Hypothetical election

So Jack Layton says that the NDP won't support the Conservatives unless there's some change in thinking on Harper's part ... and he didn't see any sign of a change today when he met the PM. 

Layton also fell back on an old political escape trick that has always irked me when it's hauled out to avoid clarity. He said he doesn't answer hypothetical questions. This is of course untrue. All politicians answer hypothetical questions, especially when they start from the premise: "If you are elected, what will you do about...."?

I googled for a definition of hypothetical question  and got this: "Imaginary situation based on certain proven or assumed facts, and formulated to arrive at a generalized answer applicable in most such situations" 

As we are about to enter another round of election speculation, my fervent wish is for politicians to stop saying they don't deal in the hypothetical (they do) and for them to just say instead: "I don't feel like answering that."