{"id":620781,"date":"2024-05-02T23:59:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T20:59:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/naheed-nenshi-loves-the-drama-2\/"},"modified":"2024-05-02T23:59:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T20:59:04","slug":"naheed-nenshi-loves-the-drama-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/naheed-nenshi-loves-the-drama-2\/","title":{"rendered":"#Naheed Nenshi Loves the Drama"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368bb4407f1\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a368bb4407f1\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/naheed-nenshi-loves-the-drama-2\/#Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\" >Get the Best of Maclean\u2019s straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"relative ad-free-zone\">\n<div class=\"w-screen overflow-hidden -mt-20\">\n<div class=\"tablet:h-[calc(100svh)] overflow-hidden flex flex-col-reverse tablet:grid tablet:grid-cols-2 bg-white text-dark tablet:text-dark tablet:bg-white tablet:border-b-1 border-b-grey-light\">\n<div class=\"grid place-content-center tablet:pt-40 px-20 tablet:pl-10\">\n<div class=\" text-dark w-full max-w-[600px] mx-auto tablet:max-w-[640px] py-20 tablet:px-40 tablet:p-40 bg-opacity-100 tablet:bg-opacity-[var(--bg-opacity)] text-center\">\n<div class=\"text-grey leading-smm text-smm tablet:text-base tablet:leading-smxl font-lightmedium font-sans mb-10\">Calgary\u2019s centrist ex-mayor will have to win over skeptical NDP voters\u2014and take on Danielle Smith\u2014to reclaim Alberta. He\u2019s looking forward to it.\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\" text-dark author text-xs leading-xs whitespace-break-spaces\">BY KATIE UNDERWOOD<br \/>\nPHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON SETO<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tablet:row-start-auto row-start-1 tablet:h-[calc(100svh)]\"><img alt=\"\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"1334\" height=\"2000\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"(max-width: 834px) 50vw, (max-width: 1024px) 80vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=384&amp;q=80 384w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=80 640w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=80 750w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=80 828w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=80 1080w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=80 1200w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=80 1920w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=80 2048w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=80 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=80\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"max-w-[640px] mx-auto pb-20 px-20 pt-20\">\n<div class=\"mb-8 flex gap-6\">\n<div class=\"relative inline-block\"><button aria-label=\"Sharing Button\" class=\"rounded-xl border border-grey-light px-12 py-6 hover:bg-grey-lighter transition-colors\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" fill=\"none\"><g clip-path=\"url(#share_svg__a)\"><path stroke=\"#121212\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" d=\"M2.419 15.525c1.286-1.37 4.661-4.275 9.458-4.275V15l6.25-6.25-6.25-6.25v3.75c-4.125 0-9.413 3.941-10 9.027a.313.313 0 0 0 .542.248\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"share_svg__a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M0 0h20v20H0z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"fixed laptop:absolute max-laptop:bottom-0 laptop:top-[calc(100%+20px)] left-0 right-0 laptop:right-auto w-full laptop:w-[190px] p-20 rounded-lg bg-white font-sans shadow-[0px_0px_10px_rgba(0,0,0,0.15)] invisible\">\n<ul class=\"list-none p-0\">\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Copy Link<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Email<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span><a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>X<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>LinkedIn<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Whats<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">App<\/a><\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"border-b border-b-grey-light text-dark last:border-b-0 group\"><button class=\"flex items-center gap-10 py-7 group-last:pb-0 w-full font-light group\"><span>Reddit<\/span><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"uppercase text-xs leading-normal font-sans text-grey font-lightmedium\">May 2, 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap     undefined\"><strong>The moment Naheed Nenshi <\/strong>entered the Alberta NDP leadership race this past March, he was quickly named the candidate to beat\u2014and the one who<em> could <\/em>beat Premier Danielle Smith. It didn\u2019t matter that the next provincial election was three years away. This was the three-term mayor who comforted Calgarians during the devastating 2013 floods; who galvanized citizens, red and blue, with his overwhelmingly purple wardrobe; and who made international headlines for his social-media savvy. (One memorable meme: \u201cKeep Calm and Nenshi On.\u201d)\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\">Still, it\u2019s going to take more than name recognition, violet socks and his trademark silver tongue to nab Nenshi the party\u2019s top spot and take down the reigning UCP, a regime he\u2019s called immoral and dangerous due to its climate change flip-floppery and controversial transgender youth policies. To many Albertans, Nenshi is the underdog. A Harvard-educated business prof with little rural appeal. A bandwagon-jumper who only became an NDP member in January. To the UCP, he\u2019s a delightfully easy target. It\u2019ll be a fight to win the West, but one everyone is looking forward to\u2014Nenshi included.