Decision '09: The Post-Mortem

Today was the culmination of five months of a leadership campaign, thousands of hours devoted by hundreds, interest in a non-P.C. race like never before. It was the finish line for two tireless candidates and their teams.

Now, I’d like to add my congratulations to Danielle Smith. I had the feeling from the start of this race that I was witnessing the rise of the next serious player in Alberta’s political scene, each coffee or phone chat reinforcing that belief.

Her victory signals the arrival of both Danielle and the Wildrose Alliance. Fringe no more (a label I never really accepted), the party has justified its surprising position in recent polls. It has erased any thoughts of the Calgary-Glenmore by-election as being a ‘fluke’ or strictly a protest vote.

The dynamic new party now has a dynamic new leader. The surge of the Wildrose Alliance continues.

Regarding Mark Dyrholm…

He may be the ‘non-winner’, but I would suggest that Mark did, in fact, score a victory. The effort he and his team put into this race was almost surreal. I doubt that I have ever been witness to such an example of effort and commitment than what I saw here.

Mark never backed down from his assertions, never waivered from a position no matter the potential controversy. He proved what I had always suspected: while Mark was my second choice in this race, I still rank him above any of the other provincial party leaders.

One of my primary questions from the beginning has not been who would win. The issue was what would happen post-vote.

Would the coalition that makes us the party we are – proud libertarian and social conservative all – come through the hard-fought battle enough intact to repair and renew?

It was clear who had won when Mark Dyrholm was the first to step up to the podium. Tradition dictates that the concession speech precedes the acceptance speech. It was the words and the commitment Mark expressed that answered those questions.

In fact, Dyrholm made me wonder, because of the intensity of the battle, if the party had come out the other side actually strengthened. The fact that he accepted defeat with style and professionalism isn’t surprising. It’s was his public declaration that “…Danielle Smith is my leader!” that signaled the solidarity of this brash new party.

Mr. Dyrholm, I tip my hat to you.

I believe that moment, combined with Danielle’s victory, also signaled the beginning of the end of almost four full decades of Progressive Conservative rule in Alberta. All indications are that the Wildrose Alliance is one solid, unified party, which could mean a very bumpy future for Steady Eddie Stelmach. Sphere: Related Content