By now, I expect we have all seen footage of U.S. democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris laughing. And chair dancing. And hugging her husband. You know, fun stuff. It’s infectious. Until Joe Biden stepped aside and threw his weight, not to mention funds, behind his vice-president, I really had no concept of Harris’s personality. Turns out she’s kind of cool. Cool enough that I’m following her on Threads (ha). Cool enough that when pop star Charli XCX called her a brat, Harris went all in on that.

I must go one step further and bring in her running mate, Tim Walz, of whom I was 100 per cent unaware of until he was chosen for the ticket. First of all, the governor of Minnesota (by various accounts) is pro-trade with Canada. So all joy aside, this is Important with a capital I. But his “weird” comments about far less pro-trade former president Donald Trump (and his running mate J.D. Vance, of, ah, couch adoration fame) reframed this election, at least thus far. Walz is a genius. Instead of bemoaning Trump’s anti-democratic views — and previous actions — he’s just shrugging him off by declaring him weird. Which he kind of is, really. Unfortunately, he’s also pretty scary. For both reasons, giving him a little shove off the pedestal is brilliant.

All of this has been gathered under the term “joy campaign” — something we have not seen in politics for a long, long time. Dare I say ever? I really don’t recall anything quite like it, apart from a few nods, such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “sunny days” thing back when and the “thousand points of light” comment from former president George H.W. Bush (referring to “all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the nation.”) Whether this remarkable mood in the U.S. (at least, among those determined or willing to consider voting for Harris) lasts remains to be seen.

It’s one heck of an approach, though. Speaking strictly for myself, I could use a little joy closer to home, but I’m not sure I’m feeling it . . . although (call me mad if you will) I see a few potential similarities to the U.S. standoff in the upcoming provincial election. The obvious double-similarity: a very Conservative man — Premier Scott Moe — will face off against a what I would call a centre-left woman (I hope that’s fair) — Carla Beck, leader of the NDP. See? I already have a leg or two to stand on. Also, the premier does not smile as much as Ms. Beck, as far as I can tell. Feel free to call me on that one. I haven’t heard a lot about the Saskatchewan Party’s platform for the upcoming fracas, but we can probably use its record just as easily. To wit: the pronoun policy, which granted is much more scary than weird; rising deficits and, kind of bizarrely, taxes; and, among other more specific things, a minister who thinks it’s okay to bring a gun into the legislature.

Beck, meanwhile, has come out with some platform points in an unequivocal fashion. For example, she has said, “I guarantee that we will not increase provincial income taxes, small business taxes, provincial sales tax or corporate tax, no tax hikes period.” Pundits have pointed out that this might be tricky to pull off while still paying for our good stuff, like health and education, and it would be good if she could clarify where the money would come from. Still, there’s a bit of positivity there if not joy, considering the years of rising inflation that have affected most of us. Note that I’m not encouraging Beck to laugh or dance or hug people in public, necessarily. Only she knows if that would feel authentic, and goodness knows we need authenticity. But she clearly knows how to hit a ball. In a TV ad shown during the Labour Day Classic between the Riders and Winnipeg, she kept smacking baseballs one after the other, making points as she went, with this determined look on her face. Then, at the end, a little smile.

Is that joy? I am not sure, but it beats the same old dour boring stuff with leaders staring earnestly at the camera spouting the usual political narrative. What if her campaign kept taking a positive and upbeat approach so different from the Sask. Party, which is too often being forced to defend its policies and deficits and behaviour? Could she change the political narrative here, as Harris has in the United States? I don’t know about that either, but it would be fun to watch.

– Joanne Paulson