[Kjesse]

I'm pleased that Smith beat Dryholm/Chandler.

Like Smith, I'm a libertarian and believe that government should play a more limited role in peoples' lives.

It will be interesting to see if Dyrholm sheds himself of Chandler. I would think that he realizes now that having Chandler behind him was more of a hindrance than a help. Chandler may have campaign infrastructure in place but his style invites disdain. I kept the mailing I got from the Dyrholm campaign as a comedy piece. The pamphlets I received were obviously written with mostly input from Chandler and very much follow his fear-mongering, over-the-top style.

Even more interesting will be to see how Smith fares in the public eye now that she holds the reins of the party. Her time as a school trustee was an unmitigated disaster, and some of her Calgary Herald columns will now invite closer scrutiny.

Smith's work really begins now. I'm pretty sure most Albertans would like someone other than Stelmach to be premier, which gets Smith's foot in the door. Smith needs to set up riding associations and get quality candidates in place.

For the first time since I can remember (having been born in 1972) I see a potential alternative to the PCs in Alberta's provincial politics.

EDIT:

Stelmach kind of reminds me of the "I'm a PC" guy. Maybe her first commercial could be her saying, "I'm a WRAP", and someone playing Stelmach as the "I'm a PC" guy. Those could be some very funny commercials with Ed doing his normal stumbling and bumbling.