A few hugs, no concession speech for Bokhari

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This article was published 19/04/2016 (3456 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Rana Bokhari always said she was different, and the Liberal leader proved it once again Tuesday night — no concession speech, no resignation, only the briefest of media scrums.

Bokhari arrived at Liberal headquarters appearing to have tripled the party’s one seat, almost doubled the popular vote, but having finished a distant third in the Fort Rouge riding she chose to contest.

Tossing aside tradition, she made no formal speech, concession or otherwise.

Her leadership future?

“It’s not a conversation I want to have today,” Bokhari told reporters before being hustled away to share hugs with disconsolate but affectionate supporters.

“It was a tough game,” said Bokhari, who lamented the party’s lack of money. “We’re running with zero dollars. Resources are always a challenge.”

But she said the Liberals had “fantastic candidates” and haven’t generated this much support in decades.

Former leader Jon Gerrard held onto River Heights, and Cindy Lamoureux won Burrows. Late in the evening, Judy Klassen was ahead of longtime NDP cabinet minister Eric Robinson in Kewatinook. Bokhari lost to NDP candidate Wab Kinew.

Yet the Liberals fell so far short of what the polls had dangled as a promise only a few short weeks ago.

‘She’s a great woman’

The Liberals came into the election riding high in the polls, with very legitimate prospects for winning Winnipeg seats and even of forming the official Opposition.

Liberals weren’t talking about what Bokhari should do Tuesday night.

“Rana, she’s a great woman; she’s worked really hard for the party,” said Fort Richmond candidate Kyra Wilson.

“That’s a decision that comes from the top,” said Johanna Wood, who finished a distant fourth in Fort Garry-Riverview. “The central campaign had significantly less resources than the other two parties — they did the best they could with what they have.”

One lifelong Liberal who did not want his name used said he only met Bokhari six weeks ago, despite his involvement in the party. He thought she should take some time before making any decision — he had no idea if the party might make its own decisions.

“People pour a lot of emotion into these things,” St. Johns candidate Noel Bernier said. “We’re not candidates anymore: we’re MLAs or back to our normal lives. The first goal is to form government, the next goal if you don’t form government is to grow seats.”

Few staff, little money

The Liberals had earned only 7.48 per cent of the popular vote in 2011 after hitting 12.33 per cent in 2007, 13.13 in 2003, 13.31 in 1999, and 23.62 in 1995.

Early polls gave hope of quadrupling that 2011 disaster. But Bokhari was accurate when she said support had not been so high in decades.

Unfortunately for the Liberals, the party’s popular support only peaked in three ridings.

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From Bokhari’s first campaign event moments after the writ was dropped, it became evident her policies were not well-researched or fleshed out with details; she seemed surprised when reporters posed obvious and easily anticipated questions. The 38-year-old lawyer had no previous political experience.

The Liberals had few staff and little money. Even when candidates stood behind Bokhari, she didn’t introduce them or give them any role in the campaign event.

The Liberals came into the election holding only Gerrard’s seat in River Heights.

It was a huge blow to the party’s credibility when the Liberals lost five of their 57 candidates at the nomination deadline — three had not done their paperwork properly, a fourth missed the deadline, a fifth was disqualified for having violated election rules by working as an enumerator in this election. Bokhari had to fire a sixth candidate when new details emerged about a domestic assault in his past.

Combined with Bokhari’s having fired a candidate for online misogyny just weeks before the election was called, it raised further questions about the party’s vetting and preparedness.