Gotta love an election campaign that kicks off with a mini-scandal called Dranogate.

That’s the scene in Manitoba, where the opposition Progressive Conservatives are in hot, er, plumbing fluids over their playlist at a pep rally.

As Manitoba PC leader Hugh McFadyen charged up the stage at his campaign launch, somebody in the backroom thought it would be a hoot to play the song Party Rock Anthem by the band LMFAO (Laugh My F**kng Ass Off, for those who don’t read text-lingo).

One of the lines in the tune is, “Yo, I’m runnin’ through these hos like Drano!”

Needless to say, McFadyen was forced to explain how Party Rock Anthem became the official song of his campaign kick-off. It also led pundits and voters to question whether the PCs, out of office since 1999, are government-ready.

Manitobans go to the polls October 4th and this is the second time they’re considering McFadyen for premier. In the 2007 election, the governing NDP successfully linked McFadyen to Tory cuts of the 1990s, when he was chief of staff to former Tory premier Gary Filmon.

This year, the NDP’s message about McFadyen is pretty much the same, except for one key difference: There’s a new messenger. Former NDP Premier Gary Doer, the golden boy of the party who won three consecutive majorities, has been replaced by former finance minister Greg Selinger.

When Selinger ascended to the party’s leadership two years ago, NDP poll numbers sagged and Tory hopes rose. But in recent months, Selinger has capitalized on two key events to boost his profile: His leadership of last spring’s flood crisis and his central role in bringing back Winnipeg’s beloved NHL club, the Jets.

Add to that a winning CFL home team (we’re 7 and 3!), the warmest Manitoba summer in years and the lowest unemployment rate in the country, and Selinger suddenly has winning conditions for an unprecedented fourth NDP majority government.

Don’t bet on Team Selinger just yet, though. This election will be won or lost in a handful of seats in suburban Winnipeg, where voters tend to be older, whiter and crankier — and more apt to consider the Tory message of lower taxes and longer jail sentences.

In case you’re wondering, there are two other parties challenging the Tories and NDP, but neither of them appears poised for a breakthrough. The Liberals currently have one seat in the Manitoba Legislature while the Greens have none (though they managed to double the number of candidates they had last time, from 15 to 32 out of 57 possible constituences).

Stay tuned for more gossip and speculation from the Manitoba campaign trail. In the meantime, just remember: “Party rock is in the house tonight! Everybody just have a good time!”