I’m not a political nerd. I say that with all the love and affection in the world for those that are…I’m lucky to have quite a few as friends. I’m outing myself here, but at parties I usually fake a vague response when a political reference is made. Pretty sure my friends are smart enough to know I’m faking it, but they play along like good friends should. In my mind politics were dirty, ruthless, and all about “playing the game” which is why I always became disinterested or frustrated. 

So how did I become involved with the most recent municipal election then? Good question. It was an accident. 

I had recently given birth to my sweet daughter, when a good friend came to me in need of some media planning advice for the campaign. We chatted over breakfast, and after an hour of Q&A I told him I’d take a look at it over the weekend and provide some initial thoughts. 

Those initial thoughts lead me to research more into who Don was (because any advertiser knows that  you can’t sell a product you don’t know anything about). I found an enthusiast, visionary, and well spoken man who believes strongly in the potential of our city. A candidate who sees the talent, hard work, and creativity of the entrepreneurs in Edmonton who wants to foster their growth and development. I found a mayor who can make the city a better place to live. 

If you’ve read other support blogs for Don what I’m saying here isn’t anything you haven’t heard before. These comments are shared between countless supporters, volunteers, and potential voters. And truthfully, this isn’t even what impressed me the most about Don Iveson.

What impressed me happened at my first cabinet meeting months ago, when a very clear statement was made about the kind of campaign that Don wanted to run. It was a vision of one that was based on positivity, enthusiasm, and good will. It was made very clear that to represent Don meant playing fair, because that is what would be best for Edmonton. This wasn’t about winning or losing. It was about building the fundamentals for a better city, and letting the people decide if they were ready for it. I didn’t think that politics could look like this, sound like this, and live like this – but it turns out I was wrong. It drew me in, and made me not only drink the kool-aid but chug it over the past 3 months.

Can politics be dirty & ruthless? Absolutely. But working on Don’s campaign showed me they don’t have to be.

There’s 5 days left to do your research and I urge you to do so too. There’s 5 days left to volunteer, to support, and to vote. This bandwagon is definitely going a million miles a minute, but it’s more than happy to stop and pick you up even if it’s for a short ride.