Alberta Provincial By-Elections - Fall 2014 Editions

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

So gang.... what are the predictions?

My guesses:

Calgary Foothills: Prentice
Calgary Elbow: Clark (in a close one as right wing vote gets split and the Liberal/NDP vote goes to the AB Party)
Calgary West: PCs. PCs pull out a close one

Edmonton Whitemud: Mandel wins, with the NDP running a strong second.

Foothills: Prentice
Elbow: I'm horrible with predictions, but I think it's between Dirks/Fletcher with Dirks squeaking out a win. Think Clark lands in Third.
West: I think Taylor takes this one.
Whitemud: Mandel win in a land slide.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

Foothills: Prentice
Elbow: I'm horrible with predictions, but I think it's between Dirks/Fletcher with Dirks squeaking out a win. Think Clark lands in Third.
West: I think Taylor takes this one.
Whitemud: Mandel win in a land slide.

I'm in the exact same spot. I think Taylor (WRA) wins in Calgary West. Dirks wins Elbow and both Prentice and Mandel cruise to victory. I am interested in seeing both West and Elbow though.

[Resolute 14]

Prentice, Taylor and Mandel. In Prentice and Mandel's cases, nobody runs a "strong second".

Elbow, likely Dirks with Wildrose posting a decent second place finish. Clark finishes nowhere close, and his supporters spend a lot of time trying to figure out where it all went wrong but at no time realizing that Stephen Carter sold them a bill of goods.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Dion

Wildrose files complaint over 'homophobic' anonymous robocalls



http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/al...348/story.html

I got one of those.

I'm neither a Wildrose supporter nor in a byelection riding.

The call doesn't present itself as coming from the Wildrose. What's weird to me is that I'm not sure who would benefit from portraying the Wildrose as overly pro-gay. Certainly, none of the other parties (who would much prefer another "lake of fire"). My thinking was that it could be some kind of "tea party" within or beyond the Wildrose trying to push them towards a homophobic agenda.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Greg Clark might actually take Calgary-Elbow. He's put together a dream team of political strategists and data-mining geeks. Carter is Carter. A lightning rod but probably a distraction. Out of all of it, Greg Clark is the sharpest guy in the room. He was a top aide to Laurence Decore when Laurence Decore led a 32 member opposition.

[Bigtime]

Kind of related in a politico geek sort of way, Rod Love died? Seeing a mention on twitter from Joan Crockatt.

Oh and still put me down for Clark winning Elbow, I just have a gut feeling.

[Slava]

Ya it's been reported a fee places now. RIP. He had a major impact on the province and city in the past couple of decades.

[c.t.ner]

Originally Posted by SebC

I got one of those.

I'm neither a Wildrose supporter nor in a byelection riding.

The call doesn't present itself as coming from the Wildrose. What's weird to me is that I'm not sure who would benefit from portraying the Wildrose as overly pro-gay. Certainly, none of the other parties (who would much prefer another "lake of fire"). My thinking was that it could be some kind of "tea party" within or beyond the Wildrose trying to push them towards a homophobic agenda.

I'd have to agree that this probably comes from a grassroots off shoot of the Wildrose unhappy with their shift to centre. Strange tactic to say the least.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I'm garbage at predictions too, but my guess is Dirks wins Elbow, and Clark beats Wright by a wide margin. Then we all debate what that means for the ALP.

[yads]

All I know is I'm glad we're not getting robocalls anymore. We used to live in one of the bi-election ridings and currently live in another one and I'm guessing we were getting double up calls.

[GP_Matt]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

I'd have to agree that this probably comes from a grassroots off shoot of the Wildrose unhappy with their shift to centre. Strange tactic to say the least.

I think it is the opposite. There are WRA supporters who hold some pretty extreme views and I think this sounds more like voter suppression targeting them.

As to robocalls I can't believe the phone companies don't do more about it. One of the reasons I cancelled my phone line was because of the high number of random calls.

[Ducay]

WRA slogan: "Send the PCs a message". I've never seen a political party dumb enough to to make their main platform being that they just happen to be the lesser of 2 evils. Sure tons of parties and candidated campaign and win based on that fact, but you never highlight that as your key attribute.

Then again, I've never seen a political party attract so many people like FirstLady, Danielle Smith-Anders, and the like, so I really shouldn't be surprised.

[BigNumbers]

Originally Posted by Ducay

Then again, I've never seen a political party attract so many people like FirstLady, Danielle Smith-Anders, and the like, so I really shouldn't be surprised.

[Smartcar]

Well I just came home to a voicemail message from the Dirks campaign encouraging me to vote and saying I vote at Elboya school. I don't, I already voted at Rideau School. It sounded like a real person, not a robocall, albeit uninformed.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Ducay

WRA slogan: "Send the PCs a message". I've never seen a political party dumb enough to to make their main platform being that they just happen to be the lesser of 2 evils. Sure tons of parties and candidated campaign and win based on that fact, but you never highlight that as your key attribute.

lol. You are either deeply biased or pay no attention to politics whatsoever if you think this is unusual. The sophomoric nature of your second paragraph explains which one it is.

[mariners_fever]

Originally Posted by Ducay

WRA slogan: "Send the PCs a message". I've never seen a political party dumb enough to to make their main platform being that they just happen to be the lesser of 2 evils. Sure tons of parties and candidated campaign and win based on that fact, but you never highlight that as your key attribute.

Then again, I've never seen a political party attract so many people like FirstLady, Danielle Smith-Anders, and the like, so I really shouldn't be surprised.

It actually isn't the worst messaging for a byelection, albeit unoriginal seeing as they've used it in 2009 and 2012 elections also. It was great for the 2009 byelection, and it worked.

[c.t.ner]

One hour till the results roll in. If you're looking for the results, here's the link.

http://wtv.elections.ab.ca/wtResults.cfm

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

I just voted in Glamorgan--polling station is busier than you'd expect for a byelection, but there was still virtually no line.

[Ducay]

I'm so confused; how is WRA leading in Calgary West. Was Ellis that bad? I don't know either candidate, but we're a high income urban area, and should be leaning Liberal if anything.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

With 5 polls in, Dirks is up about 120 on Fletcher, and Clark is in third, trailing by about 150.