(2 of 2)
Harper's shrewdest move has been to distance himself from the U.S. After a Dec. 2 Op-Ed piece in the Washington Times said Harper's election would "put a smile on President George W. Bush's face," Harper wrote a letter to the editor pointing out the differences between his policies and those of the Bush Administration. And when the Liberals released the TV spots playing up Harper's supposed love affair with U.S. conservatives, the Tories returned fire, issuing a press release that chided their opponents for resorting to "American-style" campaign tactics. Canada's conservatives have learned how to dance to their own drumbeat.