The above title is a reference to Brian Mulroney's public comment on the amount of anti-Americanism present in Canada in his day--not enough to elect a dogcatcher. A curious metaphor since dogcatchers are not elected in Canada.

Apparently Paul Martin wants to test that theory. Down double-digits with just a few days to go before the federal elections in Canada, Martin has resorted to mining Canadian anti-Americanism by tying Stephen Harper to George W. Bush.

Amid growing signals of panic in the Liberal ranks, the party has launched a series of crudely anti-American commercials. One stated that victory for the 47-year-old Tory leader, Stephen Harper, would "bring a smile to George W Bush's face".

Another described Mr Harper as "pro-Iraqi war, anti-Kyoto, socially conservative... Bush's new best friend".

But despite strong anti-Americanism among voters, the adverts have had little effect on the polls. Voters appear far more concerned about domestic issues such as corruption. The Conservatives have already promised not to send troops to Iraq.

The Canadian dynamic is complicated, but fundamentally revolves around a sense of condescension. Canadians compensate for the obvious economic and politic deficiencies vis-a-vis the U.S., with a sense of moral superiority. Understanding that, it is easy to see why the Liberals are in such trouble--the corruption was a betrayal of Canadian values. All the preening about the U.N. ranking Canada as the best country to live in have gone down the drain as Canadians have had to face the prospect that their government was doing a fair imitation of a banana republic.

In the end, the anti-American propaganda failed to work because Canadians have stopped listening to the Liberals. The anger, disappointment and embarrassment simply overwhelms every other consideration.

I'm going to make an observation here that might seem surprising. The blogosphere has had a major impact in its short history--Rathergate, Easongate and more recently the Miers nomination. Yet one blogger may have eclipsed those accomplishments by being instrumental in the defeat of a sitting government of a foreign country.

I am talking about Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters, who provided a backdoor for the news coming out of the Gomery commission while the ruling Liberals had managed to muzzle the Canadian press. The Captain's daily numbers went through the roof as Canadians, starved for information on the subject, overwhelmed the site. Gradually other Canadian bloggers picked up the baton and then eventually the mainstream media. The news was out and the Liberals were hosed.

Had that not happened, the Liberals might still be holding court instead of fighting for their political lives.

I find it ironic that Canadian history seems to be repeating itself. In the early 80s, the Progressive Conservatives took the reigns of power from a exhausted and bankrupt Liberal government, ruling for two terms under Mulroney, he was replaced by a well-thought-of, but out-of-her-depth Kim Campbell. In the subsequent collapse of credibility the PCs went out of power and soon afterwards, out of existence. Will the same fate befall the Liberals?

Interesting days for our "boring" neighbor to the North.