Lets compare the surprising similiarity between the Liberal Leadership race and the Alberta PC Leadership race.
Both Leadership races overlap each other being held on the same weekend. Both races will have to go to at least a second ballot. Both have frontrunners who have 'anybody but' campaigns forming for the second ballot. That second ballot will be held on the same weekend. The Alberta Tories go first next weekend followed by the Federal Liberals the weekend after.
Both races have progressive centerists as front runners. Both have close second place candidates.
Both have had funding scandals associated with them.
Both lack any real charismatic leader.
Both races have taked about party renewal, though that seems to be more about PR than genuine remaking of either party. An attempt to say that the parties have changed. As if.
Both have eight candidates. The difference is that the only woman running dropped out of the Tory race and there is one woman running for the Liberals.
Both frontrunners are the choice of the backroom boys.
Both campaigns have raised the issue of nationhood. The Liberals are discussing Qubec as a nation, and the PC's have Ted Morton running to create Firewall Alberta.
Both races are a snore fest. They have gone on much too long and have lost the attention of the average person and only appeal to 'true believers'.
The winner of the Alberta leadership race becomes Premier. The winner of the Liberal Leadership race hopes to become the next PM.
Both races have major implications for Canada. But one gets national media coverage while the other gets an after thought. One expects that from normal provincial political leadership races. However Alberta is not a normal province it is a one party state.
The Alberta PC leadership race has major implications for the rest of Canada at this moment in history. Forget Quebec seperatism, or the decline of Ontario, the real economic and political power in Canada is in Calgary. And who gets chosen as leader of the province is far more important that who gets elected leader of the Liberals.
So pay attention to both races because they will both have implications for the Federal Conservatives and the New Canadian government.
See: