The result of a modern debate is always something of a blur. But what this year's encounters underlined is that this election is primarily about both two very different candidates for prime minister and two very different ideas of what the greatest threat to the country actually is.

A snap election defined by economic anxiety and annexation threats is now a two-man race about who can stand up to the president.

Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney faced sustained attacks from his Conservative rival at an election debate Thursday, but the Liberal leader sought to focus attention on what he calls Canada's top threat,