...are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana, the American philosopher wrote that back in the 1930's in his book Life Of Reason I.
Perhaps someone should get Ed Stelmach, the Premier of the Wild Rose province, Alberta, a copy of that book.
Petti Fong of the Toronto Star wrote about the Tory leader's biggest problem, that being the upstart Wild Rose Alliance. In that article she writes "An Angus Reid poll this month showed the Wildrose Alliance at 39 per cent support, 14 points ahead of the Conservatives. A poll last week gave Stelmach the lowest approval rating among the country's premiers at 14 per cent, a nearly 30-point drop within a year." The dynastic rule of the Conservative Party in Alberta may be ebbing.
Contrast that with what happened four decades ago in Alberta, when the Social Credit Party was dynastic. At least until election day 1971:
"The Progressive Conservative Party, led by Peter Lougheed, broke the 36-year hegemony on Alberta politics of the Social Credit Party. Ernest C. Manning had resigned Social Credit leader and premier in 1968, a year after leading the Socreds to their ninth consecutive majority government. His successor, Harry E. Strom, had been unable to revive what was seen as a tired regime. Meanwhile, Lougheed had significant momentum going into the 1971 election, increasing his caucus from six members to ten after two floor crossings and two by-election wins. The collapse of the other opposition parties made the PCs the only credible challenger to the Socreds. Lougheed, with 46% of the popular vote, won 49 of the 75 seats in the legislature, and formed a strong majority government."
The more things change...
WFDS
• "The highest form of vanity is love of fame."
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