A Liberal in Alberta? It’s true! They exist. And it might surprise you to learn that Alberta’s most successful political campaign manager is actually not a conservative, but the one and only Donn Lovett – a true red, big L Liberal. Donn is not a campaign manager by profession. His political work is his form of volunteerism; his way to give back to the community and country he loves. By day, he’s the president and CEO of the Donn Lovett Agency, working as an international consultant on a range of issues, including public opinion research and analysis, agriculture, financing, oil and gas and, yes, light blubs. But it’s his work as a campaign manager – and his time in political backrooms – that really warrants a conversation.
We sat down with Donn in Calgary to get a better sense of what happens in those smoke-filled backrooms and what it takes to navigate a candidate through a part of the democratic process so very few Canadians ever see.
What do you think?
- Have young voters ceded elections and power to other generations by not showing up?
- Why might young voters be unwilling to participate in the political proces?
- What message do we send as a society: that voting matters or that voting is a pointless exercise? What role do we all play in shaping that narrative?
- How much of our system is decided before we even get to the ballot box?
- What might encourage more people to participate in party politics?
- Do we need to better understand the importance of building voter coalitions? Would this help us gain more empathy for those we disagree with?