Nelson: Naheed Nenshi’s journey toward endless anger

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Did Naheed Nenshi merely get up one morning and determine to start out denigrating these disagreeing with him, or was it the drip, drip, drip of politics that turned him into an offended man?

As a result of the previous Calgary mayor — and would-be provincial NDP chief — didn’t all the time seem like an individual who’d throw out spurious white supremacy accusations in opposition to protesting truck drivers, deride council colleagues for getting ‘blotto’ on the job but refuse to call them, or, simply final week, name Alberta’s premier a compulsive liar main an immoral authorities.

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When first inflicting a political stir by profitable Calgary’s mayoral election in 2010, Nenshi appeared a mannequin of warm-hearted inclusiveness in praising opponents Barb Higgins and Ric McIver afterward. “We now have to thank Ms. Higgins for every part she’s achieved for this metropolis,” stated the triumphant new mayor, calling McIver “an excellent chief for this metropolis.”

Again then, faith wasn’t talked about. That Nenshi was Muslim didn’t matter to Calgarians and it performed little half within the marketing campaign. Solely later did that ‘first big-city Muslim mayor’ moniker emerge, initially sparked by central Canadian media shock that we didn’t gown in white robes come election day, in spite of everything.

Nenshi himself shortly grasped that title and has run with it ever since, one thing that helped make waves internationally, particularly after turning into the beaming image of a Calgary pulling collectively within the dreadful flood of 2013.

By the 2019 mayoral vote, race was entrance and centre, with Nenshi showing on a video alongside Mashhood Qazi, president of the Sindhi Affiliation’s southern Alberta chapter, to ask for the Pakistani neighborhood’s help as forces backing his opponent have been making an attempt to get folks “who is perhaps haters and racists out to vote.”

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If that wasn’t taking part in the race card, then somebody tampered with the deck.

So, Nenshi’s again and instantly sucking up all of the oxygen within the NDP’s marketing campaign to interchange Rachel Notley, despite the fact that he wasn’t even a celebration member this time final 12 months.

Pity those that have been NDP members for many years and thought they may lastly have a shot on the high job. Poof, they’re political roadkill beneath the wheels of the Nenshi machine.

We’ll quickly see if there’s any occasion trustworthy pushback or will they meekly step apart and hail what is going to in impact turn into the Nenshi Democratic Celebration? (It’s true that Danielle Smith additionally hijacked the marketing campaign to interchange Jason Kenney as premier, a lot to the chagrin of many longtime Tories, who’d watched her cross the ground from the Wildrose years earlier. However at the least Smith did so via coverage guarantees — significantly the controversial Alberta Sovereignty proposal — somewhat than assuming she was ordained as the one appropriate contender.)

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So, to pose the query once more: was it politics that turned Nenshi into such a bully within the eyes of many? As a result of, regardless of the blather about range, it’s his method or the freeway, and anybody opposing this setup ought to put together to be lectured, dismissed or reviled.

Nevertheless, perhaps this character trait was hiding in plain sight from the political get-go. Returning to that come-from-behind victory all these years in the past, when he first stepped into the political limelight, beaming that great smile and speaking so eloquently of inclusiveness and a brilliant Calgary daybreak with him within the mayoral chair, there was a telling second.

“In the present day, Calgary is a unique place than it was yesterday. A greater place,” he informed celebrating supporters that election evening. As if Calgary itself had been raised to some greater aircraft just by selecting Nenshi as mayor.

So the place might such conceitedness ultimately lead, if left unchecked? Effectively, maybe to a spot the place those that don’t vote appropriately are de facto deemed racists and haters.

And the place have we heard related discuss from an initially jubilant politician?

“Canada is again.” Keep in mind that utterance from a freshly elected prime minister referred to as Justin Trudeau in 2015?

Sure, the cult of character is straddling our land.

Chris Nelson is a daily Herald columnist.

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