Mrs Smith Leaves Edmonton

How fate loves a jest:

Danielle Smith has lost her bid for the Progressive Conservative nomination in her riding of Highwood, losing out to Okotoks Coun. Carrie Fischer. 

Smith, the former leader of the province's Official Opposition, led the defection of nine Wildrose MLAs to the ruling PC party in December — a move that angered many in her southern Alberta riding. 

[...]

Smith wasn't the only former Wildrose member to fail to find footing in the Tory party Saturday. Gary Bikman lost his bid for the nomination in Cardston-Taber-Warner to Brian Brewin shortly after the Highwood vote.

And they say the media never reports good news. From the distance of two thousand miles this has a beautiful ring to it. If any of our Alberta readers has some insights missed by the MSM, please drop them in the comments. While journalists do occasionally commit acts of journalism, they should never be relied upon entirely.

To me this is the grassroots flipping the bird to a floor walker. The defection of Smith and the other Wildrose turn coats must rank as one of the dumbest moves in Canadian political history. This is the kind of stuff that Joe Clark would have taken one look at and slowly backed out of the room. Belinda "Minister of Complex Files" Stronach would have laughed casually before telling security to escort out Jim Prentice's minions. Yet Danielle Smith thought this was a good idea.

Why? We really don't have an answer to that question three months after the pre-Christmas defections. There was every chance that Smith might have been the next Premier of Alberta. When the Wretched Nine crossed even Colby Cosh, native Albertan and as shrew a pundit as types in this fair Dominion, was left grasping at straws. Something about the Wildrose being an unwieldy coalition or perhaps that Albertans have a deep loyalty to the Natural Provincial Party of Government. As if four million fellow Canadians have lost the capacity for independent thought. 

Canadian history is replete with examples of chaotic parties being whipped into shape and frog marched into government. The most famous recent example was the Mulroney Tories, a party which made so little sense it promptly imploded the second it became clear the Chinned One's political career was finished. Or are we to imagine that the divisions among the political Right in Alberta are more pronounced than those between Quebecois soft nationalists and Western libertarians thirty years ago? 

The most common explanation provided after the crossing, probably because it's the most venal and therefore fits neatly into our implicit understanding of politicians, is that Smith was seeking power. If that was indeed her motive then she is remarkably foolish individual. The path to power was pretty clear in December 2014. Keep hitting the government until it cracks in the assembly and then falls to pieces during the writ period. Imagine the incredible field day Smith would have had if she'd remained on the opposition benches during the recent tabling of the provincial budget. A big fat target even a fool couldn't miss.

The only explanation that seems to make sense is this one: The lady lost her nerve. Politics is a bizarre and at times revolting job. The leader of a party that is a contender for power has to want it desperately. Has to have what the pundits call "the fire in the belly." A leader who surrenders on the eve of victory, with scarcely a shot being fired, is a leader who clearly lacks any fire whatsoever. Danielle Smith will now have a very long post-political career to contemplate her foolish treachery. 

 

Comments

[Cytotoxic]

Not only is this a disaster for Smith, it's a disaster for the PCs. An equally stupid self-inflicted wound. Who will defect to them now?

[Cytotoxic]

I'd also like to add that Smith's exit and the rest of the Wildrose Pruning was the best thing to happen to the party since it gained opposition status. Smith had done nothing good since the election-it was all Harper-style 'centrism' from her. Gutted the platform. When that failed she could only respond with MOAR CENTRISM.