Whenever politicians outside the US find themselves in poll trouble, desperation appears to drive them towards one strategy that has shown itself most fallible: anti-Americanism. Gerhard Schroeder tried it and it eventually buried him. Now Paul Martin, drowning in an unprecedented popular collapse in Canada, has let his anti-US face show in the waning hours of his grip on power in Ottawa:

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 latest polls give the Conservatives a 10-point lead over the Liberals, with some showing a widening gap between the two parties.

As I've said before, politics and dating have at least one thing in common: desperation is not an aphrodisiac. The obvious distress of the Liberal Party might well lift the Tories to a majority government. Ipsos has the gap widening overnight to 12 points nationally (38-26) and in the Liberal power base of Ontario (39-35). The projected seat totals show the Tories coming ever closer to a majority victory, a stunning reversal of fortune for Stephen Harper and his party.

CQ will be live-blogging the Canadian elections on the 23rd. Be sure to keep checking here for updated results.

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