BC Election Post-mortem

Well it's over. The dullest Provincial Election campaign in the 20+ years I've been in BC. Gordon Campbell droning on about not rocking the boat or changing horses in this economy, Carole James harping about Gordo and his insider friends selling out B.C. and the Greens being their usual ineffectual selves. It could and probably should have been a better opportunity for James to make a breakthrough. She tried, and she did better after the debate in which Campbell sounded condescending about what a tough job he had, but she just seemed too much like a well-meaning School Trustee and not enough like a get-things-done woman (like a left-leaning Thatcher, maybe?) to really catch on.

When the campaign's focus shifted from how Carole seemed to be selling out environmentalists on the gas tax to how she was going to hike up the price of beer, it became obvious who was controlling the public agenda and how it would turn out. Serious topics, unfortunately, were not to be dealt with.

So why should we be surprised over the 52% turnout? We were all lulled into complacency. Gordon may have had a slight scare by not getting more than 50 seats in the ledge, but anyone who thinks humility will transform the man is dreaming. We're getting four more years of the same. More privatized rivers, longer waits in Emergency and more corporate influence. And we only have ourselves to blame by not waking up from this sleepy sideshow.