April 23 2012: Alberta Provincial Election

[SebC]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

The problem isn't budgetary, its structural, and I would hope that Smith would live up to what she's saying about evaluating the structure of health care delivery.

Agreed, but I believe the solution is more emphasis on primary care and better agreements with the unions (e.g. more full time and less part time + overtime, cut fees for procedures such as cataract surgery which is a vastly faster procedure than when the fees were set), rather than privatization.

[Cowboy89]

This was a status quo debate. Meaning the only person who 'won' the debate is the current leader in the polls. Ultimately if you are an undecided voter I don't believe anything that happened or was said tonight made your decision for you. If you were a decided voter i doubt tonight made you change your mind at all.

Have to agree with those who believe Redford had the hardest job tonight. She had to keep her current voters, win over undecided voters, and steal voters from the Wildrose and Liberals. Pretty tall order when every other political party gets to talk about how they hypothetically would do better while Redford has to defend a record. Also she looked super awkward when in some answers to questions she's defending the PC's record while in other answers she's trying to pretend she's not affliated with the past PC record.

[puffnstuff]

I didn't have a chance to watch tonight. My significant other asked me a question I havent seen anywhere (at least in the parts of this thread I've read), did Smith get asked about being a trustee with the CBE that was, for lack of a better word, fired? Doesn't have to be in tonights action either, but at some point the questions been asked somewhere.

[killer_carlson]

I was at the wr viewing party up here tonight. I'm real pleased with how Danielle smith did, especially in the head to head section with Redford.

Interesting to see how the polls show, but I'm real excited tonight.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I've gotta say it




I'll be in my bunk

Oh and



Honk Honk!!

[Dion]

Analysts say Smith shines as Redford holds her own against onslaught

Wildrose leader avoids major pitfalls

But several observers said Redford didn’t hit a home run.

“Danielle Smith is the front-runner and she didn’t deliver a knockout punch and she was not knocked out. She won the debate. She looked very good up there,” said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt, who noted Smith had some well-prepared lines she delivered competently.

“She looked calm, cool, collected, composed. Redford didn’t. But part of that was she was being attacked not just by Smith, but by Mason and Sherman. And many of the questions were aimed deliberately at (Redford).”

But University of Calgary political scientist Doreen Barrie said Redford won the debate “by a nose.”

“Alison Redford really held her own, right from the get-go,” she said, adding the Tory leader seemed the most comfortable, confident and premier-like.

“She was able to give as good as she got.”

“I think Raj Sherman was really good at staying on message, although it might have got a little bit too much from time to time,” Large said.

But Bratt said Sherman, with his one-liners and sharp lines of attack, may have distinguished himself the most.

“He had to because his party is in the death-knells. Mason, I mean, he was Brian Mason. He’s an experienced guy. His strategies and tactics were well-defined before the debate occurred. He was going to try to be Mr. Reasonable.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/po...886/story.html

[Fozzie_DeBear]

The PCs need to give voters something new to think about or they are in trouble.

One topic that matters is the impact of reduced funding for education...cuts could mess up our knowledge-based economy.

This is the 'high-tech/science/innovation' economy that helps the resource sector be competitive (think AOSTRA/Oil Sands SAGD process). Alberta is a VERY high technology province and we have a very good and thus pricey academic system. A system that pays for itself easily.

The PCs know that...I'm not sure that the WRP does. However, if the WRP has an innovation policy I'd like to hear it.

But the main point is that if the PCs don't change the subject matter of the discussion the momentum is on the WRP side.

[Bunk]

Watched with some colleagues and friends. Thought Redford was probably strongest by a hair. Smith performed adequately. Sherman had some good moments but is an akward debater. Mason - meh. Disappointed the moderators didn't have any questions on things like energy policy, environment or cities, but whatever.

Redford had better turn around PC fortunes in Calgary, and quick or they're going to lose.

The last week will be very interesting.

[kn]

Originally Posted by SebC

Is it just me, or did Smith look and sound like she was on the verge of tears for much of the second half of the debate?

You're the second person I've heard mention that so there must be something to it... I didn't notice.

[killer_carlson]

Smith fighting a cold right now. Affected her voice.

Possibly she was trying not to cough?

[Jacks]

Those online polls for the debate winner at the Herald and the Journal are basically the same as the regular polling results from the 2 cities. As someone said earlier, most people will pick the party leader they support as the winner regardless.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Dion

Analysts say Smith shines as Redford holds her own against onslaught

Wildrose leader avoids major pitfalls







http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/po...886/story.html

I didn't watch the debate, but to me that reaction is telling: three analysts, three different "winners."

