"In The Big Red Machine, Liberal observer Stephen Clarkson tells the story of the Liberal Party's performance in the last nine elections, providing essential historical context for each and offering incisive, behind-the-scenes detail about how the party has planned, changed, and executed its successful electoral strategies. Arguing that the Liberal Party has opportunistically straddled the political centre since Sir John A. Macdonald - leaning left or right as circumstances required - Clarkson also shows that the party's grip on power is becoming increasingly uncertain, having lost its appeal not just in the West but now in Quebec. Its campaigns now reflect the splintering of the party system and the integration of Canada into the global economy."--Jacket