And another has gone

Some people have asked us why we haven't posted anything on the Alberta provincial election. Since we've been appeared to be so keen on who gets elected as Liberal Leader, why haven't we been so concerned who ends up leader of the Alberta Conservatives. It's a good question, especially when asked by people who live outside of Alberta. The simple answer is that we are not convinced that "Honest" Ed Stelmach, viewed by many of our colleagues as the best possible choice, will offer any improvement over the buddy-buddy populism of Ralph Klein. Just as Klein allowed himself to be used by various elements and interests, nothing about "Steady" Eddie gives us an impression that he would somehow be different, except of cours that he is a farmer, salt-of-the-earth, downhome and practical. Our experiences in the dusty Stampede parking lots have not endeared us to farmers and they won't endear us to Stelmach.

We are reserving our judgement on Stelmach and are hoping to be surprised, but in a province that has voted Conservative for the past 35 years, largely on the strength of the rural vote, Stelmach's victory may best be hoped for a return to "normalcy" now that the debt crisis of the 1990s is over.