Coyne on Sociology

At its roots, this stemmed from a lack of confidence. Defeated in elections they hoped to win, Conservatives concluded it was not because of any failing on their part to persuade their fellow citizens of the rightness of their cause, but because Canadians simply could not be persuaded. So either they would have to be tricked, or their resistance overcome in other ways, but by no means could the party hold anything so dangerous as a governing philosophy, still less talk about it.

If you view the world as transactional, if you see your perspective as the only one that matters, then you have shut the door on reality.  It's a lonely road to walk and obscurity is at it's end.

How might things have turned out differently?

Easy peasey - what the Tories needed to do was commit a little sociology.  

A lesson for the next wave to consider.