Past the point of no return?

I'll admit I was always of the opinion that this coalition would never come to pass but, after watching the trio's press conference yesterday, it certainly seems like a very real possibility.

So the question now becomes - is it inevitable?

The internal problems appear to have been resolved and the major principles for power sharing have been agreed to. Yes, I suspect there will be power struggles, dissension in the ranks, and policy differences, but those problems will manifest themselves down the road, not within the next six days.

The leaders have already signed a pact so it seems unlikely that any amount of public pressure will cause a strategic retreat. With a signed letter declaring their lack of confidence, Harper proroguing simply doesn't seem like a constitutionally-valid or politically-sensible option. The only way to turn this train around would be for Harper to admit he made a mistake and accept most of the opposition's policy proposals (ie. a 30 billion dollar stimulus package).

So let's say for a second that the man who loathes compromise decides to suck it up and makes a gesture of reconciliation. Would the opposition accept? It would be the responsible thing to do, but there are still two large obstacles. First of all, Harper may have poisoned the well to the point where they simply refuse to work with him. Secondly, this deal offers the promise of more power than any of the three leaders involved will ever see during their political careers. It would certainly take a lot for them to willingly surrender that.

In other words, the accidental leadership candidate may very well soon become the accidental Prime Minister.