It's remarkable how popular conservative parties are when the media aren't actively running against them.
I would be tempted to say this is largely a federal/provincial phenomenon - indeed the media don't have skin in the game in provincial politics the way they do federally where they have now apparently six billion reasons to boost the Liberal party - but there is an element of this that polices ideology.
No matter what the issues are, you are dealing with a pretty narrow Overton window on the right before the TV news and 2/3 major paper chains start actively trying to defeat you. Doerkson seemed to be within that window, so was accepted as a reasonable choice. The media stayed out of it, played the election straight. Somehow Donald Trump's existence wasn't the all-consuming issue that it otherwise would be. Somehow an opponent's disingenuous attacks didn't always land. Columnists were willing to roll their eyes at the candidate on the left, call out their gaffes and hypocrisies. Eby ran a bad campaign, but would it have been seen as so bad if the national news spun his every move like he was the only acceptable option and his opponents were both evil and pathetic?
But let's see the results and how they play out for BC. Is a Conservative/Liberal hybrid, as this article casually mentions, really going to be willing and able to fix the significant problems BC faces after years of incompetent far-left leadership? Or will it be a government run by opinion polling and desire for permanent power, unwilling to make tough decisions that will become increasingly tough the longer they are put off, like the Ford government in Ontario?
There are some who are declaring this a turning point, that Canada is somehow making a great pivot away from woke AF Trudeau-ism. Don't hold your breathe.
I think that more than anything, Eby's fascination with handing vast swaths of real estate over to first nations with questionable claims to title scared boomers with much of their wealth tied up in home ownership.
Let's not kid ourselves: BC is still California grade crazy.
As an observer from afar, who knows little about Alberta politics and even less about BC politics it seems like there's a bit of commonality with the referendum and the BC election: in both cases, the votes seem to have been called really for the benefit of the politicians. Not because anything made it necessary.
One of the big themes in politics these days is respect. Who is shown and not shown respect by elected officials. Well, the voters are busy people. Bothering them without good reason is not showing them respect, and they will punish you for it.
I have a couple of broader takeaways. 1. I still hear the argument that people vote for the best person to represent them. If that were true then Eleanor Sterko would still be an MLA. People vote for party first unless the party rep is a complete loser, but then looking at parliament and legislatures even some of those make it based solely on party. 2. Watching Conservative Party HQ I was struck by the broad range of ethnicities present as well as ages and genders and thought 10-15 years ago that would have been mainly older white people.
I hope going forward that Doerkson is the type of leader who says “I want to hear your ideas, not your prejudices” for there are prejudices present in the caucus just as there are in the NDP, but then looking at media jump harder on right wing prejudices.
Socred, then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds. Then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds. Then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds......
The BC voters, in their majestic manner of never letting any provincial party snuggle into senescence, have returned the "Lets slam our hands in the car door Ok" party to Victoria.
This should be a warning to all political parties: voters are in a punishing mood. Walk on eggshells for the foreseeable future. Maybe things will get done in this country.
Great summary. BC and Alberta voters are expressing a wish to be governed. For years Canadian politics has been slowly taking on the flavour of U.S. politics. A never ending morality play. Trump just added fuel to the fire. Perhaps it is time for elected politicians to focus on doing the job they were elected to do. Get off the stage and get to work.
If stunned political observers are trying to get a picture of Doerkson's personality and political ambition, his brief stint as Deputy Speaker is a tell.
Doerkson is a rare politician who is fascinated by how democratic institutions WORK. (After all, how many politicians vie for speaker's roles compared to cabinet seats?) Perhaps that's a hidden asset for BC considering the tilted hard left lean of many BC public institutions?
Many people seem to think that taking on the "culture wars" is a waste of time with so many other pressing issues. Perhaps, but it's also fair to suggest that the culture wars are the root cause of some of the problems. See: public disorder and crumbling social cohesion. Doerkson has a mandate to pursue reforms in the institutional life of British Columbians, just as the NDP have gleefully done in the past decade.
This is a very good summary of the lead up to the election, the election itself, and the possibilities in the aftermath.
Great work, Rob Shaw.
It's remarkable how popular conservative parties are when the media aren't actively running against them.
