Who's scarier as Finance Minister -- Bob Rae or Jack Layton?

Here's a clip of me debating Liberal strategist Susan Smith on CTV today (I think I called her Nancy by accident.) I think it's astoundingly undemocratic that Liberals and NDP would presume to topple the Conservative government just weeks after Harper's clear win in a general election, and just days after the opposition supported the Conservatives' throne speech. It's obvious what's changed: they were prepared to abide Harper's economic plans (as they did dozens of times over the past three years, including all of Harper's budgets) until those plans included losing their own taxpayer subsidies. Then they balked. They still have that entitlement mentality.

The NDP and the Liberals combined have 114 seats -- down 18 from the last election. The Conservatives have 143 seats, up 19 from the last election. On what mathematical basis can the Liberals and NDP form a government?

None of the opposition parties campaigned on a Liberal-NDP coalition. In fact, the opposite -- Stephane Dion and Jack Layton each categorically ruled it out. Here's a video clip of Dion on the subject.

Oh well. I looked at my clip again, and I kept on saying that Finance Minister Bob Rae was terrifying. It is. But the coalition would surely mean Finance Minister Jack Layton -- that's the whole "coalition" part!

I'm not quite sure which of the two of them is scarier. Probably Jack Layton. Either way, I'm pretty sure severely normal Canadians -- i.e. those who aren't part of the political-media establishment on Parliament Hill -- would be shocked at this coup d'etat, just weeks after they gave Stephane Dion the Liberals' lowest vote share in Canadian history.

I'm not an expert in Parliamentary procedure or the constitutional questions afoot. Putting aside the morality, mechanics and the durability of such a coalition, I don't know if the Governor General will reward the opposition's non-confidence motion by asking them to form their coalition, or if she will put the question back to the Canadian electorate. If that latter happens, I don't think the electorate's judgment will be as kind to the opposition's putsch as the national media seem to be. Rather, I think the reaction will be: Stephane Dion is still here?

What do you think? (Other than I need a haircut?)