Here in the Province where I live, we’re in the final throws of an election.

Our system is to elect a local (riding) representative to represent us in the Legislative Assembly (our MLA). In order for us to make our decision, most candidates identify with a party (group of people with similar beliefs). Here is where we start to fall apart

The party (prior to an election) gets together and selects one of their members to be their leader. It seems that in most cases, just over half of 12,000 party members selects the “leader”.

Now we have the candidates with their leaders.
• listen to the local media coverage. Do you often hear their opinions or is it the leader’s
• how many times do you hear someone say I’m voting for [name of the leader] when they are not in that leader’s riding. (Only about 120,000 people will get to vote for any of the leaders).
• our general media also feed the illusion by asking and talking about voting for the leader, not the party or the local candidate.

Watch people faun over “their” leader. All too often, the comments are party talking points without any individual thought.

We’ve become sheep. Follow the leader.

With this leadership devotion, seems to come a concentration of power in that office. Where cabinets (elected members who are chosen to oversee certain tasks) used to be the leader’s advisors, paid staff chosen by the leader now provide that advice. If the leader chooses badly, should be blindly following?

Maybe the leader is a judas goat. Look it up.

The Plaidneck (I know, it’s been a while)