By the time an election campaign has come and gone, most voters have had their fill of rhetoric. There's generally a desire, even obligation, to take part in the democratic process, but having to endure incessant electioneering can be wearing on even the most civic minded of those among us.
I've been to enough all-candidates forums over the years that I think I've built up some sort of immunity to the white noise that engulfs us at this time of year, but I've heard from many who can't wait for election day to arrive, and not because they're anxious about the outcome.
Not only don't I yearn for those TV commercials to disappear, but I'm actually interested by what the candidates have to say, intrigued by how they frame themselves and their opponents, as well as how only their plan of action will avert total chaos in this province. I get a kick out of how Christy Clark can steer discussion on just about any subject back to the economy in five seconds or less.
That, I have to say, is a talent.
I must admit, however, I'm not impervious to the annoyances that come along with an election campaign. In fact, I've become hypersensitive to a particular idiosyncratic behaviour that, much to my chagrin, seems to be gaining steam.
My pet peeve is British Columbia. Not the province itself, but the need by some (read politicians) to use the full name whenever referencing this beautiful part of the world. I don't know about you, but I live in B.C., and pretty much every time I refer to the province, I do so by using its initials.
Everyone else I speak with also uses those two recognizable letters, but for whatever reason that won't cut it with those on the provincial stage. I started noticing the British Columbia thing with former premier Gordon Campbell, who was loath to reduce the title of his kingdom to a mere couple of letters. Others have since followed suit, although I'm still not sure if it's being done to add some formality to the occasion, to make them sound more intelligent or it's simply another case of politicians saying less with more.
Clark has embraced her predecessor's way, but it's by no means limited to just Liberals. Adrian Dix, John Cummins and others are also such British Columbia boosters they routinely make use of the province's full name.
I recognize I'm being petty, but let's not lose sight of the fact I've heard "one practical step at a time" a couple thousand times over the last month without screaming once.
