Choosing Nenshi was a massive "own goal" on the part of the Alberta NDP. They have to do well in Calgary. Which means that a bunch of Calgarians who have of late spent WAY too much time in an unshowered state while observing cottage rules in terms of flushing the toilet now are being told that they should trust the guy who kicked the can down the road when he was told that the water infrastructure was fixin' to die.
Nenshi is an academic at heart. Rhetorical battles are his “jam”. He “swam” in the same waters as Danielle Smith during his post secondary years. When he landed a teaching position at Mount Royal University he fully embraced the emerging identity based politics on campus.
His popularity among his students translated well into municipal politics as social media drove his momentum. He was a breath of fresh air, until he wasn’t.
I voted for Nenshi once. His canonization during the Calgary flood went to his head. He started to drink his own purple “koolaid”. He became tiresome.
Governing Calgary during Covid was hard but governing Alberta was harder. I give Kenney full props. He wasn’t perfect but governing Alberta at this time was like herding cats. As he found out the Conservative ones had the sharpest claws.
Almost every Albertan is getting tired of paying for other provinces social programs, being underrepresented in the parliament and senate, watching Alberta industry being handcuffed and vetoed, yet subsidizing businesses in eastern Canada.
I am sure that Nenshi is somewhat aware of these issues but ignores them so he can differentiate himself from the UPC. He is an annoying little man who speaks to all the UPC haters in Alberta, but I don't think he is making any statements that would get conservative or unaffiliated voters to vote NDP.
It is heartbreaking that Nenshi is making such a hash of things.
Alberta so needs multi-party politics. The de-facto one-party state that the PCs and now their successor, the UCP, preside over is unhealthy, given to corruption, intolerance and monomania.
Yet here we are. The prospect of another majority for a broken party that panders to separatists, reactionaries and extremists.
One party, the UCP focuses on wealth creation; the opposition party, the NDP focuses on wealth redistribution. For a productive and hard working Albertan the choice is obvious.
I think investors have made it clear that separation and wealth creation are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Alberta is cleaning up right now because Donald Trump is an idiot.
I have dropped my UCP directorship. I am going to vote for the Tory party next time. Danielle Smith has ignored basic conservative values like fiscal prudence and good governance to focus on the politics of resentment.
Sounds pretty complicated to me: I have a theory. After more than a decade of leftwing ideological governance in this country has nearly destroyed us, maybe we just want to stay with a government that supports the policies and practices that made this province great in the first place.
Great article, thank you. Bluster and blame might be great for angry clicks on social media but it doesn't demonstrate the skills necessary to win elections, or to lead once you do. I feel my local MLA is doing a good job speaking for constituents in the legislature. I feel for all the sincere people trying to do their best. But in the aggregate I worry about AB politics in 2026.
Just as Pierre Poilievre is massively unlikeable so too is Nenshi - both for leadership style. One guy is a smarmy jerk and one guy talks like he works at the library. Great article. What a mess.
Yes Nenshi is unlikable and yes his style, especially to Calgarians, is off putting. He also has a "team" problem, similar to the Libs, this is the same economic and business illiterate ideologs that don't know a budget or spreadsheet from a hole in the ground. This to me is ultimately where the trust of Albertans is lost. They need a new party. the UCP is compromised. the NDP is incapable. Its fun times.
The "call from within the house" always gets more attention, as it is far more credible. Isn't the rest of the problem that offering solutions ot the myriad of problems facing the province, and equally, the country, requires coming out and admitting the problems that exist, that they are huge, that they can't be ignored, and here are the solutions we see.....ie, being honest?
Choosing Nenshi was a massive "own goal" on the part of the Alberta NDP. They have to do well in Calgary. Which means that a bunch of Calgarians who have of late spent WAY too much time in an unshowered state while observing cottage rules in terms of flushing the toilet now are being told that they should trust the guy who kicked the can down the road when he was told that the water infrastructure was fixin' to die.
Nenshi is an academic at heart. Rhetorical battles are his “jam”. He “swam” in the same waters as Danielle Smith during his post secondary years. When he landed a teaching position at Mount Royal University he fully embraced the emerging identity based politics on campus.
His popularity among his students translated well into municipal politics as social media drove his momentum. He was a breath of fresh air, until he wasn’t.
I voted for Nenshi once. His canonization during the Calgary flood went to his head. He started to drink his own purple “koolaid”. He became tiresome.
Governing Calgary during Covid was hard but governing Alberta was harder. I give Kenney full props. He wasn’t perfect but governing Alberta at this time was like herding cats. As he found out the Conservative ones had the sharpest claws.
Excellent analysis
Almost every Albertan is getting tired of paying for other provinces social programs, being underrepresented in the parliament and senate, watching Alberta industry being handcuffed and vetoed, yet subsidizing businesses in eastern Canada.
I am sure that Nenshi is somewhat aware of these issues but ignores them so he can differentiate himself from the UPC. He is an annoying little man who speaks to all the UPC haters in Alberta, but I don't think he is making any statements that would get conservative or unaffiliated voters to vote NDP.
It is heartbreaking that Nenshi is making such a hash of things.
Alberta so needs multi-party politics. The de-facto one-party state that the PCs and now their successor, the UCP, preside over is unhealthy, given to corruption, intolerance and monomania.
Yet here we are. The prospect of another majority for a broken party that panders to separatists, reactionaries and extremists.
One party, the UCP focuses on wealth creation; the opposition party, the NDP focuses on wealth redistribution. For a productive and hard working Albertan the choice is obvious.
I think investors have made it clear that separation and wealth creation are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Alberta is cleaning up right now because Donald Trump is an idiot.
I have dropped my UCP directorship. I am going to vote for the Tory party next time. Danielle Smith has ignored basic conservative values like fiscal prudence and good governance to focus on the politics of resentment.
Sounds pretty complicated to me: I have a theory. After more than a decade of leftwing ideological governance in this country has nearly destroyed us, maybe we just want to stay with a government that supports the policies and practices that made this province great in the first place.
Great article, thank you. Bluster and blame might be great for angry clicks on social media but it doesn't demonstrate the skills necessary to win elections, or to lead once you do. I feel my local MLA is doing a good job speaking for constituents in the legislature. I feel for all the sincere people trying to do their best. But in the aggregate I worry about AB politics in 2026.
Just as Pierre Poilievre is massively unlikeable so too is Nenshi - both for leadership style. One guy is a smarmy jerk and one guy talks like he works at the library. Great article. What a mess.
Yes. I keep hoping to see the Tory party emerge strong enough to take on Danielle Smith. I’d vote for them instead.
Yes Nenshi is unlikable and yes his style, especially to Calgarians, is off putting. He also has a "team" problem, similar to the Libs, this is the same economic and business illiterate ideologs that don't know a budget or spreadsheet from a hole in the ground. This to me is ultimately where the trust of Albertans is lost. They need a new party. the UCP is compromised. the NDP is incapable. Its fun times.
Although his is not my religion, his good communication as Mayor was articulate, engaging and intelligent and this makes his failure more striking.
He is almost non-existent when there's so much fodder, and his voice would be a good one to have in the "discussion".
The "call from within the house" always gets more attention, as it is far more credible. Isn't the rest of the problem that offering solutions ot the myriad of problems facing the province, and equally, the country, requires coming out and admitting the problems that exist, that they are huge, that they can't be ignored, and here are the solutions we see.....ie, being honest?