I would be tempted to say this is largely a federal/provincial phenomenon - indeed the media don't have skin in the game in provincial politics the way they do federally where they have now apparently six billion reasons to boost the Liberal party - but there is an element of this that polices ideology.
No matter what the issues are, you are dealing with a pretty narrow Overton window on the right before the TV news and 2/3 major paper chains start actively trying to defeat you. Doerkson seemed to be within that window, so was accepted as a reasonable choice. The media stayed out of it, played the election straight. Somehow Donald Trump's existence wasn't the all-consuming issue that it otherwise would be. Somehow an opponent's disingenuous attacks didn't always land. Columnists were willing to roll their eyes at the candidate on the left, call out their gaffes and hypocrisies. Eby ran a bad campaign, but would it have been seen as so bad if the national news spun his every move like he was the only acceptable option and his opponents were both evil and pathetic?
But let's see the results and how they play out for BC. Is a Conservative/Liberal hybrid, as this article casually mentions, really going to be willing and able to fix the significant problems BC faces after years of incompetent far-left leadership? Or will it be a government run by opinion polling and desire for permanent power, unwilling to make tough decisions that will become increasingly tough the longer they are put off, like the Ford government in Ontario?
There are some who are declaring this a turning point, that Canada is somehow making a great pivot away from woke AF Trudeau-ism. Don't hold your breathe.
I think that more than anything, Eby's fascination with handing vast swaths of real estate over to first nations with questionable claims to title scared boomers with much of their wealth tied up in home ownership.
Let's not kid ourselves: BC is still California grade crazy.
As an observer from afar, who knows little about Alberta politics and even less about BC politics it seems like there's a bit of commonality with the referendum and the BC election: in both cases, the votes seem to have been called really for the benefit of the politicians. Not because anything made it necessary.
One of the big themes in politics these days is respect. Who is shown and not shown respect by elected officials. Well, the voters are busy people. Bothering them without good reason is not showing them respect, and they will punish you for it.
Wow! I would like to know who convinced Eby to call an election?
I have a couple of broader takeaways. 1. I still hear the argument that people vote for the best person to represent them. If that were true then Eleanor Sterko would still be an MLA. People vote for party first unless the party rep is a complete loser, but then looking at parliament and legislatures even some of those make it based solely on party. 2. Watching Conservative Party HQ I was struck by the broad range of ethnicities present as well as ages and genders and thought 10-15 years ago that would have been mainly older white people.
I hope going forward that Doerkson is the type of leader who says “I want to hear your ideas, not your prejudices” for there are prejudices present in the caucus just as there are in the NDP, but then looking at media jump harder on right wing prejudices.
Socred, then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds. Then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds. Then Dippers. Then renamed Socreds......
The BC voters, in their majestic manner of never letting any provincial party snuggle into senescence, have returned the "Lets slam our hands in the car door Ok" party to Victoria.
Let the slamming of hands in car doors commence.
This should be a warning to all political parties: voters are in a punishing mood. Walk on eggshells for the foreseeable future. Maybe things will get done in this country.
Great summary. BC and Alberta voters are expressing a wish to be governed. For years Canadian politics has been slowly taking on the flavour of U.S. politics. A never ending morality play. Trump just added fuel to the fire. Perhaps it is time for elected politicians to focus on doing the job they were elected to do. Get off the stage and get to work.
If stunned political observers are trying to get a picture of Doerkson's personality and political ambition, his brief stint as Deputy Speaker is a tell.
Doerkson is a rare politician who is fascinated by how democratic institutions WORK. (After all, how many politicians vie for speaker's roles compared to cabinet seats?) Perhaps that's a hidden asset for BC considering the tilted hard left lean of many BC public institutions?
Many people seem to think that taking on the "culture wars" is a waste of time with so many other pressing issues. Perhaps, but it's also fair to suggest that the culture wars are the root cause of some of the problems. See: public disorder and crumbling social cohesion. Doerkson has a mandate to pursue reforms in the institutional life of British Columbians, just as the NDP have gleefully done in the past decade.
Here's hoping Cheryl Oates brings her campaign skills back to Alberta for Nenshi's 2027 electoral offer