[killer_carlson]

Update from Edmonton:

spoke to an NDP candidate who we know through our kids' school. Just a classy, classy person. Really impressed with her and her husband. Running in a different part of Edmonton. This is the kind of candidate that I wish there were more of every election and with every party. But I digress.

I actually wonder if the PCs have given up on Edmonton in terms of winning/holding onto seats. Their fundraising is in the tanks in many of their ridings and the NDP wave is still riding high. PCs might be hoping that a strong national campaign will carry them to victory.

The narrative coming out of Edmonton that PC candidates will have to face is this: When is Edmonton going to get its share of federal money. Calgary recieved close to $2.1 Billion in the last 2 weeks for LRT and a ring road. Edmonton recieved about ~$1.2 million for upgrades to a YMCA etc. So to put it another way: For every $2,000 Calgary recieved, Edmonton recieved $1.00. Even when they did contribute previously to Edmonton LRT lines, they gave 25% of the cost, where in Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto they gave 33%. Edmonton city council will make sure this is an election issue on the front of Edmonton voters' minds.

Edmonton swung hard left provincially with a perception that they were tired of playing second fiddle to Calgary with provincial money. The cash doled out the last 2 weeks certainly hasn't done anything to change that perception. In fact it only reinforces it and locks in those voters who have that near the top of their list. As it stands for me, my willingness to donate to a PC campaign this election will be measured against how credible I determine the actual candidate to be as well as how much my municipal taxes will increase to pay for the LRT expansion $$$ that the Feds will not be kicking in.

Laurie Hawn is not running again. Neither is James Rajotte. Both were great candidates and well respected. Peter Goldring is not running again, but that might actually increase the chances that the PCs win the seat because Goldring is as close to Anders as Edmonton will get.

The Liberals have a couple of high profile municipal leaders running for them, but both come off as "we went Liberal when they were leading in the polls, but we really wish we'd run NDP". That is going to hurt them.

NDP have a beach head in Edmonton with Linda Duncan being the incumbent in the University area. The NDP is also very well organized with a lot of sweat equity in their volunteers. They attracted some pretty good candidates as well, with the person I mentioned above being the type they are getting. There is a guy named Piquette who is also apparently quite the coup as well.

I am reluctant to say it, but it would come as no surprise if the NDP didn't take a majority of Edmonton's seats.