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Can still hear his voice from what seems like long, long ago and far, far away when the protests grew and the volume got louder and the steps of the legislature in Edmonton became the battleground.

“They can yell, they can scream, they can call me every rotten, stinkin’ name under the sun but I ain’t gonna blink.”

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That’s Ralph Klein, this province’s long-time premier.

In Ralph’s day you heard the word “blink” often.

Is he going to blink this time? Looks like a bit of a blink to me. No, he’s serious and he’s not blinking. I remember the button once worn by Ralph’s team.

Ralph … Don’t Blink!

One thing learned from the political dogfight of more than a generation ago.

It’s easy to say you won’t blink. It’s a hell of a lot harder to keep your eyes wide open when the temptation to blink, to wave the white flag, to throw in the towel is so appealing.

A battle brews between Premier Kenney’s government and those who oppose him and want to take him down, people much like those who opposed Ralph and wanted to take him down.