In the 1980s, Lee Atwater was a motor-mouthed Republican strategist for presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. One of his oft-quoted dictums is: “In politics, perception is reality.”
His words of wisdom immediately came to mind on July 28 as the brand-new B.C. Liberal Party interim leader, Rich Coleman, addressed the media outside the caucus meeting. Former premier Christy Clark had suddenly advised that she was vacating the party leadership, and would be resigning her seat in B.C.’s legislature.
Standing in front of visibly shocked caucus members, the usually stoic Coleman looked flustered. He announced: “What she’s given to the province should never be forgiven” — then hastily amended that last word to “forgotten.”
There will be much speculation about why she pulled the plug on her party and her career at this crucial stage.
Maybe she was jumping ship before she was forced to walk the plank by the party hierarchy. Maybe there was something of a “Trump tantrum” pulled before she headed out the door after a couple of months of constant declarations that she was proud to lead a strong Opposition, and well-poised to regain power. Maybe she was hurt by critics within her party, and decided that: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
Whatever really happened, she handed the Green-NDP alliance a 44-42 advantage, which will stay as long as the new premier can avoid calling a byelection. Atwater had it dead right.
Bernie Smith
Parksville