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>So, after 11 years in the mayor\u2019s office, you left politics altogether to make room for new blood. And here you are again!<\/strong><br \/>I love Calgary, but I\u2019m a Gen Xer, so I basically spent my life waiting for boomers to retire. We were coming out of the dark early stages of the pandemic and I thought, <em>Here\u2019s an opportunity for others to make their mark<\/em>. After I left office, I worked hard to craft an interesting life for myself, making a lot of money doing public speaking, political commentary and consulting. But I felt like I wasn\u2019t in \u201cthe room where it happens,\u201d as they say in <em>Hamilton<\/em>. Just adjacent to the room where it happens.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>What drew you back into the fray?<\/strong><br \/>When I looked around and saw how awful politics had become at all levels, across parties, I thought: <em>Wow, things are so bad<\/em>. <em>I\u2019m glad I\u2019m out<\/em>, and <em>Wow, things are so bad. I wonder if I could help fix them<\/em>. I worked with six premiers from three different political parties in the time I was mayor; you disagree on policy, but you\u2019re all kind of moving in the same direction, most of the time. I\u2019ve never seen an Alberta government like the UCP\u2019s. It\u2019s so fundamentally uninterested in governing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Which balls are they dropping, in your view?<\/strong><br \/>For a couple of decades, this group has been seeking power\u2014now, they\u2019re the dogs who caught the car. Still, every decision they make appears to be about consolidating their power. Teachers have complained to me about class sizes, yet the government is focused on its ideologically motivated elementary curriculum. The premier says she wants to bring us to net zero by 2050, but says no to every action that\u2019ll get us there. In some places in southern Alberta, on the weekends, people have to drive past many closed ERs to find one that\u2019s open.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide !max-w-[720px]\"><img alt=\"alt tag missing\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO033.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><figcaption class=\"w-full text-left\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>For years, you wore purple to signal a blend of red and blue ideologies. Now, you\u2019re sporting more orange. How are you planning to sell yourself as <em>the<\/em> NDP guy when you weren\u2019t even a member until this year?<\/strong>\u00a0<br \/>It\u2019s extremely difficult to find ties and socks that are orange <em>and<\/em> purple. But enough people said to me, \u201cLook, you have an incredibly limited set of skills, but one of the things you\u2019re good at is bringing people together for a common cause.\u201d I talked to forever-NDP supporters and non-NDP voters, and everyone wanted the same things: strong public services, no punching down on vulnerable people, and not to be bystanders to climate change. The NDP is a team that matches my values. I don\u2019t believe in traditional left-wing, right-wing scales; I believe in good policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>You\u2019ve said the N in NDP doesn\u2019t stand for \u201cNaheed.\u201d How do you respond to those who say, \u201cHe\u2019s trying to make the party the Nenshi show\u201d? That this is all an ego play?<\/strong><br \/>Folks said that when I was mayor, too. I\u2019m aware that I\u2019m a pretty big guy who takes up a lot of oxygen. I get my big clown feet over things. But when you\u2019re the mayor, you have no caucus. During my years on council, the majority of what we did pass did so unanimously. I get that inviting new people into a party feels threatening for some, but you can\u2019t defeat this government without doing that. If I can be the conduit, I\u2019m not going to say no.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Do you have any diva-ish habits? An elaborate Starbucks order, perhaps?<\/strong><br \/>I have probably a couple hundred ties and 96 pairs of shoes\u2014more purple sneakers than you can imagine. I\u2019m also extraordinarily cheap, so every one of those things was bought on sale. I will say I do have huge Papa Bear tendencies. If you go after my people? I\u2019m ferocious. I rarely cuss, though, which is very weird in politics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>That <em>is<\/em> weird. Especially when you have so many reasons to right now.<\/strong><br \/>There was one time when the previous UCP government did a particularly stupid thing: taking away local control over ambulance dispatch, which I knew would cost lives. I may have said, \u201cThose f-ers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>This seems like a good time to bring up Danielle Smith. The provincial election is years away, but people are already anticipating a clash of the titans. You\u2019re seen as the only NDP leadership candidate who has a hope in hell of beating her\u2014or persuading right-leaning people to switch teams. Is subduing Smith part of your reason for running?<\/strong><br \/>People ask if this run is personal. Not really, no. I\u2019ve known her for 30 years, but we were never enemies. It\u2019s not like she\u2019s my white whale. But I will say, Danielle Smith the premier is not the person I knew.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>How has she changed?<\/strong><br \/>At the University of Calgary, she was always a great communicator, always popular. She was president of the campus PC party when the Reform Party was in its ascendance. Later, she developed more of a right-wing persona, which is fine; we grow and change. But about a year ago, I was speaking at Henry Wise Wood High School in Calgary, and a non-binary student asked me a heartbreaking question: \u201cDo I need to leave the province?