John Gormley is a former MP, retired Saskatchewan radio talk show host and now Legal Counsel at Seiferling LawAs Saskatchewan’s election campaign hit the half-way point this week, party leaders Scott Moe and Carla Beck squared off for the sole televised debate. It was well moderated, with a good format, and neither of the leaders delivered a knockout punch or “gotcha moment“. And, like many debates without a clear or decisive winner, the spectating partisans were all convinced that their leader had won, hands-down. If you don’t believe me, just check out social media — that repository of reason — that declared beyond all doubt that each of Moe and Beck were the winners. In a TV debate, like most visual media, impressions are forged not so much on what is said, but how messages are conveyed with emotional content. In this respect, the SaskParty’s Scott Moe finished ahead of NDP leader Carla Beck. Both leaders stuck to their talking points and communicated effectively. However, Moe appeared more calm, even bemused, as Beck — frequently mumbling “no, that’s not true” — looked, at times, annoyed, piqued and even angry. This debate, like most in modern politics, saw each participant facing unique challenges. Scott Moe, as the incumbent premier, had to appear resolute, calm, reasonable and “premier-like”. As a male debating a female, there was the additional, critical and even fatal distinction in modern politics; a man who strongly engages and challenges a woman in a debate — in the same manner he would another man — risks being labelled by political critics and the media as a bully or even a sexist and misogynist. Political debate coaches — as Moe’s surely did — often remind their students of the late Jim Prentice in Alberta debating Rachel Notley, and calling out her questionable financial projections by quipping that “math is hard“. A perfectly acceptable riposte (and even a winning line in many debates) when viewed through the lens of politically spun gender, age and even physical attributes, the line became evidence of a condescending and callous male putting a woman down. Prentice’s campaign never recovered. As opposition leader, the NDP’s Carla Beck also had a unique challenge. As the person hoping to convince the audience that she should become premier in the next two weeks, she had to mount a strong and confident attack on the record of her opponent but also pivot to positive, constructive and intelligent solutions, in other words display a “premier-like” demeanour. Unlike SaskParty leader Brad Wall’s 2007 performance, when it was clear that he was ready for the top job, Beck was not as adept. At times, she looked defensive and angry and kept reverting to a series of dubious and over reaching statistics that almost had a cognitive dissonance about them. One friend put it well: “sure, I get that healthcare is important and has to be fixed but has Saskatchewan really turned into a living hellhole?”When presented with an opening to give specific policy prescriptions, the NDP leader either kept doubling down on negatives or defaulted to “we have a plan,“ bereft of specifics.The Saskatchewan debate hit the important main points and gave each leader ample opportunity to state their case, compare, and contrast with their opponent on health care, education, budget management, affordability, safe streets, addictions and homelessness, among others.Neither leader stumbled, much. When Beck was asked a predictable question about what, if anything, government could do about larger farms and smaller towns, she appeared startled and churned out a word salad about growing up in rural Saskatchewan. The better answer was offered by Moe, and had to do with resource and economic development in rural communities.The only off-putting, eyebrow raising moment was when the NDP leader, off mic, heckled Moe with “it took Russia invading Ukraine for you to balance your budget“. Exactly what the hell Beck meant has not since been clarified or explained by her or the NDP. The parties now turn to the final days of identifying the vote and readying the ground game for six days of voting rather than the focus on a single day as in the past. Next week, the people and parties that have made this campaign interesting. John Gormley is a former MP, retired Saskatchewan radio talk show host and now Legal Counsel at Seiferling Law.
