Head Tale

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #2 – He’s Proved The Doubters Wrong

There are probably still people who think that Ryan’s 2009 run was a fluke. Sure, he came out of nowhere to finish second to one of the most experienced politicians of the last 30 years while beating out a sitting MLA and a former party President. But really, they ask, how much are you going to get tested when you go up against someone who has front-runner status from the moment he announces and never relinquishes that spot for the duration of the race?

That’s why so many people were watching the current race to see if Ryan could do it again, prove the doubters wrong and actually exceed his performance in 2009.

This time, Ryan’s no longer the virtual unknown. He’s no longer the youngest person in the contest. He’s no longer a (relative) political neophyte.

The dynamics of this race are totally different too – all four candidates are young men in their 30’s with fewer distinctions between their policy approaches than was the case in 2009. There are two sitting MLA’s who are relatively equal in everything from their time as an MLA to their qualifications to the strong base each has in Saskatchewan’s two major cities. There’s not a major “Anybody But…” movement against one of the four candidates happening (at least that I’m aware of.)

That’s why it’s been so gratifying to see that Ryan has not only met but (so far) greatly exceeded his performance last time, out-performing all of his rivals, including the two MLA’s who are much more experienced at running political campaigns (although, to be fair, Ryan’s the only one who’s run a leadership campaign though presumably, both Trent and Cam would’ve had big roles in previous leadership campaigns, successful or otherwise – Trent for Dwain Lingenfelter and Cam as a supporter of Deb Higgins.)

By most quantifiable measures, Ryan is leading the pack and leading it significantly, especially in the three areas where the NDP most needs improvement – fundraising, selling memberships and outreach to new members via social media and other techniques.

The Story of the #skndpldr Race (as of February 14, 2013)

	Cam Broten	Ryan Meili	Erin Weir	Trent Wotherspoon
*Fundraising*
Total Fundraising	$44,000	$88,000	$40,000	$74,000
Best Single Month	$20,000	$30,000	$15,000	$24,000
Total Surplus	$15,000	$19,000	$7,000	($3,000)
Social Media
Facebook Likes	1130	2408	549	1380
Facebook “Talking About”	141	469	8	163

There are so many other measures that aren’t public (or at least easy to quickly figure out) but Ryan seems to be doing well in most of these as well.

Most individual donors under $250
Most active social media team
Most innovative use of technology from releasing smartphone apps to hosting the campaign’s only RedditAMA to using online video for livestreaming and “Touts”
Most positive media mentions
Least self-funding of campaign by candidate
Least self-funding by candidate’s family and/or candidate’s senior advisors

Membership Has Its Privileges
But arguably, the most important measure in the race, especially for a party seeking to renew itself, is number of memberships sold. Unfortunately an exact breakdown of how many each campaign sold isn’t public . What we do know is that there were approximately 8,000 memberships at the start of the race and there are now over 11,000.

The Meili campaign was responsible for bringing in somewhere around half of those (though I’m not sure if those are all new or a mix of new & renewals.) But either way, Meili’s total is still a hugely impressive number.

Whether they were selling to new or renewing members, one thing I know is that the Meili campaign had a Membership Sales Leaderboard as an incentive for our “Green Team” members. Personally, I sold over 30 memberships and *still* only finished in 14th place!

Still, the recent Praxis poll seems to indicate that the race is pretty much a three-way heat between Ryan, Trent and Cam at this point. So the ultimate measure of who’s been the most successful candidate is still to be revealed. That answer will come in a just under a month when the ballots are counted.

As they’re voting, I’m hopeful the membership recognizes the success Ryan has had exactly in the areas where it is most needed – fundraising, membership sales and outreach to new members via social media and other methods. And that they vote accordingly!

Next – #1 – ???

PS – I know this series is focused on the reasons I’m supporting Ryan but in the interests of unity, I thought I’d acknowledge one quantitative area where each of the other candidates has led the pack:

Cam Broten – Most MLA Endorsements
Erin Weir – Most effective at getting media attention for issues he raises
Trent Wotherspoon – Most miles covered

¶ Posted 14 February 2013 § Politics § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #3 – That Positive Thing

September 2012 – Self-Selecting Infotainment CTV News Poll

February 2013 – Scientific Phone Poll by Non-Partisan Praxis Analytics

Waaaaay back in September, right after all four candidates had officially declared, CTV in Regina and Saskatoon made the subject of their nightly online poll “Who would you like to see lead the Sask NDP?”

