Most political observers agree that Jason Kenney is a wildly successful politician. I won't argue with that. He is strategic, smart, calculated, and notably prolific. So why is he floundering and making so many avoidable mistakes as Premier? Some thoughts... #ableg 1/9

Jason Kenney has never been a leader before. He has never had to lead a government. He’s been an MP, he’s been a Minister, and he’s been a successful Opposition Leader. But, governing is different and it’s becoming more clear that his skill set is not transferable #ableg 2/9

His success, until now, has been because he is good at speaking to an entrenched right-wing base. It’s how he funded and won his seat as an MP, how he managed to “unify” the right in Alberta, and how he earned his stripes in the federal conservative party #ableg 3/9

But, being Premier requires you to speak to, and represent *everyone*. Governing means you have to look beyond your base, abandon hyper-partisanship, and look beyond the fringes. This is where Jason Kenney is failing #ableg 4/9

For a fascinating discussion on the above, check out this great podcast: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podcasts/407-west-of-centre/episode/15812589-have-martha-and-henry-gone-nuts #ableg 5/9

One idea is that he isn’t just speaking to the extremists in his base, he is one of them. This makes sense when you think about his resistance to taking action on #COVID19AB, his speculation about changes to AISH, cuts to education, and his war with doctors #ableg 6/9

It also helps understand why things like economic diversification and investments in renewables will only ever get lip-service from Jason Kenney. Because he is fundamentally disinterested in them #ableg 7/9

Jason Kenney’s single best skill is inciting outrage over things he has no plan or interest in fixing (equalization, action on climate change, separatism, etc.) because he’s never been in a position that requires him to #ableg 8/9

At the end of the day, Kenney’s success has been his ability to tap into, and harness extremism. When it comes to practical, level-headed leadership that reflects the diversity of Alberta and the needs of an entire population…he’s just not up for the job #ableg 9/9