Canada

Well said. As an Albertan who has spent a considerable amount of energy explaining what's happened here politically (both in and out of the province), you're right we're not a monolith.

Alberta's most recent election reflects this - many rural regions had 1:2 and 2:3 vote turnouts the UCP won in their ridings that have been traditionally 1:5 or 1:6 (the least blue they've been in decades). Municipalities have been overwhelming anything BUT blue. Fewer than ~130 votes spread out across a handful of ridings ultimately could have changed the outcome (which is why pollsters had such a hard time predicting the outcome).

When talking with people, most of them aren't even aware what the real issues are (so much as rhetoric on sovereignty, trans people, wokeness, and carbon tax, etc.); many folks aren't even aware that the Progressive Conservatives aren't a thing anymore, provincially in Alberta or Federally. I know many who were largely uninformed right up to the election who were on the fence, and in the end differed to what trusted parties (relatives, friends, etc.) told them. Some still tell me their biggest grievance with Trudeau was his dad literally flipping the bird at Albertans in 1982, or rather, the media frenzy that followed.

These are gettable voters. Consider that a lot of people made their final choice in the polls because of the federal conservative party's last minute endorsement of Danielle Smith, having tried to keep their distance from her crazy as much as possible (and because long-term PCs (and not CPs) were aggressively speaking out against her); would it have changed anything? Probably actually, given how narrow the margins were, and unless you believe the federal conservative endorsement drove more voters away from the UCP than towards, it very likely changed the outcome.

I agree a real strategy needs to be looked at, and telling them it's their fault because more people voted one way or another and implying they don't care only drives a wedge - it doesn't foster any real inroads.

As a start, I'd suggest people spread the word on this tool: https://smartvoting.ca/federaldashboard . Look at places like Calgary (3 regions currently polling Liberal (with others close), something unheard of in ages, and the more blue of the two major municipalities). These are battlegrounds, and the disinformation machine will work hard to steer those votes back.

PP no doubt begging DS to keep her mouth shut.

E: Dropping This here for anyone interested in learning most about Chatham/PostMedia and their American influence on our media.