Here's an interesting development...a national poll

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/12/02/cbc_poll031202

shows that the combined support for the hypothetical "Untied Right" party is only...wait for it...

12.6%

, a full 5% behind the NDP for Gawds sake. In other words, exactly what the CA's and PC's were each polling a few weeks ago.

Of course the wording of the poll doesn't make a lot of sense, it's one of those "if the election were held today" questions, asking if you would choose to vote for a party that doesn't exist today. Duh. But it sure suggests that Harper (who looks like a shoe-in for the leadership, by default) will have a lot of work to do just to get the combined voteshare of the PC's and CA...which was of course the reason for the whole deal! Then they can lose respectably, and make a new opposition with Harper as leader--say, why are they bothering?   

I reckon the awesome Paul Martin backroom machinery will now turn its attention to picking up disenchanted moderate Tory MP's and voters...