Chandler Nomination - What's the deal?

[photon]

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/...a.html?ref=rss

This guy was on the radio with Rutherford this morning... which right off the bat makes me question if what's being said is true, but he was ranting about how Stelmach and the PC's hired PI's to investigate him and dig up dirt, how they focused on this human rights thing that he didn't write or endorse, and basically said the government abused its power..

What's the real story here.. is this Chandler guy just too right even for the PC's, or are the PC's just trying to avoid a controversy?

[Slava]

I didn't hear the interview this morning, but the PC's are trying to avoid controversy here. Chandler wrote a letter to supporters earlier this year (I think) asking for them to take over the PC's constituency by constituency.

Stelmach was screwed here; he either goes against the wishes of the electors in the riding, or he endorses a guy who has a knack for segregating the voting public at large.

[Kjesse]

Chandler cooked his own goose here. He didn't pen the letter but according to the author, he "supported" it. He also allowed a website he controlled to post anti-gay material.

Chandler's views are well known from his radio show and otherwise as having a fairly far-right set of values. Link Byfield is a big supporter. He was endorsed by none other than Rob Anders.

Chandler is a lot like Anders from what I can tell. The only difference is, Anders is quite a bit smarter.

This is one time I'm a little sympathetic to Stelmach -- he has a problem no matter what he does. If he lets Chandler in, he gives a potential seat to someone who probably harms the party as a whole. If he doesn't let him in, he is seen as trumping the "democratic" nomination process.

Apparently the Alberta Alliance is trying to recruit him now. I'd say he fits in well with what I understand to be their values, which is the far-right mindset.

[Ford Prefect]

I agree ... Chandler is a cancer and had to be removed before he did serious damage to the PCs. They should, however, refund the money he spend on his campaign since they didn't tell him upfront there was no place in the party for him. Besides, $127,000 or whatever the amount is, is a pretty small price to get rid of an idiot like Chandler.

[Slava]

I agree with the post from Delgar here, except that I don't have any sympathy for Stelmach. His views are socially very conservative as well, so you reap what you sow!

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Chander hung himself with idiotic comments like this essay he published on his site:

IF YOU MOVE TO ALBERTA - ADAPT OR LEAVE

By Craig B. Chandler

Yet another Liberal poll. The Alberta Progressive Conservative Party has dropped again by another 22%

[snip]

I feel there are 4 reasons for this and not one of them have to do with Ed Stelmach himself. I do not feel that any of this is his fault.

Firstly, Alberta is growing in a way that was never expected and many of the people coming here do not truly appreciate Alberta or even understand the history of this province or the relationship with the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. To those of you who have come to our great land from out of province, you need to remember that you came here to our home and we vote conservative. You came here to enjoy our economy, our natural beauty and more. This is our home and if you wish to live here, you must adapt to our rules and our voting patterns, or leave. Conservatism is our culture. Do not destroy what we have created.

If the Alberta Alliance or Wildrose pick this dolt up, they might as well just adopt the slogan "You know that stereotypical right wing party? Yeah, that's us."

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

If the Alberta Alliance or Wildrose pick this dolt up, they might as well just adopt the slogan "You know that stereotypical right wing party? Yeah, that's us."

That's funny because its sooo true.

[Locke]

This guy came to my house for my vote...he is freaking creepy. I mean serial killer creepy. This man would eat a baby in front of you.

You should have seen the look of glee in his eyes when I told him that my family keeps my gay brother chained in the basement and feed him rats.

CC: Really?

Locke: No, not really......are you serious?

Very creepy.

And this is just the guy, his political views are absolutely wacko, his rhetoric is reminiscent of that Aryan Guard group.

Just listening to him I was wondering to myself, is this guy running on the wildly insane raving lunatic ballot? Because I hear that they're not doing so well.

Unbelievable....

For the record, I do not have a gay brother nor do I keep him chained in my basement or feed him rats. I dont have a brother.

[Kjesse]

This guy is a real piece of work:

"According to a settlement with the commission and an Edmonton man from earlier this year, Chandler declared that "God sees murder as equal to homosexuality," and compared gay activists to "the new Nazis," out to silence Christians."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...d4&k=34743&p=1

I would think that's a little too much for even Alberta Alliance, but who knows, Chandler was quoted as saying they wanted him under their banner.

[photon]

Wow, he's a little extreme. Serves me right for listening to Rutherford... stupid dead iPod battery.

[JiriHrdina]

Chandler is a loon and utlimately the party couldn't let him run - he's just a disaster waiting to happen.

But it does raise questions about the process here. Why could they not have told him earlier he wouldn't be a allowed to run. He should not have been permitted to waste his time and the time of his volunteers.

Everyone comes out stinking in this one.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Chandler is a loon and utlimately the party couldn't let him run - he's just a disaster waiting to happen.

But it does raise questions about the process here. Why could they not have told him earlier he wouldn't be a allowed to run. He should not have been permitted to waste his time and the time of his volunteers.

Everyone comes out stinking in this one.

