Well that's been there only option since the collapse of the Social Credit Party. Even with the Conservative Party of BC making gains people like Stockwell Day still support the BC Liberals.
I would say that there's a good chance the Manning Centre had her speak to make her appeal more to Conservative supporters because a large chunk has left the party over the last year. While Christy Clark is not likely the first choice of many conservatives she's still better than the alternative which is Adrian Dix and the NDP. The BC Conservatives have no chance of getting organized enough before next year's election to be a threat for government, so at this point they are only taking support away from the Liberals and allowing the NDP to form a majority government, even though they haven't gained any support since 2009.
He never said anything about candidates throwing support behind another. He said Cullen supporters would likely go to Mulcair, due to their similarities, and Dewar, Nash and Topp supporters would likely choose each other over Mulcair.
African American's already voted in huge numbers for the Democrates before Obama.
Someone who worked for Kim Campbell, who was Canada's first female PM, spoke at an event I was at and said that polling showed women did not vote for women. I see a lot more women who are critical of Kathy Dunderdale than men.
I cannot stand Harper, and don't agree with a lot of stuff he does, but I would be a lot more afraid of the NDP being in power and the Liberals have not offered much recently.
Provincially I vote for the best party but federally none of them are great. In my mind there was only one good candidate in my riding in the last two elections.
I vote simply based on my candidate. In each riding in Newfoundland and Labrador I would have voted for a different party in every riding, and would have voted for each of the three major parties.