NDP close to overtaking Liberals??

Maybe:

The Conservatives have a tenuous grasp on a majority government, while the Liberals and New Democrats are in a dead heat for second place, a new poll shows.

The survey, conducted for the Toronto Star by Angus Reid Strategies, found that 40 per cent of Canadians would vote Conservative if an election were held tomorrow.

The Liberals under Stéphane Dion continue to drop, losing core supporters to the Tories as well as to the other parties. For the first time in the campaign, the Liberals and New Democrats, under Jack Layton, are tied at 21 per cent support. The Greens register 7 per cent support nationally.

The possibility of a Conservative majority is disturbing, to say the least, but Malcolm French, APR, in this babble thread, puts it in perspective:

Wake up, folks.

A Harper majority is inevitable.

Because even if Harper doesn't win a majority, the Liberals will hand him one like they did on the last Parliament.

We're going to have a Harper government, and it will be effectively a majority whatever the seat count.

Who do you want standing up to Harper?

Jack Layton?

Or no one at all?

Interesting way of looking at it, though there is a distinction worth considering, namely that even if the Liberals don't offer any real opposition, a minority Conservative government won't be locked in for four years. In any case, some indications are that the Bloc Quebecois will be able to deny the Cons their coveted majority, even as the Liberals are sinking. The best of all possible worlds, of course, would be for Harper to be denied his majority and Layton moving into Stornoway, though that might be a bit much to hope for.