Free elections?

Last week I decided I wanted to vote for the premier. There wasn’t an official election, since it was only the leadership of the Alberta conservative party that was up for grabs. But the leader of the Alberta conservative party will be the leader of Alberta; probably for several years.
Let’s face it, after the next official election, the conservatives will still be in power. And probably the one after that as well.
Unfortunately, to vote in this election you have to be a member of the conservative party. It only costs five bucks.
The entire time I was buying my membership, the words “member of the ruling communist party.” I know conservative is the opposite of communist but the feeling is the same. It feels like a third-world country where you have to be a member of the ruling party to do anything. If that government collapses, then all the members of the former ruling party are looked at with suspicion, even if they got membership just so they could get a teaching job.
So now I’m a card-carrying member of the conservative party. Well, the card hasn’t actually left my car. So I guess my car is a card-carrying member.
At the line to actually vote, I was behind a woman dressed in a Fringe Festival sweater. “You don’t look like part of the conservative base.” She seemed embarrassed.
I’m fiscally conservative, but rather left in my social views. But I hope I will always think before voting, and not just go with a party line.
Then again, the person I voted for wasn’t one I had researched, but had been told by a friend I trusted that she was the best candidate.
Sheep.