The most exciting election in Canadian history?

A good case can be made that the election due in October has what it takes to end up just shy of or equal to the most interesting and exciting of all elections in our history.

The established winner is John Diefenbaker’s performance in 1957 when to everyone’s complete astonishment he emerged from nowhere (northern Saskatchewan) to defeat the all-powerful, ever-victorious Liberals.

Later, Diefenbaker made a mess of things. But for one glorious moment he gave Canadian politics back to Canadians. Ours will be of the same order, if in a different way.

Two records are on the verge of being broken. Never before has the New Democratic Party ever been close to, let alone within touching distance of, becoming the next government. And never before have all three of our national parties been so close, at least in the polls. Each, by a blunder here or a bit of luck there, could become the winner in October.

Actually, “winning” is a fungible phrase in this case. Harper and his Conservatives could win in the fall by gaining the largest number of seats but lose because the two opposition parties had even more seats when combined and could defeat the government at the first confidence vote.

Except that, not long afterwards, the Liberals and New Democrats might go their separate ways. In many respects, they compete with each other more fiercely than each does with the Tories. This is because both are lefties (sort of ), and two of them is one too many.

One other aspect of our current political condition is unique. Never before have all parties so continuously changed places, as if performing a gavotte.

Blame Justin Trudeau for this. An overwhelming victory by Harper in the 2011 election left the Liberals on the verge of extinction.

Trudeau contested the leadership and, equipped, principally, by having the same name as his father, almost instantly pulled the Liberals into the lead in the polls. Lagging far behind in the same polls, even though the official opposition, were Thomas Mulcair and the New Democrats.

Then all changed. Not in Ottawa. But in Alberta. The least politically adventurous province turned into a risk-taker. Out, after almost a half-century in uninterrupted office, went the Progressive Conservatives. In, as neophytes, came the NDP led by Rachel Notley, very likely the most appealing and cool of all leaders in the country.

Notley’s charms helped illuminate those of national NDP leader Mulcair. Long recognized as exceptionally bright and a hard-driving loner (to a degree, not that unlike Harper), Mulcair switched suddenly to his softer side. He’s now going up in the polls while Trudeau goes down.

By no means is it over for Trudeau. There’s more to him than just his name and his sexiness. He has the magic: almost all who meet him like him. And he’s just picked up a step on Mulcair by coming out as an advocate on democracy, a credible policy for him to embrace.

Neither is it over for Harper. No other of our prime ministers but R.B. Bennett has ever made less of an attempt to be liked personally. But every time the economy seems to be going soft, a lot of voters look for the toughest guy around.

It’s not going to be one of our great elections. Circumstances are to blame: no existential issues or challenges, such Quebec’s possible separation or whether we should to go into free trade with the U.S., are available to be set before us. As well, our own attitude toward politics is now largely cynical, even indifferent.

But it is still going to be one of our most interesting and exciting. As an additional plus, none of the three contenders is likely to start out with the same bang as did Diefenbaker, and then turn it into a bust.