Sometimes It is Wonderful to Be Wrong

Over a week ago I had predicted a three-peat for Conservative election wins over the past year (with Rob Ford an unofficial member as a strong supporter of the party).

A few days ago I predicted that the Tigers would not be able to pull off the win in enemy territory.

I was wrong on both accounts.

And I couldn't be happier.

Now, I did concede yesterday that it looked like Hudak and the Progressive Conservatives had lost a huge amount of momentum, and McGuinty was likely to sneak out a victory. I did alter my prediction at the last minute, and had much more faith that the blue terror wouldn't stretch all the way into provincial government. I still had a little fear that the polls weren't telling the entire truth, and that Hudak would pull ahead. But he didn't, and I'm more than happy for McGuinty to continue to steer the ship. I'm also happy that Dave Levac kept his position as MPP for Brant. He has done an outstanding job of representing his constituents and I look forward to him continuing to be a great voice for Brant.

At this point, it looks like we've got a minority government on are hands, which has to make the Liberal win a little bittersweet. Yes, back in June they were predicted to be toppled, but I'm thinking they had renewed hope of maintaining more seats after last week's successful debate. But they ended up losing seats and not gaining any new ones, and so now this will be McGuinty's first run as a minority government. Hopefully, some positive policies and movements can still be brought forth, and the opposition parties look towards the best interests of the province. I don't want 4 years of stalemating, but I also know this province is definitely suffering from voter's fatigue. I think the opposition parties realize that, and aren't going to push for an election any time soon. Hopefully, we can see some working together and see what is needed to be done in regards to education and health care (two of the major issues of the campaign).

NDP also had a stellar performance tonight. As it looks like they're picked up at least 7 new seats. This will give them some real momentum and a chance to have a presence at Queen's Park. There may be a real opportunity for some of their policies to be heard, and for the party to really prove how serious they are in regards to some major issues. This will also give Howarth some real momentum going forward. Depending how she performs in parliament, I can see her having a real chance at a run come the next election. Though hopefully, an election that is still several years away. For now, I hope she can do her best work in her current position and make sure the Liberals work in the best interests of the province.

Sadly, the Green Party weren't able to land any seats, and continued to be largely ignored by the media tonight. I didn't hear how many votes were cast their way, but hopefully, they had a decent showing in most of their ridings.

I am happy with the election results for the most part, even if a minority government can often lead to minimal results and far too much drama. There seems to be some belief that the parties may be willing to work together and prepare to weather the storm of the possible second recession. I'll stay optimistic, as I always try to be immediately after an election (if you remember, I even tried to not be too bitter after Harper retained top spot).

Now, on an even happier note, I quote my brother-in-law, "Yankees Lose! Yankees Lose! Yankees Lose!" And now the first step has been taken towards his World Series prediction, and the match up I am very intrigued about seeing. Of course, in order for that to happen, the Brewers need to recover after losing two straight to the Diamondbacks. But in the end, I am happy for any World Series match up that didn't contain the Yankees. They've had their run, and I'm ready for some fresh teams on top.

Tigers were huge underdogs going against not only the team with the best record in the American League, but also one of the best home teams in the entire Major Leagues. So, it made it that much sweeter when they pulled off the 3-2 win tonight.

What a great game it ended up being. It came right down to the A-Rod strike out. You could just feel the tension throughout the entire stadium. It was a close game all the way through with some excellent pitching and clutch playing. It was a fun one to watch, and made even better with the underdog victory.

So, it was a good night all around, and I am more than happy to be proven wrong this time.