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- Deb Higgins got the first shot at impressing the delegates who had not yet voted.
Her "demonstration" demonstrably lacked the high level of enthusiasm (and large number of placard-waving supporters . . .) that is de rigueur at these events. The music accompanying her walk to the speaker's podium was energetic, but predictable - Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising." [I've always thought this song was about America rising up to face the terrorist extremism manifest in the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Read the lyrics at http://www.countrygoldusa.com/the_rising.asp I suppose it could be used as an analogy for the NDP's purported 'rise' - in opposition to the current Saskatchewan experience under a Sask. Party government - but that's a thematic stretch I'd never have considered . . . .] The demonstration was short, and the speech to the crowd very good - direct, emphatic, peppered with a few nice turns of phrase.Overall grade: B
- Dwain Lingenfelter's supporters showed why he was the frontrunner from the day he announced his candidacy: an extremely energetic group marched with him 
from the back of the room, and he took a long time to respond to and savour the adulation of the crowd as he walked to the stage. Too bad the choice of music, some ultra-esoteric jazz piece by Jack Semple [who, despite being a Saskatchewan product, doesn't know squat about political convention background music: this may have been a paean to Lingenfelter's core of fifty-to-sixty-five-year-old campaign organizers, but it was out of place on a dull Saturday morning, where the goal should be to 
invigorate the assembled crowd of party fanatics]. The flat opening soundtrack was followed by uninspired reading of a [standard] speech. As Lingenfelter left the stage there was a serious burst of communicable energy in the song blasting along to his exit, but it got cut off far too quickly. Also of note: the corrugated plastic "Link" signs were a memorable, effective design, and can easily be recycled in the Regina Douglas Park byelection.
from the back of the room, and he took a long time to respond to and savour the adulation of the crowd as he walked to the stage. Too bad the choice of music, some ultra-esoteric jazz piece by Jack Semple [who, despite being a Saskatchewan product, doesn't know squat about political convention background music: this may have been a paean to Lingenfelter's core of fifty-to-sixty-five-year-old campaign organizers, but it was out of place on a dull Saturday morning, where the goal should be to 
invigorate the assembled crowd of party fanatics]. The flat opening soundtrack was followed by uninspired reading of a [standard] speech. As Lingenfelter left the stage there was a serious burst of communicable energy in the song blasting along to his exit, but it got cut off far too quickly. Also of note: the corrugated plastic "Link" signs were a memorable, effective design, and can easily be recycled in the Regina Douglas Park byelection.Overall grade: C-
- Yens Pedersen tugged at the heartstrings of a much younger generation as he made his way to the front, pulled along by Mark Shepard's "Together We Can Change the World" [popular on the airwaves in 2008, and a thought-provoker for party stalwarts who believe the Saskatchewan NDP is both over-populated by the 50-plus cohort and a long way from renewing itself via younger adherents. Give it a listen, at http://www.markshepard.com/togetherwecan.htm]. Unfortunately, the song was a confusing mix with the content of the video displayed on the big screen 
at the front of the room, which had lots of historical images. Yens, like Deb Higgins and Ryan Meili, is very photogenic, a quality that made it easier to listen to and watch him on the big screen. His speech was overloaded with references to Tommy Douglas, but good nonetheless. It might even have been inspiring, had it not dragged on so long. Also of note: the bobbing "Y E N S" headgear [see lower left of the photo above of Lingenfelter's entrance] was just a bit too Hallowe'enish to avoid being tacky [kind of like the US political conventions' styrofoam "skimmer" hats, which maintain a permanently uncool cachet].Overall grade: B-
- Ryan Meili had an awkward start to his segment in the limelight - historical black and white photos were shown on the stage's big screen.
This was followed by an upbeat tune, with great photos (many of which depicted his life as a physician) in a video that was easily the class of the crop. His nominators' statements alternated very effectively with video clips (although there were too many of them . . . .) and his supporters exuded much more energy than the other candidates'. When he finally walked to the front of the room, a very 'scattered' tune accompanied the entourage's movement [Ben Lee's "All in This Together" - hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZehkuUvuk] Meili is a 'natural' speaker, who read a carefully crafted text very well. He went overboard at the end of it, however, when his shouting into the microphone broke up in the sound system. Also of note: I fervently hope the (badly-designed) anemic little signs (truly - 8 inches by 12 inches!) represented his campaign's attempt to create as little garbage as possible.
This was followed by an upbeat tune, with great photos (many of which depicted his life as a physician) in a video that was easily the class of the crop. His nominators' statements alternated very effectively with video clips (although there were too many of them . . . .) and his supporters exuded much more energy than the other candidates'. When he finally walked to the front of the room, a very 'scattered' tune accompanied the entourage's movement [Ben Lee's "All in This Together" - hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geZehkuUvuk] Meili is a 'natural' speaker, who read a carefully crafted text very well. He went overboard at the end of it, however, when his shouting into the microphone broke up in the sound system. Also of note: I fervently hope the (badly-designed) anemic little signs (truly - 8 inches by 12 inches!) represented his campaign's attempt to create as little garbage as possible.Overall grade: B
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- THE FIRST BALLOT VOTE:
9444 ballots cast, of which
Lingenfelter 4360
Meili 2401
Pedersen 1380
Higgins 1303
After the first ballot results were announced, Deb Higgins and Yens Pedersen took turns at the centre stage mike. Both thanked their supporters, Deb conceded, and Yens announced he was dropping off the second ballot. Neither of them vocalized their second ballot preference. About half an hour later, Yens sported an oversized Meili T-shirt [a fashion nightmare]. Deb donned a Meili button.
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- THE SECOND BALLOT VOTE:
9130 ballots cast [had they all picked Meili, the 314 voters who 'disappeared' between the first and second ballots were still not enough to give Meili the win], of which
Lingenfelter 5028 (55.07%)
Meili 4102 (44.93%)
In selecting Dwain Lingenfelter as the leader who will take the party forward to the 2011 election, some people would say party members found more value in an anachronism than a visionary.
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