Si la tendance se maintien...

The provincial opposition parties have spent most of the past four years cowering from Danny Williams' popularity, afraid to criticize Our Dear Premier, because he's Premier, and he's Dear, and he's Our, and, all too often, agreeing with him because, hey, he's popular, and if you disagree with him, you are disagreeing with popularity.

And the result of all that agreement, all that we-can't-disagree-with-Danny-because-he's-popular?

For starters, an opposition of four seats. Acclamations. A Premier with Putinesque levels of support, at least for now, and 43 yes-thingies to tell him what a wonderful job he's doing.

And, having a bit of fun with the math, according to the CRA polls, if the current trend continues, Danny will have 100% support inside 18 months.

So, opposition parties... if you like to be popular, and if you don't want Danny to be popular — this is, after all, how you win elections, and by-elections — is it not about time to reconsider that brilliantly unsuccessful strategy of agreeing with Danny Williams on virtually everything?