Yup, and that's why I think the PCs should refund his campaign funds. The guy is a total loon, but he was kind of shafted out of his campaign expenses. It's also about the only way the PCs can save a little face and prevent the whole situation from becoming an even worse PR disaster for them. Plus, the longer this story stays in the news, the more publicity Chandler gets out of it. That publicity won't do him any good with the majority of us, but it'll likely help his cause with "like minded individuals". It's better to just refund his campaign expenses and hope he goose steps off into the sunset.

[Kjesse]

I can see there's a good argument that he shouldn't be out of pocket, but I wouldn't be so quick to pay his expenses.

First of all, its a part of the party rules that winning a nomination vote does not mean you get the nomination. Chandler probably knew that, and with his past, he should have known getting the nomination would be hard even if he won the vote.

Second, he spent $127,000 for less than 1000 votes? In a nomination contest? Something's not right there.

Third, he solicited and received all kinds of donations. I doubt he intends to pay his donors back.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by Delgar

I can see there's a good argument that he shouldn't be out of pocket, but I wouldn't be so quick to pay his expenses.

First of all, its a part of the party rules that winning a nomination vote does not mean you get the nomination. Chandler probably knew that, and with his past, he should have known getting the nomination would be hard even if he won the vote.

Second, he spent $127,000 for less than 1000 votes? In a nomination contest? Something's not right there.

Third, he solicited and received all kinds of donations. I doubt he intends to pay his donors back.

Good points. Okay, you won me over. Stiff 'em I say. Just kidding. If everything was done above board though, there's no reason to refund the $127K, as you've pointed out. I didn't realize that party ratification of a nominee is such an important part of the process though. I was under the obviously mistaken impression that anyone who wins the nomination is pretty much automatically in and that the party's ratification was pretty much a rubber stamp process. Maybe Chandler is doing this just to stir the pot and attract a little publicity after all.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Chandler is a loon

That would be the colloquial definition. I'm sure there's clinical ones.

[MRCboicgy]

This guy was on BT the other morning, creeped me out.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Delgar

Chandler cooked his own goose here. He didn't pen the letter but according to the author, he "supported" it. He also allowed a website he controlled to post anti-gay material.

Small correction. He supported the Reverends right to freedom of speech and religion.

You can listen to Craig's radio interview here:
http://no-libs.com/audio/07_12_03_rutherford.mp3

Apparently the Alberta Alliance is trying to recruit him now. I'd say he fits in well with what I understand to be their values, which is the far-right mindset.

We are not actively recruiting him. He has been involved with our party before, so he is no stranger to us.

We are far right insofar-as being fiscally conservative. Socially, we are much more relaxed than we once were.

Craig is no more social conservative than Ted Morton. There is room for him in the PC tent, but not Chandler.

I would love to debate this at length with you guys.... but we have plenty of threads on the go over at Project Alberta....

http://www.projectalberta.com/board/index.php

and Craig posts there as well..... so, I will keep my radical views over there....

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Delgar

This guy is a real piece of work:

"According to a settlement with the commission and an Edmonton man from earlier this year, Chandler declared that "God sees murder as equal to homosexuality," and compared gay activists to "the new Nazis," out to silence Christians."

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/...d4&k=34743&p=1

I would think that's a little too much for even Alberta Alliance, but who knows, Chandler was quoted as saying they wanted him under their banner.

This reminds me of a stand-up routine by Nick De Paolo. He says something like this: "I'm a catholic and in my religion they say that masturbation is a sin just like murder. Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm a worse serial killer than Hitler! I accomplished that in one episode of Baywatch!"

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Small correction. He supported the Reverends right to freedom of speech and religion.

You can listen to Craig's radio interview here:
http://no-libs.com/audio/07_12_03_rutherford.mp3

I'm just going by what I read in the media. Of course, news reports are often inaccurate.

We are far right insofar-as being fiscally conservative. Socially, we are much more relaxed than we once were.

So how about those comments attributed to him, if they were his? Is that something the Alliance supports? Is that just Chandler exercising "free speech?

Craig is no more social conservative than Ted Morton. There is room for him in the PC tent, but not Chandler.

I took a class from Morton a long time ago. If Morton is as "extreme", if I can use that word, he's smart enough to shut his trap about it.

http://www.projectalberta.com/board/index.php

and Craig posts there as well..... so, I will keep my radical views over there....

Cool site, I'll troll in the background and maybe pop up sometime, thanks for the link.

Edit: Lawl, there's a separate area to talk about Alberta separatism. *sigh*, why does everything right wing in this province seem to attract this element? Canada first, always.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Delgar

I'm just going by what I read in the media. Of course, news reports are often inaccurate.

In this case they were inaccurate.

So how about those comments attributed to him, if they were his?

All the comments I saw in recent newspaper articles were those of Stephen Boissoin.

Is that something the Alliance supports?

The Alliance supports freedom of speech and religion.

And that there be a separation of politics and religion. I thought that was pretty common; yet that is one of the questions the group asked Craig. If he believed in Jesus Christ?

Is that just Chandler exercising "free speech?

Not sure which "that" you are referring to.

I took a class from Morton a long time ago. If Morton is as "extreme", if I can use that word, he's smart enough to shut his trap about it.

Ted used to be quite outspoken.... he has been stifled since getting in deep with the PC's.

Cool site, I'll troll in the background and maybe pop up sometime, thanks for the link.

I will keep an eye out for ya...