10 Random Thoughts on @scottmoeSK Becoming New #skpoli Premier
Of all the hardcore political junkies I know/follow on Twitter/Facebook/elsewhere, I honestly don’t remember anyone picking Moe to win. I would say about 60% picked Chevy, 30% picked Koch (including me) and 10% picked Wyant.
True, that might also be because Moe doesn’t seem very memorable in general (I heard him described as “where charisma goes to die”.) The comparisons to Ed Stelmach, another politician who was perceived as boring after following another very popular premier, just as Moe will now have to fill the big shoes of Brad Wall, have already begun. (At the same time, NDP’ers probably shouldn’t under-estimate him. He’s just done the anti-Trump – beating a field of higher-profile and arguably better organized candidates by running a steady, low-key campaign.)
“Moe of the Same.”
*If* the teachers put Moe over the top because he promised education $30 million, that’s great. But there’s a lot of light between a promise and putting something in practice (not to mention risk when you do.) And with our province potentially heading for even choppier financial waters, that money (if it comes) has to come from somewhere. So where does Moe cut/add taxes/increase revenue to find $30 million in the couch cushions?
Lots of folks are now saying this is a great opportunity for the NDP to lock up the centre as the Sask Party has basically killed off their Liberal wing (see bottom of article) with Tina Beaudry-Mellor finishing as a rounding error (seriously – she got 3400 votes in the last election in her home riding but only got 226 in the first round of a province-wide leadership race?!?) and Gord Wyant coming in fourth out of four serious candidates. Of course, most of those “experts” are also the ones who picked Chevy or Koch or Wyant to win. So when I hear that, I translate it as “How do I justify this result in terms of my preferred candidate?” So instead, I’ll repeat myself – “all we know is we don’t know anything” about who would match up best with Scott Moe of the two Sask NDP leadership candidates. (For example, yes, Wotherspoon is more centrist. But with his farm upbringing and time spent in rural communities as a rural relief locum, I think Meili would be much better at reaching rural voters.)
“Moe Szyslak” (but seriously, I can’t decide if the fact that he shares a name with a Simpsons bartender or the fact that he killed someone in a car accident plus has a youthful DUI will be more harmful to his political fortunes.)
In terms of reasons why I wanted to see each candidate win, I thought Chevy was best opponent for the NDP, Wyant was best for the province, Koch was best opponent for Ryan Meili, Beaudry Mellor was best for *future* of the Sask Party. Interestingly, I literally could not think of a reason why I thought Moe should win. Shows what I know! 🙁
Post a Comment