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Alberta has elected an NDP majority government, ditching the PCs after more than four decades of rule. Pollsters staked their reputations on an NDP majority government — and, indeed, it was hard to imagine the Progressive Conservatives winning after running such a disastrous campaign. After 43 years in government, they hardly demonstrated more organizational aplomb than a pen of sad puppies begging for adoption. Few thought they could fail so hard, or so fast. But they did. Here’s how they shattered a dynasty in 10 easy steps:

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1. Pick the wrong symbol of generational renewal

Alison Redford was supposed to be the leader who would revitalize the Tory government. She was a symbol of the province’s generational change, and its desire to play a more active role in Confederation. Unfortunately, she suffered from serious managerial deficits and entitlement problems; her tenure lasted about two years. She resigned last March amid a series of spending scandals.

2. Ignore your grassroots

The first experiment a failure, the PCs brought in Jim Prentice. A steady hand to right the keel. A respected Conservative MP and cabinet minister with none of the apparent sense of self-importance that plagued his predecessor, Prentice was the best on-paper leader the party could have asked for — and he was elected to the head of the party with only 23,000 votes, a fraction of the number that supported previous premiers. This should have been the first sign that the PCs were in trouble, and that their base had jumped ship during the reign of Redford. Prentice needed to fix his party; instead the lead-up to the election was dogged with infighting and questionable disqualifications of popular candidates, which further alienated devoted supporters and volunteers.