A question of judgment

André Boisclair, the newly elected leader of the PQ, has admitted to using cocaine during his time as a cabinet minister. He claims that he was not addicted, and that his cocaine use never interfered with his work. Not only has he refused to apologise for his conduct, he has refused to answer questions on the subject and avoided the issue at all costs. His demeanor when questioned by the press about his drug use has been angry and self-righteous. He has shown incredibly poor judgment not only by using a dangerous, illegal drug while a member of the provincial cabinet, but also in his response once it surfaced.

But what of the judgment of those who have just elected him? Mr. Boisclair seemed to become even more popular after his cocaine use was made public. Granted, he was the front-runner before that, but is no one else appalled that he was able to stonewall on the issue and still win such a crushing victory on the first ballot? Perhaps ultimately this result speaks more to the judgment of those who voted for him.