‘Lock-her-up’ Edmonton rally a Trumpian event
What makes Saturday’s lock-her-up rally in Edmonton so Trumpian is that it said more about media than reality.
The rally became front-page news this week thanks to an online video that featured Conservative leadership candidate Chris Alexander grinning and apparently keeping time as a crowd of about 1,500 called for the incarceration of Alberta premier Rachel Notley.
Commentators from across the political spectrum gave Alexander a metaphorical spanking for his failure to challenge demonstrators when they began chanting, in reference to Notley, “Lock her up.”
That chant, of course, was the signature tune of Donald Trump’s successful presidential campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton — an affirmation of his claim that she had broken the law by using an insecure email server during her time as secretary of state.
At a literal level, the Edmonton chant was ludicrous. No one — not even Notley’s fiercest political critics — has suggested that she committed a crime.
The main rap against her in Alberta stems from her New Democratic government’s decision to impose a carbon tax.
In fact, the rally was called to protest this carbon tax. That’s what the various invited speakers — including Alexander — were talking about.
In a normal world, few outside of Alberta would have paid much attention. Big networks such as the CBC didn’t even have cameras at the rally.
The Edmonton Sun’s original story, posted Saturday, made no reference to the lock-her-up chant — although it did note that the crowd “put on a lively display of signs and made plenty of noise.”
But this is not a normal world. It is a Trumpian world in which roles, as well as the boundary between fact and fiction, blur.
The rally was organized by an online outfit called Rebel Media. Founded after the death of the Sun News Network in 2015, Rebel Media describes itself as a “fearless source of news, opinion and activism.” Its founder, right-wing gadfly Ezra Levant, refers to himself as “Rebel commander.”
Just as Sun News was an attempt to ape the successful conservative U.S. network Fox News, Rebel Media bears an eerie resemblance to Breitbart News, the online voice of hard-right U.S. politics. Its head, Stephen Bannon, is now a major Trump adviser.
Rebel Media put together the Edmonton rally, even arranging to bus in supporters from other cities. Levant was one of the speakers. Rebel Media also covered the event that it organized. As far as I can figure, it was a Rebel Media video posted online that provided visual news coverage of the now-infamous chant.
The video, replayed by CTV and others, caused an uproar. The calls to imprison Notley were described as anti-democratic and anti-woman. Mainstream Conservatives fell over one another to distance themselves from the event.
Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose said those chanting for Notley to be jailed were acting like “idiots.” Even former Conservative minister Jason Kenney, who aspires to replace Notley as Alberta premier, tsk-tsked.
Oddly enough, Alexander almost had one of the more reasonable takes on the event. He pointed out that with unemployment at historic highs in Alberta, it is not surprising people are intemperate.
But he also said on the CBC that he was “somewhat shocked, taken aback, mortified even” by the calls to lock up Notley. Asked why, then, he didn’t say anything, he replied, “I was playing for time” — a not entirely convincing answer.
Overall, two conclusions can be drawn from this Trumpian event.
First, mood is more important than fact. I expect those in the crowd knew Notley has broken no law.
Rather, they were channelling their inner Trump to make the point they were mad.
Second, it may no longer suffice for media to be content with mediating — with being the conduit between reality and audience. There is great pressure on them to be players.
This is not new. It is a throwback to the 19th century, when media were explicitly partisan and expected to be so. As in the 19th century, the current trend to overtly politicize media is a response to economics.
In a world where they can no longer count on mass advertising to pay the bills, media need hyper-loyal audiences — audiences who believe only those they believe in and who trust no one else. Donald Trump understands this. We shall see if future anti-NDP rallies in Alberta stay away from chants like “lock her up.” We shall see if Commander Levant mellows.
I wouldn’t bet on either.
Thomas Walkom appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.