Calgary Civic Election: Mayoralty Poll #4 - The Heat is On

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by Neeper

Is there anyway your awesome wedding photographer can convince you to vote for Nenshi? Maybe a free 24x36 print if your favorite photo from the wedding?

I'm on roll right now by garnering at least 11 votes for Nenshi already so I may as well try for one more.

Ha! I appreciate the offer, but we can't bribe democracy, can we?

I forgot that there's at least one person on this board who knows me unanonymously, but I generally keep my vote to myself.

I will say that I believe Naheed Nenshi would be a hard-working mayor, and I won't be at all disappointed if he wins.

[burn_this_city]

Well its the big day. Hopefully Ric wins tonight, and we see some purple rain (tears) around here

[mykalberta]

No matter who you vote for, just vote.

Whether I agree with your vote or not, the process requires that as many people vote as possible for the result to be legit.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Well its the big day. Hopefully Ric wins tonight, and we see some purple rain (tears) around here

If McIver doesn't win, his new slogan for his signs should be Red, White and Screwed.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Neeper

Is there anyway your awesome wedding photographer can convince you to vote for Nenshi? Maybe a free 24x36 print if your favorite photo from the wedding?

I'm on roll right now by garnering at least 11 votes for Nenshi already so I may as well try for one more.

I hate to come across by a jerk, but this strikes me as a bit skeezy.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Well its the big day. Hopefully Ric wins tonight, and we see some purple rain (tears) around here

While it would be disappointing quite a lot of the Nenshi supporters are not just bandwagoners. We will still be watching council meetings, attending them, speaking when we can for the city we believe in, as well as continuing to influence change through citizens groups like CivicCamp and our community associations.

It could be a rough 3 years for McIver/Higgins if they don't move this city forward in a responsible fashion.

[transplant99]

The more I have read elsewhere on all this, the bigger my feeling gets that Nenshi might squeak this thing out. It looks like his support is a bit broader on those 34 YO+, than was initially claimed. That is only good news for him.

I still think that Higgins will surprise as well...just a feeling. McIver likely hasnt attracted a lot of new voters today than he had the day he announced. That leaves whoever between Higgins and Nenshi gets their supporters out the most....and i think the Higgins camp has been somewhat under-rated as of late. She has a professional campaign manager on her side that has more experience at this stuff than anyone else involved in anyones campaign that i can tell.

Should be interesting to say the least...and as close as the media claims it will.

[The Goon]

It's quite the big day in Calgary today:

-Most interesting civic election in years
-Monday Night Raw at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight
-KFC Double-Down available today

[flambers]

Originally Posted by transplant99

The more I have read elsewhere on all this, the bigger my feeling gets that Nenshi might squeak this thing out. It looks like his support is a bit broader on those 34 YO+, than was initially claimed. That is only good news for him.

I still think that Higgins will surprise as well...just a feeling. McIver likely hasnt attracted a lot of new voters today than he had the day he announced. That leaves whoever between Higgins and Nenshi gets their supporters out the most....and i think the Higgins camp has been somewhat under-rated as of late. She has a professional campaign manager on her side that has more experience at this stuff than anyone else involved in anyones campaign that i can tell.

Should be interesting to say the least...and as close as the media claims it will.

I still think the "older" generation will vote for the person they know. Which is McIver. It will be interesting to see how close the race is.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by flambers

I still think the "older" generation will vote for the person they know. Which is McIver. It will be interesting to see how close the race is.

Ahh...but the "older" generation also "know" Higgins...in fact they know her better than anyone if they have watched the news in Calgary the last 20 years. Its why I said from the start i expected a split in votes between Higgins and Nenshi as far as newcomers, but have reversed that thought to Higgins/McIver splitting votes (familiarity) and seeing Nenshi coming between them if his supporters get out and vote.

All speculation..and yes, i find this stuff fascinating especially observing from afar.

[Mazrim]

I had a Pick Vic! pamphlet stuck in my windshield wipers. Silly hooligans!!

Also, I'll apologize in advance for rewinding the conversation back a couple days around that mess we saw last night, but I wanted to comment on the whole "we'll destroy the weaselhead if we put the SWRR through there!" issue. It's not difficult at all to make minimal disturbances these days in environmentally sensitive areas. We wouldn't even come close to "destroying" it. Yes, there would be disturbance, but it wouldn't be as major as some make it sound, and Alberta has rules to replace the disturbed areas with double the wetland that was there before.

Alberta has plenty of experience in working in sensitive areas. Take for example, the Bow River bridge built for the Deerfoot Trail extension in 2003. They required no disturbance of the river itself during construction, and the result was one of the largest girders ever built at the time being used on the bridge.

The construction of the Trans Canada from the Radium exit to Lake Louise straddles the Bow River in many places, and they went to great lengths to protect the surrounding areas. They had a minimal disturbance policy out there that prevented them from building out areas for storage, instead using overflow lots and existing gravel pits.

