Christy Clark's Big BC Gamble

The BC Liberals are in trouble and Christie Clark an unelected former AM talk radio host and Premiere of BC aims to change her party's fortunes ahead of the next provincial election. Drawing on her strengths, Clark is going back to her roots, the demagoguery and browbeat of AM conservative talk radio to bring her message to the masses.


With the legislature returning to work since the November break, Clark, who presumes to represent all of British Columbia, thought it best to deliver a preview of her agenda, by addressing the public directly in an unprecedented 90 minute local radio address on AM 980 CKNW. Yes, local radio, I don't think that citizens in Kamloops or Prince Rupert would be able to pick up the signal but I digress.


The mock throne speech was short on substance and Clark gazed into her crystal ball predicting, "there would be no wage increase for B.C.'s teachers." and that the ongoing labour dispute was likely to not be settled by negotiation.


In my opinion here is Christy Clark's big gambit: Create a wedge between the spoiled, overpaid, lazy teachers / Pro NDP union lovers and the rest of the salt of the earth people of BC. Why not? Wedge style politics are the bread and butter of conservative politicians even if they call themselves progressives or liberals, in Clark's case the latter. There is no better way to rile up the average hardworking citizen then talk radio on a Monday morning, when you know, they are supposed to be working and too busy to listen.


Will the strategy work? Who knows but this type of thing has become a big winner for Canadian politicians of right leaning and for those who want to continue a race to the bottom for education, organized labour and wages.


source
cartoon source - Adrian Raeside