Tank: Block-bashing baffling for Saskatoon mayoral opponents

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Cynthia Block‘s mayoral challengers treated her more like a cinderblock as they whaled away with metaphorical sledgehammers in a debate this week.

This dodgy strategy for Don Atchison, Cary Tarasoff and Gord Wyant mostly represents a waste of time, bashing the incumbent councillor while failing to explain why they represent a better choice or criticizing each other to better position themselves.

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This contest continues to unfold so similarly to the last election four years ago that someone should sue for copyright infringement.

Wyant has taken over the role of fellow former Saskatchewan Party cabinet minister Rob Norris, who finished a distant second, while Block is running as the incumbent after Mayor Charlie Clark opted against another bid.

One difference this time can be identified as a distinct and ugly tinge of sexism as Block tries to become the first woman to be elected mayor of Saskatoon.

At the Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce debate on Wednesday, Block’s opponents tried to portray her as a clone of Clark. Fair point, but surely that logic should apply equally to fellow political veterans former mayor Atchison and former cabinet minister Wyant.

Yet nobody painted Wyant as an extension of Premier Scott Moe, even though he voted for Moe’s provincial budgets that included big tax hikes, deficits and reduced funding for the Meewasin Valley Authority.

In all seven of Atchison’s mayoral campaigns, he probably never faced criticism that he was merely an extension of someone else.

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Surely, though, the braintrust behind all these campaigns realize that Clark won half of the votes despite two strong opponents in the 2020 election. Directing half of the voters from the last election to one of your opponents qualifies for a prime spot in the bad campaign strategy hall of fame.

Add to that Monday’s provincial election results, which left one Saskatchewan Party MLA standing in Saskatoon — and just barely — and appealing to Clark’s centre-left supporters looks like a smarter strategy than trying to smear someone by association with him.

But Tarasoff took it to an even lower level with offensively condescending remarks questioning whether Block understood the issues. Tarasoff’s smug arrogance snagged him a distant fourth place in 2020 and it continues to undermine his attempt to gain traction.

Tarasoff, who lacks any real political baggage or experience, has again emerged as his own biggest liability, and yet he questions someone else’s comprehension.

Block held her own during the chamber debate, but seemed less feisty than she did in the North Saskatoon Business Association debate in September. Wyant performed better than he did at the NSBA debate, but it would be difficult for him to do much worse.

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At the prior debate, Wyant read repeatedly from notes, looking more like an elementary student speaking in front of the class for the first time than someone who has represented Saskatoon as an elected official for well over two decades. He resembled, as he too often does, someone who might be participating against his will.

Ultimately, Wyant, self-described as a “corporate lawyer,” lacks the charisma to easily overcome a narrative that will prove a difficult sell. He said last month that he’s “not a conservative,” even though he served in a leadership role in arguably the most right-wing government in Canada — perhaps ever.

So who is this mysterious fellow?

Conversely, everyone knows who Atchison is, but the time-for-change argument fits poorly for someone first elected to Saskatoon city council 30 years ago.

Atchison mentioned “faith-based” organizations a couple of times during the debate, which represents dicey territory for someone who was assisted in his past campaigns by students from a Saskatoon Christian school that is now embroiled in allegations of physical and sexual abuse, including criminal convictions.

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Block, meanwhile, must overcome the widespread discontent with incumbent governments that dealt Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe a severe electoral setback on Monday.

She’s getting more unintended help from her opponents than she probably expected.

Phil Tank is the digital opinion editor at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

[email protected]

twitter.com/thinktankSK

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