Down to the wire. Pass the antacid meds

They fret and they're fearful. Even if their man sits atop the polls there's always a reason for campaign organizers to worry. They can take a six-point cushion heading into the last 48 hours of an election and make it sound like something an NHL coach would blab – "A six-point advantage? It's the worst lead in politics."

As the nation readies for Monday's vote, the three main parties will be examining which issues need to be reinforced. Friday's polling showed the Liberals still out in front with 36.5 per cent of the vote, followed by the Conservatives at 30.6 per cent and the NDP at 23.5. This is normally a tense time anyway, and the closeness of this race that will make these last 48 hours extra stressful.

"If you're in first place in the polls you're terrified you're going to mess it up," said Corey Hogan, director of engagement and strategies with Hill + Knowlton Canada. "If you're in third place, you're just terrified."

That feeling was shared by Stephen Carter, once chief of staff for Alberta's ex-premier Alison Redford. Mr. Carter said that near the end of a campaign everything became a battle of second guessing.

"You weigh every word, you can't sleep, everything is blown out of proportion," he admitted. "You worry about things you may have said in the past, you are saying right now or may say in the future."

And what happens while you're doing that?

"You age."

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau had been cruising along quite nicely until one of his top aides hit a perilous pothole. Dan Gagnier, co-chairman of Mr. Trudeau's campaign, resigned Thursday after it was reported Mr. Gagnier had provided information to five people at TransCanada Corp., telling them how to proceed under a new government. Included in the government's new agenda would be the controversial Energy East pipeline. The pipeline would ship 1.1 million barrels of oil per day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in eastern Canada.

Mr. Trudeau said Mr. Gagnier had not broken any laws, and that the Conservatives wanted a controversy to deflate the Liberals heading into the final weekend of this 78-day marathon election.

Alise Mills has had a unique view of this election. She has been a campaign worker and strategist for a pair of premiers, Gordon Campbell in B.C. and Jim Prentice in Alberta. She's also a media pundit and a chief executive at the Allam Advisory Group. She believes the Liberals should be accountable for Mr. Gagnier's slip-up instead of dismissing it as some Tory tactic.

"It should have a big effect," Ms. Mills said of the co-chairman's resignation. "It illustrates really clearly that the same old [sponsorship] problems exist within the Liberals. It's not just Daniel Gagnier; it's the leader's office."

Mr. Hogan outlined how the final 48 hours would play out depending on where the candidate was sitting. "Just as in sports, we often talk about the classic front-runner problem," he said. Your inclination is to play it safe and not blow your lead – and as a result you become risk-averse and lose ground to more combative underdogs. That's certainly an inclination the Liberals will have to fight."

As for what can happen in a three-way race, the front-runner can have "all guns pointed at them," while things are even trickier for the third-place NDP.

"It's clear to me the NDP did not expect to be there," Mr. Hogan said. "They've retreated to a key message that can almost be described as total denial: repeating time and time again – in everything from campaign literature to leader interviews – that in 2011 they won more seats than the Liberal Party did."

With so much riding on so little time, it is no wonder why being in third place feels like a trip to the triage. "I remember how I felt," Ms. Mills said with empathy. "You're trying to make sure you're not bleeding out any more."

You want some of this?
Justin Trudeau is looking for a fight, and the man he wants to rumble with is Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, who always looks like the villain from a James Bond movie.

The Liberal Leader has said that, if elected prime minister, he would walk up to Mr. Putin and say "directly to his face" that he's being dangerous in Eastern Europe, "irresponsible and harmful" in the Middle East.

Mr. Trudeau went on to say that Canada has to stand strong with its international brethren and "push back against the bully that is Vladimir Putin." Maybe Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Putin can settle things by playing against one another in a hockey game. Mr. Putin participated in a charity game a few months ago and scored seven goals. (That was quickly amended to eight goals.)

How about boxing? Mr. Trudeau fought now-suspended Senator Patrick Brazeau three years ago in a charity bout. Mr. Trudeau worked a steady jab until the referee stopped the fight, making the final decision a TKO.

On the other hand, maybe the best way to settle this is by having a second Canada-Russia hockey summit with the winner getting the rights to the Arctic.

The circus returns
Doug Ford calling out Justin Trudeau on his drug use was another bit of hilarity from the ultimate high-wire act, the Flying Fords.

Doug, the older brother of former mayor Rob Ford, took umbrage with Mr. Trudeau, who earlier this week chastised Tory Leader Stephen Harper for having the Fords stage a rally for him in Toronto. Rob Ford was a crack cocaine user; Doug Ford called Mr. Trudeau a hypocrite because he smoked marijuana.

Oh brother. Can we vote now and get this over with?