AH challenge make american Politics like canadian politics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election
Two parties have dominated politics in Canada: the Liberal party and the historic Conservative party (known as the Progressive Conservative party from 1943). If one regards the modern Conservative party as the successor to the historic one, then these are the only two parties to have formed a government. (The 1917 win was by a pro-conscription Unionist coalition, between former Liberals and Conservatives).
Although government has been a two-party system, Canadian federal politics has been a multi-party affair since the 1920s, which saw significant parliamentary presence from the Progressive party and the United Farmers movement. They were supplanted by the Social Credit party and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) in the 1930s. The CCF evolved into the New Democratic Party (NDP) in 1961. The Social Credit party and the CCF/NDP occupied the 3rd and 4th party slots between them from the 1930s, until the Social Credit party failed to win any seats in the 1980 election.
Since 1980, the NDP have remained a presence in the Canadian parliament, but the situation amongst other non-government parties has been more complex. The historic Conservative party never recovered from its spectacular defeat in the 1993 election (when it went from being the majority government with 169 seats, to just two seats and the loss of official party status). Right-wing politics has since seen the rise and fall of the Reform party and the Canadian Alliance, followed by the rise to government of the new Conservative party. Further, 1993 saw the first seats won by the separatist Bloc Québécois, who have been a constant presence in the Canadian parliament since then
In the 2000 election, five parties carried seats.
 
Above all regionalism. It is true the NDP has seats across the country too (IIRC they have seats in more provinces then the liberals) but regional variation matters a lot more in Canada, largely because the provinces are more powerful. Also this characterization is less correct then it was since politics got "re-nationalized" by the new Conservatives:

Liberals get their support from the Maritimes and much of Urban Canada, and are competative in much of Ontario and B.C

Conservatives get their support from Western Canada, rural Ontario and suburbs

NDP gets their support from heavily unionized (or traditionally unionist) rural areas like Northern Ontario and portions of B.C, urban cores, and the remnant industrial unions. They also have some support in the Maritimes for similar reasons as liberal support.

Much of Quebec goes for the Bloc
 
NDP gets their support from heavily unionized (or traditionally unionist) rural areas like Northern Ontario and portions of B.C, urban cores, and the remnant industrial unions. They also have some support in the Maritimes for similar reasons as liberal support.
Hmmm, so TTL's american verson of the NDP would probably do well in Michigan? Actually the whole rust belt would actually make sense.
 
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