Right after the poll opened, (see above), it was quickly clear that it was being gamed to varying degrees by people who appeared to be submitting repeated/false votes to inflate totals so certain candidates would look better when the results were posted.

(It was apparently clear to the news anchor when the results were announced too. I’ve never heard an anchor say this before announcing the nightly poll results but he prefaced the announcement by saying: “Remember folks, these results are informal, they’re not are not official so to speak, but we wanted an early peek at the NDP Leadership Race.”)

I wasn’t yet Ryan’s “Social Media Director” (I like campaigns that let you pick your own titles!) 😉 but sent a panicked message to a couple people on Team Meili to see whether they wanted me to start gaming the poll too?

The response I got back from Ryan reminded me of the difference between this campaign and what you might think of as “politics as usual” where gaming polls and other dirty tricks are just par for the course.

…[don’t] bother with gaming, I think it’s better to just leave it be and comment on flawed polls. This really will be of very little significance… And it’s just the first temptation of many…

Having been involved in Ryan’s 2009 run, I probably shouldn’t have needed the reminder that he would once again be running a positive campaign, based on honesty, integrity and good faith. But I did get the reminder (and have needed it again a few other times throughout the current race when I’ve not always lived up to those lofty expectations myself!)

As the race has gone on, it’s been helpful to keep Ryan’s sense of perspective and ability to focus on the ultimate goal in mind as we’ve increasingly dealt with trolls, media errors and pot shots from the other campaigns.

Ryan’s temperament is something to behold. I already go overboard with the hyperbolic Obama and Tommy Douglas comparisons but I’ll go one further – sometimes being around Ryan, you think “This must be what it was like to know Gandhi” or something! >:O (If Ryan wins, expect a post where I compare Meili to a masterful combination of Jesus, Gretzky, and whoever invented sticky notes!)

But seriously, over the course of two Leadership campaigns, I can’t honestly think of a single time where I’ve seen Ryan display anger (whereas I can name three times in the last week where something in the Leadership race has pissed me off!) 😉

Of course, in politics, being calm and level-headed is often seen as a weakness. I remember a long-time party member at the 2009 convention telling me “Ryan’s really good. He’s got all the tools. I think he’d make a great leader. But he just can’t fight like Dwain can so that’s who I’m voting for!” (I hope to see this person at the upcoming convention so I can ask him how that worked out for him. Er, unless I can remember to stay positive!) 😉

Okay, so let’s step back from the hyperbolic comparisons and assume Ryan isn’t the next coming of Gandhi or Obama or even Tommy Douglas. Is it still possible that he might change how politics are done, simply by using a positive approach we’ve rarely to never seen before?

I don’t know. But I do know that a lot of people seem to really admire how he’s willing to try.

Ryan says he wants to “change the conversation” and he’s already seen some success. His idea to focus everything back on health is being echoed by his leadership rivals.

His plan to use an evidence-based approach for political decision making rather than other more self-serving or unreliable indicators is another idea he’s had great internal success with and which would easily transition to wider usage if he were to be elected Leader.

One thing he’s only suggested trying (and has taken some heat for) is suggesting that maybe MLA’s should sit in alphabetical order by surname rather than aligned by party to improve the decorum in the Legislature. His quip at the Weyburn debate hit the nail on the head: “If Wall and Wotherspoon had to sit side-by-side, maybe they wouldn’t be such jerks to each other.” (If the Federal NDP are proposing time-outs, is alphabetical seating so far-fetched?) It’s not like this is a completely untried idea since other jurisdictions have tried it with positive results (there’s that word again!)

At the same time, there needs to be recognition that the idea of alphabetical seating isn’t a core part of Ryan’s policy vision either – instead, just an idea he’s floated. But it definitely shows an interesting contrast between Leadership candidates where some will seemingly rule out an innovative idea out immediately versus someone like Ryan who is willing to at least consider outside-the-box ideas that might help create a positive political experience for *everyone*, not just MLA’s but especially for the people they’re elected to serve, no matter where you sit (pun intended!) on the political spectrum.

So many people lament how politicians today act very negatively towards each other (the usual comparison is to children in a sandbox.) In terms of public trust, politicians are somewhere between drug dealer and used car salesman on the trust-meter.

There’s a huge opportunity for someone who’s positive, genuine and humble to enact unorthodox ideas that others aren’t even willing to consider – whether it’s something as small as alphabetical seating for the MLA’s in the Legislature or an entirely new Crown Corporation.

