An Alberta Politician Is Being Trolled Over Campaign Posters With A 'Weird' Brag

An Alberta United Conservative Party (UCP) candidate, who is in the running to replace current premier Jason Kenney, has been called out by social media users for a recent campaign poster.

Ahead of the ballots closing on October 3, UCP candidate Brian Jean has been using a 'Did You Know' style social media campaign to familiarize followers with his personal and professional background.

However, one particular post about his Master's degree – or the lack of one – has invited backlash online.

The image, which was originally posted on Facebook, was captioned "Did you know Brian Jean...was a few courses away from a Master's in Environmental Law."

Albertans took to Reddit to roast Jean for this not-so-humble move. They pointed out that not completing a degree is a "weird thing to brag about".

People were quick to compare Jean's claims to their own. One person semi-optimistically pointed out that we're all capable of 'almost getting a degree in environmental law.'

Another person referred back to their experience as a very, very young pre-med student.

The post also made others satirically evaluate how close they were to reaching their financial dreams. If only they had a bit more cash...

Another comment used an age-old phrase to dismiss Jean's posturing.

An MLA for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, Jean is among the seven people who have put forth their names to become the UCP party leader and the heir to Kenney's chair. Almost 124,000 party members are eligible to vote for the province's next premier using a preferential ballot.

The results are due on October 6, with many considering Danielle Smith as the frontrunner in the race.

Jean's campaign has been centred around promises to address inflation and reduce gas and electricity prices.

But, as is the case with election campaigns so often, his social media strategy might require a little bit of a rethink to impress Reddit communities' discerning eyes.