I really wasn't going to get into this today, but ....
If I'm reading your point correctly, the bottom line might be that politics doesn't matter. That is, Albertans might just was well vote Liberal as for anything else, and then they might give us something too? Or at least, with cabinet representation, they might crap on us less?
The Liberals have run on that argument here for a long time. I recall basically that platform from a Liberal candidate in Calgary in 1984. And, for a group without any evident ideology, it's internally consistent for them to make that argument. Why wouldn't you vote for them; hell, it's a big tent.
We've already spent some time talking about the level of thoughtfulness among the electorate generally. I'm not surprised that you can't get an articulate response from your average on-the-street Albertan. Why, after 15 years, does the CF18 contract keep getting brought up? It's hardly on par with conscription. My W.A.G. would be that it is a pretty clear example of how we feel things ought to be done differently. The principle that tax dollars are scarce and therefore ought to be spent as effectively as possible. And that "effective" does not include shoring up political support. In that context, the CF18 contract is little different than the HRDC boondoggle -- both are telling of a philosophy.
The argument keeps coming back to principle. The guiding principle of the Liberal party is to attain and retain power, and the question of "at what cost?" is getting new answers all the time. Whereas in Alberta, I think Harper's point was well taken: the ethos is to combine the best of the British and the American experiences. Respect for honourable and fair dealing, with an aggressive drive to make for a better future. Sure, we can vote Liberal -- but only at the expense of that principle. The guy on the street may not articulate it particularly well, but he shows it in his voting.
Looks like I was 2,388 too late for a shirt. |