Another aspect of Ryan’s positive approach is how it’s appreciated by members of the general public. Erin Weir has repeatedly said that the NDP Leader won’t win a popularity contest against Brad Wall but I’m not convinced this is the case.

I don’t know if Ryan would ever be a regular caller to the Sports Cage radio program or a big hit with the country-music loving, Dodge truck driving guys in the oil patch. But he’s got his own way of appealing to people that comes from a relentlessly optimistic outlook, a naturally humble nature and a genuine compassion that shines through.

This isn’t just about impressing current NDP members either. It’s worth noting that Ryan is the only candidate that John Gormley seems to actually like. After interviewing Ryan, Mr. Gormley observed, “I’ve got a lot of time for that guy.” If Ryan can make a positive impression on John Gormley, is there anyone in the province who can resist? 😉

A timely article in today’s Saskatoon Star-Phoenix about the first non-partisan poll of the race appears to confirm this, noting that Ryan is the first choice of the majority of people who aren’t following the race closely (eg. members of the general public who the NDP needs to reach to regain governing status):

“‘[Meili’s] never been elected, so he doesn’t have that (public persona), and yet he seems to have done a very good job of drawing abreast of [Wotherspoon and Broten] in the public eye,” Cooper said. “There seems to be something about [Meili’s] persona that has some appeal.”

How Ryan’s positive, even-keel personality would stand up in the rough and tumble world of politics if he’s elected Leader remains to be seen. But given the response his approach has garnered so far from people across the province, NDP members and otherwise, I know he’s on to something.

Next – #2 – He’s Proved The Doubters Wrong

¶ Posted 13 February 2013 § Politics § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (2) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #4 – He Turns It Up To 10!

If you had $900,000 and someone offered to give you another hundred grand for free so you had a cool million, would you take it? Of course – I think anyone would agree that gaining something that costs you nothing but which adds incredible value to what you already have is a great deal.

That’s another reason I’m supporting Ryan’s candidacy.

Ryan’s written more eloquently about the advantages to the Sask NDP of electing someone who’s actually *outside* the Legislature at this point in time than I ever could in his “9+1” blog post.

But I still think that the potential of this unique opportunity to add talent to the current caucus is one of Ryan’s greatest immediate advantages so I’m including it on my list too.

By far, the strongest part of the case is to look at some other Leaders who were chosen by their parties before they were elected to office. This freed each to do all kinds of groundwork outside their respective Legislatures to build up their parties and prime each for their greatest electoral successes.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Jack Layton or Grant Devine? (A colleague has observed that the best thing the NDP ever did for Grant Devine was defeat him in a by-election which allowed him to focus on building the Sask PC party for its 1982 landslide. Imagine Ryan-as-leader being able to build up the NDP in a similar fashion to create a similar landslide result against the Sask Party in the future!)

There’s another part of this rationale that is particularly relevant at this point in time that may not have mattered as much just over a year ago when the NDP still had 20 seats. After being reduced from 20 to 9 seats, the current MLA’s are much more stretched and are often doing the work that was done by multiple MLA’s before the NDP’s 2011 defeat.

For example, Trent Wotherspoon is currently the Critic for Finance, Education, SaskPower, Global Transportation Hub, Information Technology Office as well as the only non-government MLA chairing a government committee, the one responsible for Public Accounts. Since the last election, Cam Broten has responsibility for a number of portfolios including being the Critic for Health, Seniors, Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration.

Should either Trent or Cam win the Leadership, that means the NDP caucus would, in all likelihood, still have nine members for the next few years but that one of them would have to add the full-time responsibilities of Leader. This means the work they currently do would get added to that of their other colleagues even though the number of bodies trying to do the work won’t have increased.

Of course, a lack of legislative experience has been one of the main charges against Ryan’s candidacy. Again, I think that if circumstances were different, this may be more relevant. But the reality is that, right now, what the NDP needs more than anything is someone who can connect with people across the province, sell memberships, raise funds and so on, unencumbered by Legislative or constituency responsibilities.

And, should Ryan win, that still leaves Trent and Cam in the Legislature able to use all of the legislative experience and knowledge they’ve gained since first being elected two elections ago to fight the good fight on that front.

But the reality is that a Leader is so much more than what they do in the Legislature – how they promote the party, how they inspire people with their vision – and, as with Jack Layton who was elected to City Council in Toronto before moving to the much different world of federal politics – there is precedent of Leaders going from a base in community-based advocacy and commitment to bigger and better things – which is *exactly* what the Sask NDP needs right now.

