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Prepare for a 'nasty' election campaign

Vassy Kapelos, host of Power & Politics.

"I just want it to be over."

"It was the worst."

"Please let it end."

"I'm so tired of it."

The streeters have spoken.

'Streeters' are those interviews you see reporters doing with passers-by (literally) on the street. I did a few the morning of last week's election in Alberta. And though everyone I spoke to disagreed on the issues, they agreed on one thing: the election was downright 'nasty'.

So, some bad news for those Albertans who were depressed by the tone of their provincial election: the federal election will be nasty too.

One person working on the Liberals' campaign told me the federal election will make Alberta's "look like a day at Disneyland." Hours after Jason Kenney's win, a federal Conservative — victory drink in hand — told me the federal "battle" will be "bloodier, much bloodier." I'm hoping that doesn't mean fistfights, but I assume that means the campaign is going to get pretty messy.

All elections are kind of messy, though, aren't they? Why might this one be messier? (I have never used the word 'messy' so many times in one article.)

There are a few indicators. First, both Justin Trudeau and Andrew Scheer have told us it's going to be brutal.

"We are now looking at perhaps what will be the most divisive and negative and nasty political campaign in Canada's history," Trudeau said back in October of last year.

That same month, the leader of the Conservative Party said the same thing.

"The Liberals are going to throw everything they have at us. It's going to get worse. It's going to get nasty," Scheer told a room full of supporters in Ottawa.

Both Andrew Scheer and Justin Trudeau have warned the federal election campaign is going to be negative and nasty. (Canadian Press)

Partly that's due to a political clash over the issues; two of them in particular, climate change and immigration, tend to incite highly divisive rhetoric.

The sad fact is, a particularly malicious tone might just be what it takes to get more people out to the polls.

Take Alberta's example. Yes, every single person I stopped on the street was appalled by the tone of the campaign. But every single one of them also voted. Turnout was massive. The final tally isn't in yet, but it'll be in the neighbourhood of 70 per cent.

Many factors likely went into that turnout. I tend to believe that many Albertans felt the outcome of the election would have a direct impact on their livelihoods. But they were also engaged (at least the people I spoke to were) by the divisive, inflammatory, overheated rhetoric. They felt like they had a stake in the fight.

My guess is Canadians will feel the same way in October. In what likely will be a hard-fought, disagreeable, unpleasant and, yes, messy election, they'll be ready — and willing — to get their hands dirty.

Vassy Kapelos is host of Power & Politics, weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on CBC News Network.