Political blur ...

OK, I got up this morning at my regular time - about 8:00 or so (hey, I usually work until 1 am!) and was a bit flummoxed when I turned on the TV to watch the morning breakfast shows.

There, giving me the morning news in his best newscaster voice was ... our Alberta Premier, Ralph Klein. This was a bit of a shock, to say the least. Now I know back in the day Ralph was a weatherman for our local TV station, so he does know the biz. But he is the sitting Premier of our province! And one of the stories he covered was about ... himself! And how it was brave of him to even attempt to reform the healthcare system. What the ....?

Was he auditioning for a job after his forced retirement in September of this year? Was he trying to perpetuate his image as Populist Ralph, Man of the People?

One of my colleagues thought that it might have been done tongue in cheek. But it looked pretty authentic to me. No satirical stories here. I was a little uncomfortable about it at the time, but as the day wore on, I was even more so.

It speaks to the separation - or perceived separation - of government and the media. The media is supposed to be the public's watchdog - our eyes and ears - on the workings of government. But increasingly government is co-opting the media in order to get their message out - in whatever way they can. Look at the cozy relationship between the White House and Fox News. Granted, this was a pretty creative way - straight from the horse's mouth (insert other equine body part here, if desired).

Politics in Alberta continue to astound me. No change in government since 1971. No effective opposition and none on the horizon. Or is there? With our booming economy, more and more people are moving to Alberta - and many are from that bastion of Liberal thinking, Ontario. Methinks there may yet be change in the air ...

Comments

Sarah Elaine said…
Shock, indeed. Would have been enough to make me upchuck my coffee. Oy vey...
Turtle Guy said…
Change in the air... likely, but soon? I took part in an opinion poll a while back - think I might have told you about it - that asked our opiniion on the political situation in Alberta. There's a reason we've been Conservative since 1971. Could it be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" or "complacency runs rampant"?

Two very intersting components of human nature. If things are bad enough, we WILL do something about it, AND better the devil you know...

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