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The good news for Jean is that he probably is indeed the most popular politician among the Alberta public. He’s probably more trusted than deficit-laden Notley and, as former leader of the official Opposition Wildrose, he is probably better known than newcomer-to-the-provincial scene Kenney.

The bad news for Jean is that the public is not voting in the UCP leadership race. This is not a general election with 2.6 million voters.

This is an internal party race with about 62,000 voters who will be casting a ballot online or by phone this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

UCP members are not a cross-section of Albertans who pay a passing glance at provincial politics and couldn’t tell a Shaye Anderson from a Wayne Anderson.

These are highly motivated conservatives who have been wringing their hands in a mixture of anger, frustration and outrage since the NDP won the 2015 election.

They are looking for a political champion to lead the UCP to victory in the 2019 provincial election.

And according to opinion polls, that’s Jean. That’s why he held the Tuesday news conference.

But it was premature.

Jean has first to win the UCP leadership. And he won’t do that by appealing to the general public with dramatic, but gimmicky, news conferences.

He can only do it by focusing on UCP members, specifically those who have registered to vote.

That’s what Kenney is doing. He’s holding a series of rallies this week in major centres to motivate his supporters.