Liberal Party president Mike Crawley. (DARREN BROWN/QMI AGENCY)

OTTAWA -- For a party on life support, any sign of life of life is a sign of hope.

And so the end of 2012 finds the Liberals sizing up Western Canadian for new voters -- hoping they're ready to forgive past slights and help rebuild the beleaguered brand.

Party president Mike Crawley is still basking in the glow of a scrappy byelection fight last November in the Tory stronghold of Calgary Centre.