Leader’s Debate in Saskatchewan called a win for Karwacki
This first appeared on SaskVotes.com
(Caution, I’m going to let a little of my partisanship slip out in this post. Debate is encouraged, and I won’t even turn my back on you, because unlike Lorne Calvert, you’ve got a shot at being Premier in the future.)
What kind of person from Saskatchewan hasn’t heard the term, “beer run” before? I guess border townies hear it more often. It refers to the tendency of raucous young men (mostly) making day trips to the US, simply to drink their inferior beer. Anyway, that has been the loudest complaint about Sask Liberal leader David Karwacki’s performance last night. There has also been a lot of comments on Brad Wall’s tie, and Lorne Calvert’s plain suit. Who are these witty debate fashion pundits anyway?
It seems the online opposition to David Karwacki has voiced their complaints about his behaviour loud enough that he’s the talk of the debate. And I can’t help but feel good about that, because the Sask Liberals have most of the best policies, and the best shot at changing the back-room dynamic that has infested the Legislature for far too long. Who was asking questions about Victoria Park Capital’s transparency before Calvert started poking at Wall’s “Enterprise Saskatchewan”? And who was pointing out the hypocrisy of the Sask Party and NDP MLAs taking “gold plated” health care packages?
From the Leader-Post:
While Karwacki generally evenly doled out his criticism (he accused Calvert of having to raise the PST two-percentage points to meet NDP spending and scolded Wall for using Ontario Conservative leader Mike Harris’s economists to balance the Sask. Party platform) a couple of the Liberal Leader’s comments and gestures towards Calvert may have been especially damaging.
One such quip was suggesting to Calvert that his universal prescription drug plan should cover truth serum.
However, the most damning thing Karwacki did — one of the lasting images from the debate — was constantly turning his back to Calvert and addressing remarks to Wall who Karwacki kept saying will be the next Premier of Saskatchewan.
It often seemed as if Karwacki was the only one fighting this debate with both gloves off.
It just can’t get much better for a 3rd running leader. That is, until election day, and the province decides they don’t want a two party system when a third party presents such a forceful alternative to the bi-partisan bickering of Wall and Calvert. Why have bi-partisan disagreements, when you can have a third party to state the obvious, with no fear?
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November 1st, 2007 at 9:04 am
The only problem is most are not talking about his policies or ideas (many which are substantive), they are talking about him being a loud mouth. I will agree that he had to be brash in order to insert himself between the polarized sides of this election. However, like I said before, it is a double-edged sword. While we, those who follow politics daily, can dissect his performance to such a degree the average voter will have only seen someone shouting louder then someone else. In addition, they will have seen the leader of the party they might vote for concede defeat and might be re-thinking their vote. But when you are sitting probably near 10% in the polls, in a dog fight for your own riding and most likely will be out of a job should you not win, then you have to go for broke.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:05 am
“I think that the Leader’s Debate in Saskatchewan could be called a win for David Karwacki !”
Mrs Karwacki (David’s mom)
November 1st, 2007 at 9:08 am
“I just kind of thought Karwacki’s comment came out of nowhere. The Liberal Leader’s remark caught the attention of many people in the region.”
Dylan Clarke
-Manager of the South East Regional Economic Development Authority -Chair of the Soo Line Highway Corridor Association,
November 1st, 2007 at 10:11 am
Ha, good one Leftdog (the mother joke that is).
November 1st, 2007 at 8:20 pm
John….I have been wondering if your Liberal roots go all the way back to my old high school teacher in Glentworth..Karl Klein. He was largely responsible for me being such a political junkie…he was a great Liberal MLA and a great man.
I just want to urge you to tell all your blog visitiors that this could be a watershed moment in Saskatchewan history. If all the Sask Party and Liberal supporters get out there and work their tails off in making sure the NDP are toasted!!
We know that the NDP are masters at scaring the crap out of their core and getting out the vote…..it’s time to fight fire with fire….the collective right wing just has to get off it’s butt and make sure they do the same…..if you don’;t you are putting the future of your province at great risk……do you really want to wake up next Wednesday and find the NDP still in power?????????
Come on, if you can’t do it for yourself at least do it for your friends and neighbours…..you have a hell of a battle to fight….NDP lies, unions lies, old people stuck in the NDP rut, etc…etc.
I’m begging you ,get rid of the Lying Red Bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 2nd, 2007 at 2:14 am
Karwacki has basically settled for being a non-contender in my view. Not the strong leadership that Saskatchewan needs from their Liberal party leader just as much as it needs if from the NDP or Sask party leaders.
That being said, should the Liberals manage to win themselves some seats in this election, they should make politics in Saskatchewan a lot more interesting. However, they’ll have to overcome some apparently-lingering anger over transforming what was elected as an NDP minority government into a coalition majority a couple elections back.
That being said, we can hope. I don’t support the Saskatchewan Liberals as a potential government, but the opposition will be sronger with them than withoud them, and I do favour a strong opposition.