Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s approval rating has dipped to 46%, suggesting that even in oil country, crude enthusiasm eventually runs dry. Once buoyed by pandemic anger and prairie-sized promises, Smith now finds herself clinging to less than half the electorate like a calf roper who grabbed the wrong end of the steer.
Analysts say 46% is still technically “not terrible,” though it’s also the same score you’d get for turning in an exam half-finished and covered in barbecue sauce. Rural supporters remain loyal, but some urban voters have reportedly moved on to less volatile hobbies, like juggling chainsaws.
Smith brushed off the numbers, noting that “46% is nearly half, and half is basically a majority if you squint hard enough.” Political watchers, meanwhile, advise her to tread carefully: approval ratings can slide faster than Alberta winters, and unlike snow, they don’t melt in the spring.