Since I’m refuting criticisms of the idea, another one that’s been raised is that the party can’t afford another non-MLA salary. Ryan refutes this succinctly in his 9+1 piece so I’ll use his words:

Concerns have been raised that having a leader outside of caucus would be too costly for the party. This is more about trying to dismiss the candidacy of a non-MLA than it is about any real financial barrier. The party has already budgeted for a modest stipend for the leader and I am committed to ensuring that this does not become a burden for the party. My campaign’s consistent success in fundraising is already a good indicator that we can grow the party’s support base enough to not just meet our expenses, but quickly retire the current debt and build toward a more stable financial future.

Or to put it another way, “you’ll never earn a dollar when you worry about the dimes.” 😉

I’m on a roll so I’ll refute one last criticism. One of Ryan’s opponents has pointed out that there are Leaders like Saskatchewan Liberal Leader David Karwacki who were also elected by their parties when they weren’t in the Legislature and didn’t have the success that either Layton or Devine had. So why does Ryan think he would be successful?

It appears that “stretched” applies to more than just how some MLA’s are feeling in their day-to-day duties because that attempted analogy is definitely a stretch! The situation before the Sask NDP is a big one but as the current official opposition with a long history as the province’s natural governing party and a population that is only a few years removed from a government utilizing a social democratic approach, that’s much different than trying to re-build a party which has all but ceased to exist since 1996!

Right now, the NDP has an opportunity in front of it – they can stay with the resources they have. Or, without even needing to win a by-election, they can vastly increase the talent they have on their team. Who wouldn’t take that offer?

Next – #3 – That Positive Thing

¶ Posted 12 February 2013 § Politics § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #5 – He Makes Politics Fun

One of Ryan’s volunteers has worked on numerous campaigns at all levels of government over the past twenty-five years. And one day, she happily told a few of us that she’s never had so much fun working on a campaign in her life!

I’ve only worked on a few but I had to agree – like that old saying goes, “It’s not work if it feels like fun” and that’s one of the things that’s made this campaign such a pleasure to be involved with.

Now, in many ways, “fun” isn’t a word you associate with politics. Politics is serious business. Anything done with humour risks offending someone. So politicians quickly learn to avoid taking any risks where humour is involved – jokes are bland, photo ops are staged, the political personality becomes a soft-focus version of the real person underneath.

But Ryan’s personality is a naturally fun one and it can’t help but shine through – whether he’s spontaneously “skiing” down a huge snow bank during a team meeting in Craik, choosing to break-dance during a leadership dance-off, turning a pirouette outside a supporter’s home or picking up a guitar and joining in for a song or two with whichever local band is providing the entertainment in fundraisers across the province. (And speaking of fun, his fundraisers truly are FUNdraisers – whether they feature a single high-energy Chilean band or a mix of music, comedy, slam poetry. Indeed, these events have been some of the most enjoyable political fundraisers I’ve attended in my life!)

There are numerous examples of how Ryan makes politics fun for others as well.

It started early with his tongue-in-(bearded)-cheek response to the “controversy” over his decision to keep his beard and has continued through the dozen or so debates where Ryan is regularly making jokes, humourous observations and ad-libbed quips (I remember his response about wind energy being a “wind-win situation” for the province in the first Regina debate.)

The other candidates make jokes too but I see a clear division between the two MLA’s and the two non-MLA’s in even how willing they are to make a joke – which is a shame as humour is a great vehicle for getting people to warm to you and listen to what more serious message you have to share. I think of the start of his TEDxRegina talk where before he begins his presentation, Ryan jokes about being a former politician so it’s gratifying to see an X by his name, even if it’s just the logo for the TEDx conference!

Ryan’s beard has become an unlikely symbol of his fun spirit since that first early blog post. For example, both Trent and later, Cam, had Twibbon badges that their supporters could add to their Twitter and Facebook profiles to show their support. But Ryan’s team took the idea one step further with a Twibbon which allowed supporters to not only add a Ryan badge to their profile pics but also an adjustable beard that was soon displayed by dozens of supporters – not just men but women, children and even a few celebrities!

