The victory of the Parti Quebecois in the Quebec election yesterday really came as not surprise. I had been listening to the Radio-Canada everyone morning while I drove to work over the past several weeks leading up to the election to get the full coverage of all the political parties. It was pretty clear to me that Charest was not going to do well against Pauline Marois. A lot of the rhetoric was amusing, most at the expense of Charest.
It was too bad that the victory was overshadowed by some crazed gunman who shot two men, killing one of them. There is really no way to explain or excuse such a senseless act.
Tonight, Charest stepped down as the leader of the Liberal party. I don't think he had a choice, even if he had not lost his seat he had lost credibility as a leader. The party did better than expected. They probably would have won the election if the party had had a stronger leader in place.
I am not that political. In the end, I believe that one party is not that much different than another. It all depends on the strength and the conviction of the leader of the party. Right now, Pauline Marois is riding high on the support and the enthusiasm of the people of Quebec. Only time will tell how well she will do.
