Being a liberal in Saskatchewan not easy.

My response to the article above.

AWOL Liberals hurt NDP
By Murray Mandryk, The Leader-Post August 16, 2011 For however badly Liberals have done in Saskatchewan election campaigns during the past 40 years, their mere presence as a third-party has been relevant to the provincial political scene.

Perhaps their role as a thirdparty spoiler that's always allowed the NDP to win has been a bit overblown. But there's little doubt they've played a role as the third party in preventing big majority governments from happening.

It's worth noting that in the seven times the NDP has formed government in the past 40 years (out of 10 general elections), it received about 45 per cent or more of the popular vote five times and twice received a 50-per-cent-plus majority of the votes cast (1971 and 1991).

Only in 1975 and 1999 did the NDP gain power with 40 per cent or less, so it's not been completely fair to cast the Liberals as nothing but the third-party spoilers who have always been the NDP's best friends.

That said, there have been only four times (1971, 1982, 1991 and 2007) in the past 40 years the winning party received more than 50 per cent of the popular vote. And the government and opposition in Saskatchewan have only twice in the past 40 years (1971 and 1982) combined for 90 per cent or more of the popular vote, although they've come close in both 1986 (89.6 per cent) and 2007 (88.1 per cent).

The 2007 Saskatchewan election results were typical, in that the Saskatchewan Party got 50 per cent of the popular vote, yet only won 38 of the 58 seats, with 10 seats determined by less than 500 votes. That's partly because the third-place Liberals - who did not win any seats - still managed to poll 9.4 per cent. By doing, so, the David Karwackiled Grits in 2007 likely prevented a Sask. Party landslide - the traditional role for the Liberals.

Notwithstanding its stronger showings after losing power in the early 1970s, and a brief blip in the mid-1990s when it managed to form official Opposition, the Liberals have historically become the thirdparty that takes away just enough votes to prevent big government majorities. And when they don't do that - as was the case in 1982, when the Grits only received 4.5 per cent of the provincewide popular vote - we are likely to see to see those landslides.

This takes us to the relevance of today's Liberals ... or, better put, how the party's lack of a provincewide presence might have a different, but equally historically profound impact on Saskatchewan politics, come the Nov. 7 vote. We're a mere seven weeks away from the likely start of the November campaign and not a single Liberal candidate - including leader Ryan Bater who will be running in The Battlefords - has been nominated.

Moreover, while Bater does seem to opt for new media communication via Twitter or YouTube presentations, his party's only news release this year was nearly five months ago on the budget. Given some of Bater's stands, like his positions last year supporting the BHP Billiton takeover of Potash-Corp, or his opposition to public money in a new football stadium, one can safely assume it's not because of any unwillingness to take a controversial stand.

This lack of presence might be why the Liberals are at 4.2 per cent in a recent Insightrix poll, behind the Green Party, which has already nominated 22 candidates. Add to the equation that the Insightrix and other pollsters have the Sask. Party at 58 per cent of the popular vote - a showing that, if maintained on Nov. 7, would not only exceed the Tommy Douglas wins, but even the largest popular vote totals of the Liberals in 1912 and 1917.

With the gap between the Sask. Party and Dwain Lingenfelter's NDP - and no clear third-party option - it could also translate into a Sask. Party landslide.

But, while acknowledging he'd dearly love a bigger role in the provincewide political debate (including the televised leader's debate), Bater said in a telephone interview Monday that he won't run a thin provincewide campaign."We're focused on winning a seat. Period," said Bater, adding that the Liberals might run as few as 15 candidates, but probably will have more.

It's a deliberate strategy that will clearly take the Liberals away from their traditional role.

That might great news for the Sask. Party, but not so great for the NDP.

Mandryk Is The Political Columnist For The Leader-Post.

© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post

This article hit some nerves
Being a liberal in Saskatchewan is not easy to say the least. I have seen the might liberal party of my youth. Have be coming nothing more a little footnote in the Saskatchewan voters mind. Why well it is my fault as may of us we in the provincial liberal have become very lazy. And forgot how to win. The liberal in Saskatchewan looked for saviours after the might Ross . But we have not giving the leader our support in many ways. We in the party have not got out there a sold the party we let others to do the work.
Those could not do it or got tried of doing it.
As my friend the Oz would say there are to many cocktail liberal in Saskatchewan. Now those cocktails liberal are got and all we got in the party are ideologists and those who of glory with the least amount of work. At the 1st time in my life I am worried that the SK liberals will be no more. I am worried where and who I am going to vote for.