What does it actually take to run for office, and how do you know whether you should?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips offer a practical guide for anyone thinking about putting their name on a ballot, from the first conversation with a riding association to the realities of campaigning, fundraising, vetting, and family life.

First: forget the myth of the star candidate. A recognizable name might earn attention, but campaigns are built by people willing to knock doors, raise money, recruit a team, learn from those who came before them, and do the unglamorous work long before election day.

Then: candidate, vet thyself. Leah explains what political parties look for when they examine a prospective candidate’s history, why honesty matters more than perfection, and how years of social media posts can become a very expensive problem for a campaign.

Plus: why the candidate is not the protagonist, why campaigns are won through money and marks rather than grocery store compliments, and why anyone already imagining themselves in cabinet should probably take a step back.

Nominations, door knocking, political ambition, opposition research, lawn signs, campaign strategy, and everything to consider before putting your name on one.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca

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What happens when conservatives pick a fight with someone who knows exactly how to fight back?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil and Shannon Phillips dig into Calgary’s Stampede noise war, Jeromy Farkas’s escalating feud with Danielle Smith and Pierre Poilievre, and what happens when conservative messaging gets turned back on the people who invented it.

First: the fun police. Why did federal and provincial Conservatives decide to go to war over Cowboys, noise bylaws, and late-night Stampede parties? And did they badly misread both Calgary and the mayor they were attacking?

Then: the punch back. Farkas names the antagonist, speaks plainly, moves quickly, and refuses to retreat into process language. Annalise and Shannon break down why his response worked, what the left could learn from it, and why there may be more room to oppose Danielle Smith than many politicians seem to think.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: Annalise and Shannon debate the Governor General’s clothing allowance, the gendered expectations placed on women in public life, and whether politicians should get help paying for the uniforms their jobs demand. Producer Haxim joins the conversation to provide the underrepresented white male perspective, and mansplain what female politicians should be wearing.

Stampede politics, culture wars, conservative infighting, noise complaints, political uniforms, and the strategic value of punching back.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca

Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes and access to our exclusive Discord:

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Mentioned in this Episode:

Playboy meets country at the Calgary Stampede

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/playboy-meets-country-at-the-calgary-stampede/article18268605/

Bell: Farkas on fire, Danielle Smith pushes back — the Stampede tent brawl

https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/bell-jeromy-farkas-danielle-smith-stampede-tent-noise-brawl

Farkas: No, Calgary is not cancelling Stampede. We are standing up for neighbours

https://www.reddit.com/r/Calgary/comments/1ud8j5h/no_calgary_is_not_cancelling_stampede_we_are/

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What happens when stepping away from politics creates room to think differently about art, fear, community, and the work still left to do?

This week on Balance of Power, Annalise Klingbeil, Leah Ward, and Shannon Phillips unpack Shannon’s recent trip to Patmos, Greece, where she joined artists, writers, and musicians including Ani DiFranco, Neko Case, Anaïs Mitchell, and Ann Powers for a ten-day creative salon.

First: art in dark times. What does it mean to create while authoritarianism is rising, politics feels exhausting, and people are searching for beauty, joy, and respite without simply looking away?

Then: finding the side door into a story. Shannon reflects on her own unfinished writing project, the fear that comes with telling political stories, and why image, structure, and metaphor may offer a better path than straightforward journalism.

Plus, for Patreon subscribers: fear, cancellation, and the limits of progressive communication. When inclusion becomes a demand to say everything at once, does it make art and politics less effective? The panel digs into plain language, difficult questions, the trans debate, and whether fear of saying the wrong thing is pushing people away instead of bringing them in.

Art, politics, rage, religion, long COVID, summer camp for grown-ups, Americans with a lot of feelings, and why sometimes the answer is simply to become a cloud.

Welcome to Balance of Power.

Have a comment or idea? Email us at suggestionbox@balanceofpowerpod.ca

Join the Strategists Podcast Network Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus segments, and access to our exclusive Discord:

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.