Ekos president says Liberals should wage cultural war on rural Canada

[Ford Prefect]

And if the angry old men in Alberta don't like it, tough. That's Frank Graves' advice to the Liberals for regaining power. Pretty desperate if you ask me.




So this is the political advice the CBC employed pollster has? Glad my tax dollars aren't being wasted on a leftwing nut bar.

This would be funny if it wasn't so offensive.

(Hopefully not a fata ... couldn't find anything)

[Table 5]

I know getting riled up about easterners is an Alberta past time, but provincially speaking, it is pretty lame how it's the angry rural farmers who are running the show in Alberta these days.

I would bet Calgarians/Edmontonians have more in common with regular Torontonians then they do with the rural folk outside the city.

[dustyanddaflames]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I know getting riled up about easterners is an Alberta past time, but provincially speaking, it is pretty lame how it's the angry rural farmers who are running the show in Alberta these days.

I would bet Calgarians/Edmontonians have more in common with regular Torontonians then they do with the rural folk outside the city.

Whatcha talking about Jeeves? Have yet to see a man in wrangler jeans and a spitoon banging his pan with a wooden spoon in parliament.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I would bet Calgarians/Edmontonians have more in common with regular Torontonians then they do with the rural folk outside the city.

Isn't there a pretty significant difference between the way Calgarians and Edmontonian's vote on a provincial basis?

Edmontonians might have more in common with Torontonians but Calgarians might not.

Generally I'd agree the cow patty kickers in Alberta have a little too much pull on the provincial front right now.

Cowperson

[dustyanddaflames]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Isn't there a pretty significant difference between the way Calgarians and Edmontonian's vote on a provincial basis?

Edmontonians might have more in common with Torontonians but Calgarians might not.

Generally I'd agree the cow patty kickers in Alberta have a little too much pull on the provincial front right now.

Cowperson

Cow, just out of curiosity, why do a lot of people have that opinion and where did you come to this conclusion? Is it the type of government that is voted in? Coming from a rural setting, I'm interested in your response.

EDIT - I do come in peace (), and have little knowledge of political ongoings, was just curious.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Isn't there a pretty significant difference between the way Calgarians and Edmontonian's vote on a provincial basis?

Edmontonians might have more in common with Torontonians but Calgarians might not.

In terms of voting history, sure, but in day to day life I really don't see that much of a difference. Both Calgary and Toronto are business-focused cities with a strong white-collared, progressive workforce. Both have reputations of a cocky attitude that other cities sometimes dislike. We face similar issues of congestion, traffic, and lack of infrastructure dollars. Most of really don't care who others are screwing or marrying if it doesn't affect us. And I'm sure most of us would like to have a healthy planet despite some economic fears.

There is an "us vs. them" history there clouding things, but I'm sure if you sat down and went through all the issues that are important to you, you'd have more in common with Toronto Cowperson than you would with Didsbury Cowperson.

I often think Toronto is what Calgary will turn into eventually.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I often think Toronto is what Calgary will turn into eventually.

Hopefully not our sports teams!

[CaptainCrunch]

Its pretty sad that the head of a national polling company has so little idea about this country and seems to fall to the stereotypes of Albertan at a higher level then the separatists in Quebec.

Frankly i don't find his comments that offensive because I consider the guy a moron. I do find it offensive that CBC has been promoting him as an impartial pollster while this guy has been sending money to the Liberal party and comes out with this crap.

If Ignatief listens to this guy he's going to find himself back at Harvard teaching in a hurry after the next election.

People talk about the radical right wing fringe that are supposed to be running things in the conservative party that are behind the oh so scary hidden agenda. But this idiot and a group of others in the Liberal party are just as frightening.

I pray that the next election isn't fought this way, but I know that the temptation to follow the lowest common denominator is just too powerful.

[lambeburger]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Hopefully not our sports teams!

Matt Stajan, Ian White, Nik Hagman, Jamal Mayers, and Vesa Toskola say hi.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Table 5

In terms of voting history, sure, but in day to day life I really don't see that much of a difference. Both Calgary and Toronto are business-focused cities with a strong white-collared, progressive workforce. Both have reputations of a cocky attitude that other cities sometimes dislike. We face similar issues of congestion, traffic, and lack of infrastructure dollars. Most of really don't care who others are screwing or marrying if it doesn't affect us. And I'm sure most of us would like to have a healthy planet despite some economic fears.

There is an "us vs. them" history there clouding things, but I'm sure if you sat down and went through all the issues that are important to you, you'd have more in common with Toronto Cowperson than you would with Didsbury Cowperson.

I often think Toronto is what Calgary will turn into eventually.

The bolded portion is a huge difference between Toronto and Alberta. Calgary consistantly polls lower on all of those questions.

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Originally Posted by Table 5

In terms of voting history, sure, but in day to day life I really don't see that much of a difference. Both Calgary and Toronto are business-focused cities with a strong white-collared, progressive workforce. Both have reputations of a cocky attitude that other cities sometimes dislike. We face similar issues of congestion, traffic, and lack of infrastructure dollars. Most of really don't care who others are screwing or marrying if it doesn't affect us. And I'm sure most of us would like to have a healthy planet despite some economic fears.