\u201d I looked them in the eye and said, \u201cI\u2019ve known Danielle Smith forever. There are a lot of things we disagree on, but I know she\u2019s not a hater. She\u2019s not going to come after you and your friends.\u201d Now, a year later, I hate that I lied to that kid. She\u2019s not the person I grew up with\u2014or maybe I was fooled back then.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Shared history gives you an advantage. You\u2019d said you have a good sense of how to get under Smith\u2019s skin, which is hilariously petty of you.<\/strong><br \/>I was being a little bit petty. I\u2019m no saint! The funny thing is that saying I know how to get under her skin totally got under her skin.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>You seem to be getting under a lot of people\u2019s skins.\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>At the beginning of all this, conservative strategists wrote op-eds saying they loved that I was running for leader because they could eventually beat me. I\u2019m not above taking a little bit of pleasure in how off-kilter they are. If I didn\u2019t love the cut-and-thrust of politics, it would be a very, very bad choice to do this run.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>You <em>are<\/em> known for speaking off-the-cuff sometimes. Does your mouth get you into trouble more than it benefits you?<\/strong>\u00a0<br \/>During my time in the mayor\u2019s office, there were two or three minor scandals\u2014the worst of which was when I called Travis Kalanick, then CEO of Uber, an uncharacteristically mean word. (Later, there was a Netflix <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> on why he was, in fact, a jerk, so I felt vindicated.) On the small occasions when my mouth goes too far, you know, that\u2019s me. Warts and all. I use $10 words, too. I grew up in a family that was quite poor, and we didn\u2019t have money for sports, so the only after-school activity I could do was debate team. My family had political discussions every night at the dinner table.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Some doubt your ability to connect with rural Albertans\u2014like, <em>How could a Harvard-educated professor possibly relate? <\/em>Didn\u2019t you grow up working class?<\/strong><br \/>Working class when we were <em>working<\/em>, yeah.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>I read that your elementary school in Red Deer had a rodeo. Did you take part?<\/strong><br \/>I <em>went<\/em>! I lacked a horse, so the only event I was eligible for was the greased pig race, where you grease a pig and try to catch it. I found it a bit undignified\u2014particularly for the pig. When I became mayor, my sister\u2019s friend found a photo of me at the River Glen Rodeo, dressed up in what an immigrant family thought a cowboy would look like. I don\u2019t claim that those years in Red Deer gave me deep insights into how people in rural Alberta think, but it really comes down to a little bit of empathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>I visited Alberta for the first time last summer. It\u2019s very beautiful and very big\u2014big hats, big sky, Big Oil. That <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a> also made me understand why it\u2019s seen as an Americanized oasis in the Canadian West. And not just because you have Chili\u2019s.<\/strong><br \/>Only a few.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>There were some Confederate flags and MAGA hats\u2014not everywhere or on everyone, but it was jarring to see physical evidence of how right-wing American ideology has bled north. Why do you think some Albertans have found kinship in it?\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s not a MAGA ideology; it\u2019s a trans-national universal right-wing ideology. It\u2019s fed by misinformation, but it\u2019s rooted in people\u2019s real anxieties about a world that\u2019s changing fast. As human beings, we\u2019re hard-wired to defend what we\u2019ve got. This isn\u2019t about Alberta being more American than anywhere else in Canada; you\u2019ll find that sentiment just as much in Peterborough, Ontario, as you will here.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>But how do you deal with it <em>there<\/em>?<\/strong><br \/>We have a couple of choices: we can try to go back to a past that never existed. (Take Back Alberta for whom?) The other response is much scarier: to throw open our arms to new and better ideas. A lot of folks in my profession are using fear in the short-term pursuit of power. The problem is, once you let the monster out of the closet, it\u2019s very hard to control it. Toward the end of Jason Kenney\u2019s tenure, he talked about how the forces of anger and intolerance had taken over. My response was that I don\u2019t think the arsonist is allowed to call the fire department.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide !max-w-[720px]\"><img alt=\"alt tag missing\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 100vw\" srcset=\"\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;q=75 640w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=750&amp;q=75 750w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=828&amp;q=75 828w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=1080&amp;q=75 1080w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=1200&amp;q=75 1200w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=1920&amp;q=75 1920w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=2048&amp;q=75 2048w, \/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75 3840w\" src=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/_next\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.macleans.ca%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F05%2FJUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO030.jpg&amp;w=3840&amp;q=75\"\/><figcaption class=\"w-full text-left\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>That adversarial \u201cAlberta versus\u201d tone is alive and well thanks to the UCP. Right now, it\u2019s Alberta vs. Trudeau, Alberta vs. the carbon tax. How would you approach things differently?