On a related note, the sense of fun is also shown by Ryan’s online team’s willingness to use humourous memes to share his message – from using an image of RuPaul to promote a message that “It’s raining memberships!” as the deadline approached to the use of the popular “FTW!” meme supporters are encouraged to use after voting for Ryan. (For the plugged-in online crowd, this means “For the Win” although this is also a bit of a risque choice given the more traditional offline definition for those letters!) 😉

If Ryan wins, he won’t lose any of the characteristics that got him that victory – his intelligence, his experience, his compassion. But more than anything, I hope he keeps the one characteristic a successful politician often *does* lose – his sense of humour – as that’s so much a part of who he is and what makes him an appealing Leader.

No kidding.

Next – #4 – He Turns It Up To 10!

¶ Posted 11 February 2013 § Politics § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

Conception to Birth Visualized

Other than the fact that the scientist presenting this TED talk should know better than to hint that the complexity of human evolution as being so amazing that it evokes divinity, this is a pretty cool video…

(A bit more on the idea that just because something is complex, that means it must be divinely created – think of it this way: if human beings can create something as complex as a jumbo jet in just over a hundred years of “evolution” of this technology – or to quote, Louis CK: “You’re in a seat. In the sky!” – it actually shouldn’t be that hard to imagine that Science/Mother Nature/Evolution could create something as complex as a human being over millenia.)

¶ Posted 10 February 2013 § Baby § Family § Shea § Wisdom ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: cool, health, science

Saturday Snap – Free Sno-Kones at RPL

Going to take a break for the weekend from my “10 Reasons I’m Supporting Ryan Meili” series then resume on Monday and finish up #5 to #1 next week.

In the meantime, back to our regularly scheduled Saturday Snap – this one, highlighting one of the great advantages of working in one of the few public libraries in Canada with a fully-funded, fully-staffed and fully-operational art gallery, the Dunlop Art Gallery.

This means staff get previews of all the exhibitions where gallery staff walk us through the show and explain a bit about the artist, the background of the show and occasionally, what the art is about too! 😉

The latest show, “Good Intentions” by Jon Sasaki uses props from carnivals and sports events – things like mascots, confetti, fireworks, etc. – to comment on the disappointment that’s often inherent in these communal celebrations.

Below is an example of one element of this traveling show that’s only available when the exhibit is mounted during winter months. I’m not sure this is disappointing though – Winnipeg which is a frozen wasteland about eight months of the year apparently has the highest per capita consumption of 7-11 slurpees in North America!

¶ Posted 09 February 2013 § Photo § PopCulture § SaturdaySnap § Work ‡ Comments (0) °

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #6 – He Dropped Out of Sutherland (But Kept His Beard)

I was recently reminded by a long-time NDP member that, in the interests of unity, it’s important not to ascribe negative motives to candidate’s actions, especially during a Leadership race.

I don’t think I was particularly judging anyone negatively in the circumstance. But it was a timely reminder given that I was planning to write about Ryan Meili’s experience in Saskatoon-Sutherland and why, rather than seeing that as a reason not to support Ryan, it’s actually another reason that I do.

In fact, I think there are a few people in the Sask NDP would do well to take a similar approach and not judge Ryan for what happened in Saskatoon-Sutherland. Instead, they should try to understand that what happened might not be as straight-forward as it appears from the outside.

I should take a step back here for anyone who doesn’t know the story (and many readers won’t since this is pretty inside ball for all except the biggest political junkies.)

After coming in second in the 2009 Sask NDP Leadership race, Ryan committed to running for a nomination to be a candidate in the next election. Out of a few different options (and I may have some thoughts around that in future as well!), he chose to run in Saskatoon-Sutherland. Sutherland was a Sask Party held seat, not a “safe” NDP seat like many other candidates ran in during the most recent election. Ryan began the nomination race but at some point, decided to drop out.

And this is where the judging began…

Because for some in the party, this was (is?) a huge affront and proof that Ryan is not worthy to be Leader. The charges from some quarters came quickly: He expected to be handed a nomination on a silver platter. He quit when he knew he couldn’t win. He just wanted the top job but wasn’t willing to put in time doing anything else.

Personally, I had the opposite reaction. I was disappointed of course but also impressed with Ryan’s willingness to make, what must have been a very difficult decision he knew would probably blow back on him. For me, it was a testament to Ryan’s judgment and values, his willingness to make tough decisions and (depending on how the current Leadership race plays out), possibly also his long-term vision – all extremely important qualities in a leader.

So how does the story change if we’re trying not to judge? What if we try to understand what happened from Ryan’s point of view (although I’ll stress again, these are only *my* observations as I try to put myself in his shoes.)

