The Alberta Election: What Did We Learn?

Once again, the pollsters were wrong. Why this time? I'm glad you asked. Let's look at what happened during the last few days leading up to the election. On Saturday, based on poll results tabulated just after the Election Debate, the pollsters had the Wildrose up 41 percent to 32 percent for the Conservatives. By election time, the results had shifted 12 points resulting in a Conservative victory and a second place finish for the Wildrose.

Was there really a shift or did the pollsters have it wrong? My opinion, there really was a shift. For anyone who watched the debate on Thursday night, just 2 days before the release of the final polls, I suspect that you were just as shocked as I was when you heard the answer from Danielle Smith, leader of the Wildrose Party, when she was asked about climate change.

Wildrose leader Danielle Smith stated, to quote from The Canadian Press:

"There is still a debate in the scientific community," said Smith before being drowned out by a chorus of boos and catcalls from hundreds of people who attended a leaders debate outside CBC's downtown studio.

"And we're going to continue to watch the debate in the scientific community," she said raising her voice to be heard.

I was absolutely floored when I heard this. My dear friend, The Vickster, an avid supporter of the Reform Party, even conceded a few years back that climate change was real. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think even the American Republican Party now concedes the point. And Wildrose doesn't?

When I heard her statement and I heard the audience reaction, I turned to the Beauty and said "there goes the election". After the gay comments and the White is Better comment, I think that this was the straw that broke the camels back. 

This morning on the radio, I heard John Moore say that the lesson that Danielle Smith failed to learn from Stephen Harper was how to reign in the crazies and give the rest of the country comfort that they could be voted for. That's easy to say when your not #1 amongst the crazies. It wasn't a party yahoo who made the crazy remark in Alberta, it was the leader.

Crazy is as crazy does.