<\/strong><br \/>My campaign slogan is \u201cFor Alberta. For all of us,\u201d right? Half of the people who\u2019ve signed up to the campaign say, \u201cThis is the first time a politician has told me to be <em>for<\/em> something.\u201d For the longest time, we\u2019ve been trained to be <em>against<\/em>: against Ottawa, against environmentalists, against drag queens. Albertans are tired of fighting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>You were once known for your flashy campaigning style, like Operation Purple Dawn, when you tagged Calgary with platform slogans in chalk on election eve.<\/strong><br \/>Yes. The chalk. We didn\u2019t know until later that it wasn\u2019t entirely in bylaw compliance. Luckily, it rained the next day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Do you see yourself playing it more low-key this time around? You\u2019re 52 now.<\/strong><br \/>I thought I did. I had an argument with our staffers the day after we launched, because they wanted to have a volunteer training session the next day. I said, \u201cGuys, you can\u2019t invite people on a Monday night and have an event on Tuesday. Nobody\u2019s gonna come.\u201d They convinced me to do it, and 500 people showed up. To me, that\u2019s the exciting guerrilla stuff.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Are you skimming any political memoirs on the road\u2014for inspiration?<\/strong><br \/>They\u2019ve never been my thing\u2014I like to live in the present\u2014but people are always giving me great examples. I got one last night, after a speech in which I compared Danielle Smith to King Canute, trying to hold back the waves. A guy came up to me and said David Lange, the former premier of New Zealand, made the exact same reference before he swept to victory over a conservative government!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>Spooky!<\/strong><br \/>I was like, <em>That\u2019s a good sign<\/em>. I have to find out more about that guy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block wp-block-core\">\n<p class=\"     undefined\"><strong>You once said that, if you had a time machine, the one thing you\u2019d go back and change from your mayoral tenure was your failed Winter Olympics bid. Will you be watching the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Game<\/a>s in a month\u2019s time, or just grumbling?<\/strong><br \/>It\u2019s the Summer Olympics, so I can\u2019t feel salty; I\u2019ll feel <em>very<\/em> salty during the 2026 Winter Games in Milan. Because I don\u2019t have, you know, children or hobbies, I like to go see international sport competitions live. I\u2019ve seen the men\u2019s and women\u2019s World Cups! If I weren\u2019t running for leader, I would be in Paris with my friends. I\u2019m trying to figure out: even if I am the leader, can I take a little vacation? <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block \">\n<div class=\"ad-free-zone laptop:px-0\">\n<div class=\"max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto px-20 tablet:px-40\">\n<div class=\"wp-newsletter-signup max-w-screen-desktop mx-auto w-full py-20 my-20 tablet:my-40 tablet:py-80&#10;          border-t-3 tablet:border-t-[6px] border-dark bg-white\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:flex-row max-w-[800px] w-full mx-auto tablet:items-center\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-col tablet:w-7\/12 space-y-10 text-center tablet:text-left px-20\">\n<h2 class=\"text-red\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Get_the_Best_of_Macleans_straight_to_your_inbox\"><\/span>Get the Best of <em>Maclean\u2019s<\/em> straight to your inbox.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"newsletter-subtitle font-sans text-sm leading-xm tablet:leading-smm font-lightmedium text-grey\">Sign up for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>, commentary, analysis and promotions. Join 80,000+ Canadian readers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/macleans.ca\/politics\/naheed-nenshi-ndp-alberta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Calgary\u2019s centrist ex-mayor will have to win over skeptical NDP voters\u2014and take on Danielle Smith\u2014to reclaim Alberta. He\u2019s looking forward to it. BY KATIE UNDERWOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALLISON SETO Copy Link Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit May 2, 2024 The moment Naheed Nenshi entered the Alberta NDP leadership race this past March, he was&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":620782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cms.macleans.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/JUNE-2024_Interview_Naheed-Nenshi_BY-ALLISON-SETO031.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-620781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620781","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=620781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/620781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/620782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=620781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=620781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=620781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}