Stelmach's victory is good for the Wildrose Alliance, but there is still a long road to travel

Mathew Johnston of Western Standard rightly points out that Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach's political survival this weekend is a good thing for the upstart Wildrose Alliance. The PC Party of Alberta may have doomed itself by deciding to continue to back their unpopular leader.

It has been the pattern of Albertan politics to elect powerful party dynasties. Then to have those dynasties suddenly collapse and have its place taken by a new dynasty. Signs of such collapse is everywhere in Alberta and there is much talk of the WA receiving the "Mandate of Heaven."

That being said, people should keep in mind that historical patterns don't work as predictions. Just because the Social Credit collapsed and was replaced by the PC Party doesn't mean that the WA is going to replace the PCs in the same way. We could be looking, for the first time in a century, at a real party competition in Alberta.

There is no guarantee that the WA will win that competition. I must caution my fellow Smith enthusiasts against setting their expectations too high. I believe that she will be premier one day. But it may take several elections and we shouldn't allow ourselves to be disheartened if it takes longer than we hope.