E.J. Dionne: Justin Trudeau hangs on because Canada is still progressive

(Ryan Remiorz | The Canadian Press via AP) Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wave as they go on stage at Liberal election headquarters in Montreal on Monday, Oct. 21, 2019.Washington • Canada’s voters brilliantly calibrated how to send just the message they hoped to deliver: They wanted to give Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a comeuppance, but did not want a Conservative government.

Monday's election achieved this outcome with near perfection. Trudeau will stay in office, but with a minority in the parliament. His Liberal Party lost 20 seats and was narrowly defeated in the popular vote by Andrew Scheer's Conservative Party, 34.4% to 33.1%. Severe scolding…