The democratic implications are staggering, if you care about, or even believe in, democracy in Alberta any longer.
The resignation of Premier Alison Redford was the only possible response she could make to the self-destruction of a party that doesn't care about democratic process.
Premier Alison Redford was duly elected with a majority of seats two years ago, saving Alberta's Conservatives from a drubbing when they killed their previous "kingî, Ed Stelmach.
However, the Tories have developed a vampire-like insatiable taste for the blood of their leaders.
So we had the inappropriate spectacle of the party executive arrogantly telling the premier how to do her job.
Political hacks instructing a democratically elected premier; threatening that they will dispose of her if she doesn't knuckle under.
What ever happened to the constitutional distinction between a partisan organization and an elected government?
Not since Roman senators gang-murdered Julius Caesar, were so many knives thirsting for regal blood.
Equally self-important media pundits, who start new political blood sports every day, brought their knives to the fray.
All of this happened without the benefit of the opinion that once mattered most in democracy ñ that being the opinion of the citizens.
The Tory establishment and media are ignoring the citizens who chose Redford over a viable alternative ñ Danielle Smith and Wildrose.
Don Braid wrote in the Calgary Herald that Redford is now "under adult supervision.î
Democracy's power has had the citizens of Alberta give the government and the premier of the day "adult supervisionî 24/7/365 since 1905.
The Alberta Conservative executives and MLAs behaved not as adults, but as panicky children who couldn't deal with issues in a seemly way.
Redford's mistake, if you can call it that, was that she handled her party and caucuses as if she was their democratically elected leader.
Her openly-disclosed expenses gave them the excuse they were seeking.
Personal ambitions run amok -- sweaty and unseemly -- ruined Redford's premiership, and democracy is the poorer.
It is the party leadership and the caucus who are destroying the Conservative Party, not Alison Redford.
Frank Dabbs is a veteran business and political journalist, author of three biographies, and a contributor, researcher or editor of half a dozen books.
