Post Election Blues

Greetings Gentle Reader,

It is now the night after the night before, and if you had not heard the Conservative party swept to another landslide election victory in Alberta yesterday. Check out this map to get a feel for just how much of a sweep it was.

Now, for a slightly leftist guy like myself, this is a bit of a drag, but I think it is fair to say that even if the Alberta Liberal party had swept to power there would be no appreciable change in my life for several years. My feeling is that the momentum of 36+ years of conservative government has permeated Alberta such that a new government would have a heck of a time making any significant or impactful changes in one term in office.

Having said all that - I am a bit surprised at the pundits on the radio today who were going on about how this is an endorsement of Ed Stelmach's leadership. I can't say that I agree. Mr Stelmach seems like a good guy - likeable, smart, hard working, honest - all the things we might want in a leader. Regardless of Ed's good features, I can't say that his leadership (as in Public Face) is that great. He can take a great story and turn it into a sleeper news conference. Not much charisma or inspiration one might say. The exact opposite of say, Churchill.

Now the opposition parties are much the same in my view. The NDP were running around doing what they do best - fighting the good fight for social justice and all, but Brian Mason was just invisible for the most part. Kevin Taft of the Liberals was a bit more visible in Edmonton, but my few conversations with Calgarians leads me to believe that they could not pick him out of a lineup. Keep in mind here that I rather like Taft in general and think that he might have made a good premier, but my point is that none of the leaders in general did a decent job of showing any visible, inspiring leadership during the campaign.

Which brings me to the real point. Why do the pundits and call in shows call this an endorsement of leadership?? What I saw yesterday was Alberta voters 'running home' to the PC party because that is all they have known for 36 years. With no reason to vote for a party leader, the electorate that bothered to show up voted for their local candidate, or for the party they have known for the majority of their adult life in power. Hardly a surprise that the PC party is in - but hardly an endorsement of Stelmach in my view.

In the absence of visible, inspirational, motivational leadership, only 2 out of 5 voters showed up to the polls in the first place, and only 1 of them voted PC. 50% of the popular vote won 70+ of 83 seats. Welcome to politics in Alberta.

Best,

Steve