There is an "us vs. them" history there clouding things, but I'm sure if you sat down and went through all the issues that are important to you, you'd have more in common with Toronto Cowperson than you would with Didsbury Cowperson.

I often think Toronto is what Calgary will turn into eventually.

The urban/rural divide exists in BC also. Greater Vancouver tends to be more to the left of the rest of the province.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by GGG

The bolded portion is a huge difference between Toronto and Alberta. Calgary consistantly polls lower on all of those questions.

Calgary outperforms Toronto on several important environmental factors however. Toronto still dumps raw sewage into lake Ontario, and trucks its waste outside of the country to Michigan.

As a Calgarian who actually lives in Toronto, I think I could speak with some authority on the matter. Table 5 is right - Calgarians and Torontonians are more alike than perhaps either would want to admit. Of course there are some differences, but Table's assertion that a Calgarian has more in common in terms of day-to-day city-living concerns and attitudes with a Torontonian, than a Calgarian shares with someone from Didsbury is true. More specifically urban dwellers in both cities and suburban dwellers in each city are brethren.

Calgary's also on a very similar trajectory as Toronto in terms of ethnic diversity.

I think the real 'divide' in this country is not east-to-west, but urban-suburban-rural.

National or Federal voting patterns in this country have far more to do with voting for the 'home team' than any substantial ideological differences.

[Bunk]

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Isn't there a pretty significant difference between the way Calgarians and Edmontonian's vote on a provincial basis?

Edmontonians might have more in common with Torontonians but Calgarians might not.

Not really. In the last general election Calgary voted in 5 liberals, Edmonton voted in 3 liberals and 2 NDP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alta2008.png

You'll notice there is a clear inner-city/suburban division beginning to solidify in Alberta. Also, municipally, urban Alderman tend to be alot more progressive compared to their suburban counterparts.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by GGG

The bolded portion is a huge difference between Toronto and Alberta. Calgary consistantly polls lower on all of those questions.

Y'know what I find frustrating about being Albertan? It's that somehow we've got this reputation for being redneck polluters that don't care about anything but money, yet our province is full of folks from all the other provinces here to work. I almost shot coffee out my nose the other day when in a thread similar to this one, some dipsh#t poster quipped about how us Albertans need our F350 SuperDutys to get to our jobs on the rigs... And yet I know about 15 people with trucks like that, and 12 of them are from either Nova Scotia, or BC, or Sask.

Yep, us Albertans don't give a rats ass about our backyard, right? Riiight. We're out here polluting our own province to get rich, and that's all there is to it. Meanwhile, the green conscience of Canada is out in Toronto. Right on that lake that you can't even swim in. Thanks, y'all.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Table 5

you'd have more in common with Toronto Cowperson than you would with Didsbury Cowperson.

.

FYI, I haven't lived in a city or town for more than a decade. I'm looking out my window right now at stubble, prairie and mountains.

My comments on politics would have to do with Edmonton being more left wing inclined in provincial elections and Calgary more right wing inclined.

Cowperson

[McG]

hmmm...maybe the liberal party (and all other parties for that matter) could actually come up with policies that worked instead of trying to marginalize or fracture different groups against each other.

but people call me crazy!

[bcb]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Its pretty sad that the head of a national polling company has so little idea about this country and seems to fall to the stereotypes of Albertan at a higher level then the separatists in Quebec.

Frankly i don't find his comments that offensive because I consider the guy a moron. I do find it offensive that CBC has been promoting him as an impartial pollster while this guy has been sending money to the Liberal party and comes out with this crap.

If Ignatief listens to this guy he's going to find himself back at Harvard teaching in a hurry after the next election.

I think you are taking a quantum leap in assuming Harvard will want Iggy back. At the rate he going, He'll be lucky to pick up tenure at Devry in Moncton.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by bcb

I think you are taking a quantum leap in assuming Harvard will want Iggy back. At the rate he going, He'll be lucky to pick up tenure at Devry in Moncton.

Now thats just mean.

Plus why would DeVry want him, Ignatieff knows crap about Computers or Electronics, and he's doesn't have any true business experience.

Maybe he can teach high school shop in Pusny New Mexico.

[nik-]

I live in Inner City Calgary. I consider my politics fiscally conservative and socially libertarian, I consider myself pretty cosmopolitan. To hear those comments that this "pollster" makes pisses me off. I don't want US style politics pushed into my country. I especially don't want our national, tax funded broadcaster employing someone who makes these BS rabble rousing recommendations to a political party.

Ugh, crap like this pisses me off.

[CaptainCrunch]

I agree with this, I'm tired of politics designed around splitting my country and keeping both sides at war. If the Liberal's want to win any election they really need to work on actual policies, and maybe a platform around reproachment of all regions instead of playing one side against the other.

I'm sick of people in Ontario thinking that Albertan's are evil polluting gun toting social conservatives. I'm sick of albertan's hating Ontario.

Come on Michael actually promote your party based on actual ideas, you haven't done it so far, and you've wasted your time with negative politics or doing nothing at all.

Ignatieff should come out in the press, call this guy a moron, tell him his advice is not wanted and move on. Don't call it a none issue, don't complain that the Conservatives are grandstanding. Act like a fricken leader not a 12 year old girl.