Here’s what I saw…

Less than a year earlier, Ryan had been through a gruelling Leadership race. There was enormous pressure for him to seek a nomination. The new Leader, known for his hard-nosed, aggressive style seemed resentful that this unknown kid had come out of nowhere to nearly defeat him. That resentment appeared to linger even after the Leadership race was over. (One person I talked to observed that after a Leadership contest, usually the victor has to extend an olive branch to the loser. This was the only time he’d seen the defeated team offering olive branches to the victorious team to salve their wounds.)

As the second-place finisher and a clear rising star of the party, Ryan may not have expected anything to be handed to him. But he might have rightly expected the party to at least offer a similar path to a nomination that was given to the new Leader (who didn’t have a contested nomination as far as I can remember.) Instead, Ryan entered a multi-way race against a number of other candidates. And it may not have been a fair contest either as there were rumours that his campaign was actively being subverted by others within the party. Finally, Ryan likely foresaw the disaster that awaited the NDP in the next election. Even if he’d run for a nomination and won, it’s a strong possibility he might not have won against the Sask Party in that riding as a number of NDP candidates in “safe” seats (again, including the new Leader) also lost.

Considering all of that, I think Ryan realised that what he actually needed was a *break* from politics. This would give him the opportunity to re-centre himself, re-connect with his own values and remember why he gotten involved with politics in the first place. And then he’d be able to focus on exactly what he wanted his future to be.

He had more than enough options. He was newly married, beginning to plan for a new family, likely already tossing around the idea for his book plus all his various other commitments he already had – from his medical practice in Saskatoon to teaching at the University to practicing medicine in Saskatchewan’s north and overseas while also being involved with a variety of organizations from Canadian Doctors for Medicare and the U of S’s Social Accountability Roundtable. And contrary to the charge that he expected the top job without putting in time doing anything else, he continued to be an active member of the NDP, both locally and federally on top of everything else. (Ability to multi-task = another desirable leadership quality!)

Now Ryan’s running for Leader once again and in a month, we’ll know if his decision to drop out of Sutherland was a truly crippling blow to his political aspirations or is a big bag of nothing that only matters to political junkies who like to make politics into their own personal soap opera. 😉

That’s my take on Sutherland. So what’s the connection to his beard?

If Sutherland is seen as the biggest strike against Ryan by some in the party, I think the decision to keep his beard is probably the smallest strike against him.

And yet I see great similarities in how both cases show that Ryan is someone who makes his own decisions (even if there’s a political risk to himself or great pressure to do otherwise) and is willing to do things that many traditional politicians wouldn’t or won’t.

And speaking of beards, I can’t wait for tomorrow’s post…

Next – #5 – He Makes Politics Fun

¶ Posted 08 February 2013 § Politics § PopCulture § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (1) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #7 – He Grew Up On A Farm

Since the 2009 race, Ryan’s gone from being the youngest candidate to the oldest.

There’s also been another less obvious but equally drastic shift in the dynamic this time around…

In the last race, my memory is that ~~three of~~ all of the four candidates had strong rural connections – Ryan grew up on a farm, Dwain Lingenfelter still ran a family farm and (I think) Yens grew up on a farm too. Deb Higgins ~~was (maybe?) the only candidate without any farm background~~ and her husband had a ranch.

This time around, the pendulum has swung the other way – three of the four candidates have mostly urban roots leaving Ryan the only one with a farm upbringing as well as an immediate family member (his brother) who still farms. Erin was born in Saskatoon and grew up in Regina, Trent was born and raised in Regina and Cam lived in Regina and the far north (though, to be fair, I believe his in-laws still farm.)

With the province becoming increasingly urban, why is it important to have a Leader who not only understands but truly connects with rural issues? You only have to look at the current Saskatchewan electoral map to see where the party most needs renewal. We still control the north and have strong pockets in the cities. Turning the newly green parts of the cities orange again should be the easiest part of our renewal.

But for too long, we’ve ceded a large swath (er, pun fully intended. I’m on Team Meili after all) of the province to the Sask Party. Every time we visit Shea’s parents in Weyburn, it makes me extremely sad that the home turf of Tommy Douglas is now represented by a Sask Party MLA (who is, you’ll notice, from a rural background.)

(Slight tangent: Shea was a classmate of The Honourable Mr. Dustin Duncan so if you ever want to hear some stories about him in high school or what his nickname was back then, be sure to ask her!)

