# 104 ELECTION AFTERMATH

It started first thing Tuesday morning. An interview with a Liberal Leader who won his own constituency seat but expressed such ‘bitterness’ that federally, his party was defeated. The ‘bitterness’ part was not my assessment, that word was the assessment of the hostess of the interview. But I had to agree.

Now as far as him feeling disappointed and dismayed – that’s okay. It’s natural that he would feel that way especially if the Prime-Ministerial turn of events came as a total surprise. But at the same time, there was no excuse for the arrogant comments he made about his own wisdom versus the mental deficiency of most of the voting population. And it was just this attitude in his remarks that prompted the interview hostess’ reference to ‘his bitterness’. I couldn’t help but think how much more gracious it would have been for him to simply express gratefulness for local support, but he didn’t even go there.

Now another part of this interview hinted at this individual's aspirations to become the new Party leader. But if that is true, I think as a hopeful, he needs to be mindful that in a democracy all people have a voice, all people have a vote, and that means entitlement to their own interpretation of political perspectives, and their own choice of political affiliations. And this opportunity of choice, even if in opposition to his own, does not mean these voters are ninnies, as he would have us think.

And furthermore, when a person in a leadership role has the audacity to assume that he has a complete and replete understanding of everything and at the same time assumes that everyone else who thinks differently understands nothing, then that is undeniably contemptuous thinking on his part.

So what is good leadership material? The best leaders are those that demonstrate the ability to accept defeat graciously by saying (without bitterness, and without contempt), “The voters have spoken.”

But having said that, I want to conclude by reminding my readers that since neither you nor I are in cabinet positions or hopeful party leaders, or Prime Minister wanna-bees, we do not have to prove our worthiness and we can be as bitter or pleased as we want to.

Among ourselves we can slice it however we see it.