When the leader of the BC NDP pulls up in a sa国际传媒渟weet bussa国际传媒� and starts talking about how tough he is, you cansa国际传媒檛 help but get a little bit swept up in the excitement of election season.
NDP Leader John Horgan arrived in Kelowna Thursday with a small army of provincial media in tow and decided to throw down the gauntlet in the land of centre-right, free-enterprise loving politics.
sa国际传媒淚 was on the radio here today in Kelowna, and the host said sa国际传媒榯heysa国际传媒檙e doing negative adssa国际传媒� and I said sa国际传媒業sa国际传媒檓 shocked. Christy Clark is being negative? I cansa国际传媒檛 believe it,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Horgan said.
He then went on to list all the many things Clark has said about him.
sa国际传媒淪he called me a hacker, until it was clear I was not a hacker. She said something about me being not tough enough, clearly she didnsa国际传媒檛 see my nose after I was poked in the face playing lacrosse.sa国际传媒�
Hesa国际传媒檚 plenty tough, he said. But are the dear, sweet people of this valley? Are NDP supporters strong enough to turn the tides of local history?
One of the women who went to the Deli City cafe Thursday appeared to be. She talked about how she just recently got into a heated political debate with her fellow residents at a local retirement home and when they went too right wing, she was tempted to offer up her right hook. All of this was in jest sa国际传媒� I think.
What was more serious however is that the gauntlet has been thrown down, the gloves are off and wesa国际传媒檙e going headlong into campaign season.
Itsa国际传媒檚 early days, but theresa国际传媒檚 a big chance that this political fight will be less polite than others. Itsa国际传媒檚 the way things are going.
When asked when hesa国际传媒檇 be releasing his platform, Horgan joked with reporters that it would be, really big. Great. Everyone will like it sa国际传媒� or something to that effect.
The Donald Trumpism got everyone in the room laughing, but it also was a reminder of how ugly recent election campaigns have become. The last Canadian federal election had a whiff of nastiness, but our American neighbours really brought it to a new level. One that I hope doesnsa国际传媒檛 make its way here.
So, letsa国际传媒檚 all cross our fingers and wish that these political leaders, however tough they may be, arensa国际传媒檛 hardened to the idea of civility as they scramble for votes.
Otherwise, let the games beginsa国际传媒攊tsa国际传媒檚 election time.