Anyhow, if the NDP is going to succeed again in rural areas, we need someone who has authenticity in that world. It’s a bit of a stereotype but there’s also some truth to the fact that rural people are naturally suspicious of “city folk”. Having a Leader who can “tell the hay from the straw”, as they say, will go a long way to creating that initial trust.

Rural people are also pragmatic and if presented with a vision like Ryan’s – not just of agriculture but the entire package – I know many of them will listen. Add in the fact that rural people are increasingly starting to feel mistreated or taken for granted by the Sask Party and there’s huge potential for a breakthrough.

This post is mostly about the advantages that Ryan’s rural roots would bring to the NDP if he were elected Leader. But there’s a related aspect in that, again like no other candidate, Ryan has direct, long-term experience living in almost every type of community that Saskatchewan offers. Raised on a farm near a small hamlet. Went to elementary school in a small town and high school in a mid-sized city. Has lived in Saskatoon for University and since finishing medical school with extended stints in northern Saskatchewan as well.

To me, there’s a huge difference between living somewhere and just visiting in how you get to know a place. (For me, it’s the difference I experienced between living in England for a semester versus if I’d gone for a three week long holiday.) Because Ryan has experienced pretty much every size and variation of community in the province in, I believe he’s gained a unique insight into the mindset and concerns of people in all types of communities across the province that would serve him well as Leader.

The other thing that can’t be under-rated is that, as a doctor, Ryan chose to *stay* in Saskatchewan, working in the inner city and far north of the province rather than seeking his fortune in Alberta or BC. Of particular appeal to rural people is the fact that he even worked as a rural relief locum, giving doctors in small communities around the province, badly needed time off.

I don’t care what their political leanings are – I’ve seen first-hand how that fact impresses people in small towns who often have struggled to receive adequate medical care locally.

His knowledge and connection to rural communities, his existing connection to a family farm, his work as a rural relief locum – Ryan is the perfect candidate to lead a revival of the NDP’s fortunes in rural Saskatchewan.

Next – #6 – He Dropped Out of Sutherland (But Kept His Beard)

¶ Posted 07 February 2013 § Politics § PopCulture § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (5) ° Tagged: saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #8 – His Book

This reason strikes particularly close to home for me.

When I convocated from the U of R with a BA – English way back in 1996, I lived in great fear that I would only find work in the “French Fried Arts” as was the stereotype for Arts grads then (and probably now too…if there are any Arts grads left!)

Instead, through a combination of good luck and fortuitous timing, I ended up working for an industry association representing book publishers across the province in what turned out to be as close to a dream job as a book-loving, new-English degree-having kid could want.

It was while I worked for the Saskatchewan Publishers Group and especially later, when I worked for the Writers Guild of Alberta, that I realised how easy people thought it was to write a book.

At the WGA, not a week would go by without my getting a call from some would-be author asking how to get their book published or protect their copyright or sell the movie rights. Those are all very legitimate questions for first-time authors except that in the vast majority of the cases, these people hadn’t actually written the book yet!

Maybe they had an idea for a book. Or had joined a writing group and done some exercises. Or they’d even written a few pages before losing steam. In many cases, I got the impression that the most creative activity they had done was laying in bed dreaming night after night of the riches that would arrive when they did write the book, who would star in the movie version, the questions Oprah would ask them.

That’s a big part of what impresses me about Ryan having actually written a book – I’ve seen first hand how hard it is.

Writing a book requires a special kind of dedication and perseverance that is rarely seen. It means that you have to have a plan for how to write and then the follow-through to actually do so, over days and weeks and months (and occasionally years) until the project is completed. You have to be a self-starter and you have to be able to work through writer’s block. For a non-fiction book like Ryan wrote, you need to be able to synthesize enormous amounts of external information into a cogent whole.

And finishing a manuscript is just the beginning. Then you have to go out and find a publisher – a disheartening experience at the best of times. (One small regional literary press I worked with received more manuscripts than there are days in the year, all for the dozen or so spots they have for the books they publish each year.)

Of course, beyond writing it and finding a publisher, the other thing that impresses me is that Ryan’s book is so well-written. It accomplishes something that may seem simple but is extremely difficult – combining story-like anecdotes along with academic facts, evidence and research as well as an analysis of the current political landscape into a very readable work.

There are many reasons I like Ryan (as this series of posts will attest) but on a personal level, perhaps one of the things I like best about him is that he’s a fellow word-person. He lives for puns, playing with language, word games.

