Not an expert on Canadian affairs, but wasn't the reason Harper was elected so many times was because of the fact that Canada has two leftest parties, and that essentially split the vote? Or four really, if you count the Green and the Bloc Quebecois parties.
Yes. We tend to get left splits due to our consolidated conservative party.
Also the oil economy was doing well at that time and I think Canadians were "punishing" the Liberals for their scandals at first and then failing to get good leadership for subsequent election campaigns led to more Harper Conservative wins.
Left-leaning people tend to be merciless on their own when it comes to purity, it seems. >_> Compared to conservatives who tend to just galvanize and support the message regardless of scandal on their end.
Anyway, I'm a Canadian and I think Hilary is the better candidate for the US (but I'm also a pragmatist at heart with socially progressive leanings). Bernie, I think.. would not do well in Canada either. He'd fizzle out fast as it's kind of clear he has big dreams but little details in his plans (as if some Canadians forget how bottom-of-totem the NDP itself usually is due to having the more socialist/unrealistic goals). Trudeau is also an idealist a bit like Bernie, but he has the fortune of being young and handsome and also surrounding himself with good people with established portfolios (from the establishment itself!). I cannot say I see the same for Bernie since he seems to outright reject making alliances with people who know how to work the system best.
That Bernie seems to get crazed fervent supporters mainly from the internet or something is another aspect that makes this uncomfortable in a hype-train false-prophet sense (sorry internet citizens!).
I think a few Canadians and other non-US citizens have made some really.. unfortunate and uninformed judgments about how US politics does/should work and it makes me cringe in embarrassment every time.