Backs against the Wall

I don't intend to write much about the Saskatchewan provincial election because, truth be told, there's not much to write. When the incumbent is literally more popular than God, you can usually call the campaign before it begins.

So all that's left to determine is just how bad it gets for the opposition.

Don't expect the orange wave to hit land locked Saskatchewan on November 7th. The NDP are attempting to avoid a historic defeat - just once since the days of Tommy Douglas have they fallen below 20 seats, yet they could be down to a dozen ridings once the dust clears. I'll leave the "what went wrong" posts to those who actually follow Saskatchewan politics, but I have a tough time imagining a scenario where someone named "Dwain Lingenfelter" could beat someone named "Brad Wall". Just say those two names out loud and tell me who sounds like the stronger leader.

For the Liberals, the situation is even more dire. They're only running 9 candidates this election, and have gone all in on the Elizabeth May tactic of trying to get the leader elected - in this instance, Ryan Bater in the Battlefords. If they're shut-out for the third straight election, there's a very real chance the party could drift away into nothingness, prompting another round of "is the Liberal Party dying" columns.

The video below gives some background on Bater. Click here to donate and help get it on the air.

This Year in Saskatchewan

I don't post a lot on Saskatchewan politics and, when I do, it seems the posts often fall flat (ho ho ha ha!). But seriously folks, the Sask Liberals held their leadership convention this weekend, and Ryan Bater drew the short straw.

So who is Ryan Bater?

Well, the Sask Libs have released a very impressive video introducing Bater to voters. Doing this sort of thing is essential when you're an unknown leading a third place party. But it's still something every leader should put out after winning a leadership race, be they a provincial or federal leader, in power or on the political fringes. It's a good way to introduce a leader to voters and, at the very least, you'll be able to re-use the footage from it for years.



In addition to officially naming Bater as their leader, the grits voted to formally split the provincial and federal Liberal parties. The party is also promising to privatize liquor stores - although I'm generally not a huge proponent of privatization, at least you can buy beer after 5 on a Sunday in Alberta...so there are definitely benefits to going that route.