The Post-Game Show

The Leaders Debate was better than this page expected, largely due to a change in format from 2001 that allowed Gordon Campbell, Adrianne Carr, and Carole James to go directly after each other. James took this opportunity to keep moving and stay on the attack, easily the best strategy for the newest combatant. From long-term care beds to BC Rail, James asked more questions than the media panel, and had the debate been longer than 60 minutes, probably wouldn't have quit until she had beaten a confession out of the Premier. The more Campbell becomes the issue, the more the NDP has a chance of removing Campbell.

Campbell was defensive throughout the debate, if not dismissive of the points raised by James and Adrianne Carr. As the subject areas for questions were submitted to the leaders a week prior to the debate, the Premier lucked out in that he wouldn't have to address any fundraising issues. "We made choices" didn't resonate as Campbell failed to explain why the Liberals made those choices. Afraid the 'send a message' vote might spill over into a 'throw the bums out' vote, Campbell sternly reminded the audience that 'you're not electing an opposition, you're electing a government'.

Adrianne Carr 2005 is an upgrade from Adrianne Carr 2001, but this page is waiting for the next version to take her seriously. At one point she came across as a bigger labour supporter than James for recounting her time on HEU's picket line, then turned around a few minutes later to describe the labour movement as a "vested interest" in the NDP. Carr asked BC voters to "elect Green MLAs", which looks like a retreat from trying to seize Official Oppostion status four years ago.

The questions from the media panel gave the leaders enough to work with, give or take some intellectual dishonesty from Global TV's Keith Baldry. Baldry cited health care as a percentage of the provincial budget increasing from 33% to 44% as evidence of health spending rising out of control. That doesn't wash unless the rest of budget is taken into account: if you spend less on everything else (education, environment, social services...), the health care portion auotmatically becomes larger by default. While it was good to see panelists from Fairchild Broadcasting and Channel M, this page believes equity may have been better served if one the panelists had come from BC's Indo-Canadian Community, which may have significant influence on the May 17 outcome.

Various spin is taking place right now, which started even before the debate started. Yesterday afternoon I received a call from NDP HQ inviting me to a 'Debate Victory' breakfast in Burnaby this morning. Given that just last fall we saw John Kerry out-debate George Bush only to be buried by an avalanche of negative TV ads in swing states, some of us would prefer to hold the pancakes of triumph until May 18.