Deja vu all over again?

Well here we are nicely into the election campaign and if you are sensing a strange feeling of dejavu, you are not alone.

Like last time out, it looks as if the Tories are in a spot of bother.

You'll recall last time, the pollsters were very comfy picking Danielle Smith and her Wildrosers toput an end to the Tory dynasty.

Well, we all know what happened after that.

Both party leadership structures essentially imploded due to various dynamics.

Fast forward to 2015 and here we are.

The question is, will Albertans take a flyer on Brian Jean and Wildrose to the extent the party canform government?

It doesn't seem likely.

The problem is for Wildrose remains a fear factor on the social right, and the diversification ofelectoral support of other parties.

This is especially true of Rachel Notley's NDP which pollsters are picking to turn Edmonton moreorange than a Halloween pumpkin; and the advent of the Alberta Party into the mainstream centristarena.

That there is enough support for candidates of that new option to win real seats is dubious.

But votes will bleed and in the case of Wildrose, strong central-right fiscal voters who have a fear ofan overly right social stance might tend to migrate to that party if in fact they decide to leave JimPrentice and his new/old Tories.

What is in the cards is a minority government. The question is who will form it?

Talk of coalition is rich, but unlikely.

Notley is in good stead. She probably won't be Alberta's next premier but she will undoubtedlydecide who is.

Locally, the two longstanding PC seats are an interesting political science study.

Wildrose vet Todd Loewen came close to beating PC Everett McDonald in GP-Smoky last time. Twosides of coin are in today's flavour there probably has been enough migration to make up the 500 orso votes Loewen lost by; then again, McDonald at the legislature level was making his first run, henow has a term under his belt.

In GP-Wapiti, Wayne Drysdale's support has been pretty solid and with a parachute Wildrosecandidate it would seem unlikely that colour will change.

The important message is to challenge candidates on real issues that affect us: Our infrastructure,education, health care, or whatever else matters to you.

And to vote.

It's amazing especially working at a media outlet how many people take the time to whine publiclyabout things but don't take 15 minutes out of their busy lives to vote.

Voter turnout numbers are embarrassing. Let's fix that for starters.

-Fred Rinne

http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/2015/04/23/deja-vu-all-over-again