The truth is that actual debates rarely change anything during an election, because almost nobody actually watches them.

What changes things is the narrative that emerges from a debate. Recall Al Gore vs. George Bush--most people who actually watched the first debate felt that Gore won, but the narrative that emerged was Gore "sighing" and "looking exasperated." As a result, most people who only saw news clips about the debate wound up deciding that Bush had won, and in the end, it moved the numbers toward Bush.

In this case, it may be too early to tell, but a narrative that has Redford "defensive" and "angry" won't be a good sign for her.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Those online polls for the debate winner at the Herald and the Journal are basically the same as the regular polling results from the 2 cities. As someone said earlier, most people will pick the party leader they support as the winner regardless.

Also, the parties may be trying to jihad those online polls; at least they will be if they're smart.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I'm only seeing soundbites, but from the clips it looks like Redford absolutely destroyed Smith on the conscience rights issue. (for all I know she immediately afterward fell on her face and drowned a kitten, but from the 30 second clip I saw she looked considerably better.)

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

Also, the parties may be trying to jihad those online polls; at least they will be if they're smart.

The Nenshi campaign certainly did this, so I expect the Redford campaign at least will too.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by Jacks

Redford should lose the pearls, especially if she wants to dis old white people

Redford also needed to hire a make up artist. She looked down right mean most of the time.

[Senator Clay Davis]

So with a bit more time to consider, I give slightly more credit to Redford, she really did have a more difficult job than the rest (since almost all questions related to her party's record) and she avoided making any major mistakes. She also avoided making a splash which she needed. If I was grading I'd give Raj a B+, Redford and Smith B- and Mason a C+

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

This was a status quo debate. Meaning the only person who 'won' the debate is the current leader in the polls. Ultimately if you are an undecided voter I don't believe anything that happened or was said tonight made your decision for you. If you were a decided voter i doubt tonight made you change your mind at all.

Have to agree with those who believe Redford had the hardest job tonight. She had to keep her current voters, win over undecided voters, and steal voters from the Wildrose and Liberals. Pretty tall order when every other political party gets to talk about how they hypothetically would do better while Redford has to defend a record. Also she looked super awkward when in some answers to questions she's defending the PC's record while in other answers she's trying to pretend she's not affliated with the past PC record.

Gotta agree with what you said here and from people's responses there was clearly no decisive winner. I think the debate only solidified the stances of those who were already decided.

I was watching, but spent more time listening and I was trying to read the verbal upchuck that was twitter. So from that standpoint, my take comes from not seeing facial expressions and body language. I though Mason did really well and I gained a lot of respect for him. I thought Redford really held her own given and seamed more like a Premier, she was the target of pretty much every question. She definitely didn't get out a knock out punch and missed an opportunity to really hammer Smith on her time as School trustee and lack of experience. Raj did get a lot of excellent and memorable zingers which will linger for a long time. In just listening to the debate, he seamed robotic and the pauses kept throwing me off. I thought Smith was very timid and at times I forgot she was there. Smith had a real chance to come of sounding like a leader, but she missed it. I thought it was interesting that every time there was an open floor Redford was always the first in there. It was the open floor moments where Smith should have done more. I think if Smith was in Redford's shoes it would have been a slaughter.

As cowboy said, it was a status quo debate and I don't think it'll really sway people who were undecided. I had my bias going in and all the debate did was solidify that stance. Shame that the campaign doesn't allow for at least one or two more of these debates.

[GP_Matt]

Raj did a decent job attacking Redford last night, but I am not sure he convinced anyone of the need for higher taxes. Looking at the Liberal website http://www.albertaliberal.com/team.php only about half the candidates have bothered to upload their pictures. In Grande Prairie we have two Liberal candidates, one of whom lives in Edmonton and hasn't created a webpage, visited the riding or even put up a sign. Even in her interview she admitted that she is simply a placeholder put on the ballot to gauge Liberal support in the area.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Taxes are always a contentious issue, and when the economy is strong raising them is essentially a non-starter to most people. I also can't say I'm surprised the Liberals seem so poorly organized, I can't imagine the name Liberal will be around politics in Canada much longer. Federally it might have more value (though not much), but after this election I wouldn't be shocked to see them rebrand themselves as something else, at least provincially. Which begs the question: What names should they consider?