Look at his work during this campaign – from an early blog post about his decision to keep his beard entitled “Whisker Campaign, or, What’s In A Mane?” to a proposal for SaskPharm – his love of language shines through.

It shines through in other ways too – Ryan speaks what, 18 languages or something? (Okay, I think he’s up to fluency in four or five and passable knowledge in a handful of others. But that’s another clear sign of a language lover.)

Why is his love of language and his fluency in different languages important? Well, besides being a testament to his formidable intelligence, when you think about it, one of the most fundamental aspects of politics is the ability to communicate – in blog posts and speeches and policy documents. Ryan has an outstanding ability to use words to make you excited or angry or perhaps even a bit wistful.

It’s amazing to watch Ryan communicate his ideas to people – he does it indirectly through his book of course but it’s also impressive to watch how he communicates, whether to a crowd in the hundreds at a debate, to a roomful of people during a coffee party or how he connects with people one-on-one.

*That* is what this party needs to renew itself and that’s another reason why I believe Ryan is the best choice for Sask NDP Leader.

Next – #7 – He Grew Up On A Farm

¶ Posted 06 February 2013 § Politics § PopCulture § Saskatchewan ‡ Comments (0) ° Tagged: book, saskatchewan

10 Reasons I’m Supporting @ryanMeili for #skndpldr – #9 – His Team

I’m sure each of the candidates has a strong team of experienced hands guiding their team’s strategies and other activities. But, as with my post yesterday, I want to highlight a couple things that I think set Ryan’s team apart from the rest of the field.

Of course all the teams have lots of people who’ve been around for a long time (or were “born in orange diapers” as one person put it.) But, simply as a reflection of the number of new members he’s brought in, I suspect Ryan’s team similarly contains more party outsiders (or recent newcomers) than any other campaign. These outside experts bring new eyes which encourages new ideas and new approaches. That in turn is, I think, a big part of the reason Ryan’s team has been so successful in so many important areas – from fundraising to social media to innovative policy proposals.

I don’t want to sound elitist (which means this next statement is guaranteed to sound incredibly elitist!) 😉 but Ryan’s also attracted what is probably the most highly educated team . I joked to someone recently that I hadn’t seen so many Masters degrees and Doctoral degrees (including the candidate himself of course) since I was in grad school! 😉 But this does translate to tangible benefits – it means a big part of your social media efforts are guided by someone who has a PhD in Computer Science, you get statistical analysis by someone who has a PhD in that area and so on and so forth.

This isn’t just about playing “count the letters after the names” though – Ryan has people on his team who have amazing backgrounds and experience in graphic design, communications, event planning, translation and more – much of it gained outside of traditional politics.

The final element of what makes Ryan’s team special is its size, both in terms of sheer numbers and geography. My colleague, Aaron Genest, has already discussed the size of Ryan’s social media team – 60+ people who are interested in helping with all manner of digital initiatives from tweeting & re-tweeting to help amplify our key messages to creating original viral content to building & testing smartphone applications. In terms of geography, Ryan isn’t just relying on support from people here in Saskatchewan but from supporters across Canada and beyond. High-profile endorsements from Federal MP’s like Libby Davies and Niki Ashton are part of this but personally, I’ve found it amazing to sit in on online conference calls featuring everything from a team member in a cafe in Mexico City to a volunteer riding on a train between Montreal and Toronto to seeing regular input from a volunteer in Norway!

That’s all well and good (and, as part of Ryan’s team, I feel a bit self-serving to cite his team as a reason I’m supporting him!) But that’s just his current team.

What’s even more exciting to me is the team that I think Ryan will be best-positioned to lead should he emerge as the victor in this race!

Whereas Erin Weir and his team have decided to take a fairly aggressive approach to other campaigns (let’s just say no volunteers from any other campaign have challenged me to a charity boxing match!) and Cam Broten had personal attacks made by his volunteers questioned by Ryan at a recent debate, Ryan and his team haven’t done anything during this race (at least as far as I can see) that would leave hard feelings with members of other teams. (To be fair, neither has Trent Wotherspoon or his team. In all truth, Trent has probably been the most statesman-like of any of the candidates throughout from what I’ve seen. And I won’t even worry about that quote being used out of context!) 😉

But I do think Ryan’s relentlessly positive approach will serve him well, not just as he convinces the membership he is the best choice but, should he emerge victorious, especially as he works to unify the camps into a single-purpose, focused team after the leadership race is over (a huge failing of the last leader IMHO).

Next – #8 – His Book