All I'm trying to get at is...we have the technology to safely build infrastruture in sensitive environments. It would not spell the end of the Weaselhead if we built the SWRR through there.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by The Goon

It's quite the big day in Calgary today:

-Most interesting civic election in years
-Monday Night Raw at the Scotiabank Saddledome tonight
-KFC Double-Down available today

Oh my god, it's DOUBLE DOWN day!

[Byrns]

I think people are making a bigger deal out of the mayor's job than it is. While it's true the mayor is the de facto leader of the city, he's still only one vote on council. So any "Better Ideas" or "No's!" need to get passed by a majority of council. People should consider their alderman just as much as their choice for mayor.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by flambers

I still think the "older" generation will vote for the person they know. Which is McIver. It will be interesting to see how close the race is.

I have heard a few "older" folk (my parents included) who have said that they're supporting Nenshi after I had them pegged as McIver voters. This will definitely be a close and interesting finish.

[c.t.ner]

As someone who was an early supporter of Nenshi, a really intrigued supporter of Barb Higgins, and an adiment Anyone But McIvor support, I am really feeling that a Barb win would be the worst thing for Calgary.

Yes, I obviously support Nenshi. But although I was completly against a McIvor win, the more I think about it the more I can come to terms with McIvor as Mayor. I don't agree with his policies, his attitude or his ties to the development industry. But he does have experience in council and hopefully with some fresh faces in council, his policies would be kept in check. It wouldn't be the most progressive result for the city, but council wouldn't fall apart either and he definitely wouldn't crumble under the pressure.

But Barb Higgins has thoroughly disappointed me.

From her lack luster campaign to her choice in campaign partners to her outburst at the Artsvote people to her ignorant acceptance of Hawksworth's campaign trolls and propaganda; I really don't think she has the chops, the thick skin or the fortitude to be in charge of a city.

As much as most politicians appear flip-floppy or two faced, Barb screams this the most to me. She appears to be all smiles and warm hugs on the front, but once she gets grilled she gets defensive and vicious. I'm not talking the McCourt debate, but the following radio interviews later that day. It's also extremly concerning that when asked about a 3 way debate her only response was "how many debates do we need and people should have been to the other forums".

As much as being in charge is about leadership, it's also about being accountable to it's citizens. If citizens demand a 3 way debate, you shouldn't go running from it.

I also really question her choice to embrace HAwksworth's support. He's run a terrible smear campaign and really has been pandering to Barb's campaign well before he endorsed her. His cronies from Vancouver really torepedoed the civility in this election and she has clearly turned a blind eye to their tactics, by embarrassing a candidate who has nothing in common with her policies.

[CaptainCrunch]

Chances are that I'll vote for Nenshi, I still can't vote for Ric, because I'm still hoping that all members of the old guard are punished by the voters and washed away.

I can't vote for Barb because she's been the candidate with very little substance, and strikes me as the Hillary Clinton of Calgary politics in that I don't see her as a Mayor.

But I have to admit that the conduct and over preaching of Nenshi has kind of turned me off of him, I'm still of the Obama school of thought, that he's run a great campaign, but I'm unsure of what he's going to do after he wins.

Since there has been some attempted bribing even in this thread, my vote is completely up for sale.

I like Red Heads most of all

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by jjgallow

If Nenshi's policies are not his platform, then He Has No Platform.

At the end of the day, that's the truth of it. Commentary does not make a leader.

Nor does community.

Please be gone for good jjgallow.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I like Red Heads most of all

That's more like it. Since when don't you like sleeze?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

As someone who was an early supporter of Nenshi, a really intrigued supporter of Barb Higgins, and an adiment Anyone But McIvor support, I am really feeling that a Barb win would be the worst thing for Calgary.

This, and your whole post actually, pretty much sums up my thoughts. I really wanted to like Barb, and I really wanted to dislike McIver. Throughout the campaign I have gained some respect for McIver, and although he's still part of the old guard and the dysfunctional city council, he's at least got some substance. Not my kind of substance, but substance nonetheless.

Barb, on the other hand, has essentially run a non-campaign. I realize now why she has avoided debates and has chosen to stick to the name and face recognition - there simply isn't anything else going for her. She has shown that she doesn't do well when under pressure, doesn't have a lot of knowledge of the issues, etc.

[ah123]

Originally Posted by c.t.ner

As someone who was an early supporter of Nenshi, a really intrigued supporter of Barb Higgins, and an adiment Anyone But McIvor support, I am really feeling that a Barb win would be the worst thing for Calgary.

Agree about Higgins - I saw her at a forum where all candidates were given the same question and asked to respond - she had the "deer caught in the headlights" look, that "performance" told me all I needed to know about her abilities to handle unexpected situations...

I was actually impressed with how good a speaker McIver is (compared to some others, Nenshi is still the most eloquent of the bunch)