our shared future. Vote in hopes of a better Canada and a stronger democracy, however you define those things. Vote, because in this remarkable and remarkably close election, every seat matters. Vote, because your citizenship matters. You have the power to choose the Canada you want. And only you can choose to use it.

psimons@edmontonjournal.com

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