Dave Rutherford considering running against Nenshi

[Bigtime]

I guess him wearing that "Straight not Narrow" shirt at the Gay Pride Parade was lost on some...

[Ozy_Flame]

Ah racism, the last refuge for people with no credible criticism against someone who is otherwise a popular figure and doing a decent job.

Can't dig up any dirt, so start some based on trivial and superficial reasons. Sounds about right for democracy.

"No-good muslim doing shady things." Heh.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by Matty81

Calgary's redneck cred is starting to wane a bit.. about time a loudmouth yokel steps up and takes Nenshi down.

Call up Toronto... maybe you could work out a trade? Then again trading with Toronto tends to turn out badly for Calgary

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Ah racism, the last refuge for people with no credible criticism against someone who is otherwise a popular figure and doing a decent job.

Can't dig up any dirt, so start some based on trivial and superficial reasons. Sounds about right for democracy.

"No-good muslim doing shady things." Heh.

Not sure if you were making fun of me or not, but I have heard that pretty much verbatim. I just cleaned up the language.

I guess all I'm saying is that racism, homophobia, sexism, and intolerance is very subversive and often those people that swear that they are not, can be and don't even see it in themselves.

However it usually doesn't take a lot of honest talk with them to figure it out. Phrases, sayings, and reasoning show their true colors, even they they can't see it themselves.

Of course I am talking now of a larger group that isn't so obvious about it as the few examples I provided above. Course, even a lot of those people don't think they are racist.

Really what racists or homophobes every truly believe they are racists or are intolerant? Even the neo-nazis who own up to it often don't believe they are racist, they think they just have a better way of doing things or seeing how things are.

I can see why people or conservatives who are not do get tired of the argument. However, I would simply say that there is a lot more of it than they care to see in their party. A lot more.

[Ozy_Flame]

Don't worry Daradon, I wasn't making fun of you at all. I was agreeing with you. I was aiming my comments to the shallowness of the Sun readers and that general "anti-change" movement that is loosely associated with the right-leaning crowd.

[PsYcNeT]

the truth is Spendshi increases rent and takes money from struggling families that need every cent to feed babies.

[Muta]

How is Nenshi arrogant? Is it because of the volume of his voice? Is it because he challenges the status quo? I like a mayor that isn't afraid to take action and leadership.

IMO, he's passionate about the job and actually making the most of it, completely unlike what Bronco and Duerr did.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Ah racism, the last refuge for people with no credible criticism against someone who is otherwise a popular figure and doing a decent job.

Ah racism, the great defense that a minority can use when faced with criticism. This game is fun.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Ah racism, the great defense that a minority can use when faced with criticism. This game is fun.

Huh?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Daradon

These people do exist, and there are more of them than one would think, and generally they do appear on the conservative side and vote for exactly those made up reasons. So while no one here might, I think it's a far more fair comment than you give it credit for.

More than one would think? But really how many are there? You can't quantify it and just because a small chuch gathers on a street that doesn't mean recist people are on every street and corner. If Nenshi was white there would still be a large group of Calgarians that would vote for someone else that they like better. The whole racist argument is a copout IMO as nobody can quantify how many racists actually exist in Calgary and Nenshi's reign as mayor at the end of the day will be determined by how the city views his competence not by the color of his skin.

[Flamenspiel]

Originally Posted by SebC

That's a dumb bet. Pretty much everyone pays property taxes.

Well in that case you owe me money because renters don't pay property taxes. So it would be a very dumb bet for you.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Well in that case you owe me money because renters don't pay property taxes. So it would be a very dumb bet for you.

Actually my renters do pay for my property taxes

[East Coast Flame]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Well in that case you owe me money because renters don't pay property taxes. So it would be a very dumb bet for you.

You're not serious, are you?

[longsuffering]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Oh I see, so anyone who opposes the mayor is probably a racist anti-homosexual redneck, oh and anti-religious where its convenient. While you say "some" I think you mean all.

Guess there's no point in debating anything with you, you're so totally correct on everything.

Good to see that you even have someone in your painting crew thanking you.

But we should all flock to Nemshi's banner on this board so lest we get burned at the stake of intolerance.

Awesome

What's awesome is how many assumptions you've made and how many words you put in my mouth.

What the heck has happened to you CC? You were once a respectable poster. IMO you're little more than a caricature of your former self. I think you're trying to hard to live up to what was once a well earned reputation.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

More than one would think? But really how many are there? You can't quantify it and just because a small chuch gathers on a street that doesn't mean recist people are on every street and corner. If Nenshi was white there would still be a large group of Calgarians that would vote for someone else that they like better. The whole racist argument is a copout IMO as nobody can quantify how many racists actually exist in Calgary and Nenshi's reign as mayor at the end of the day will be determined by how the city views his competence not by the color of his skin.

I never said the election would be decided because of that, in fact I alluded that it wouldn't be with things that I have said both before and after that.

I was only saying that Longsuffering's comments while combative and painting with a wide brush have merit. There are these people around. And generally they resort to ridiculous parroted arguments that make no sense in modern races or elections to hide their bias.

IE: Liberals just want freebies and can't balance a budget.

Conservative groups have been no better at balancing budgets in the past 40 years or so. As well, their leaders, lawmakers, businesses, and supporters want and take just as many 'freebies' as the next guy.

Yet this get parroted like it's truth over and over and over again.

I have found, in my experience you talk at length when many of these people (and when I say many I don't mean a majority, but a surprisingly higher number than people want to admit, even I want to admit) their true colors come out. They refine their argument when you point out the flaws in it until they say something bad. They use words, and phrases, and ideas that are very racist, sexist, homophobic, or intolerant.

We had some people guilty of that, that have been kicked off the site already. These people exist.

And even if you don't think about this group, or don't believe they exist in the numbers I might suggest, there is still a large (as in too large for this day in age) number that do write into (and maybe for) the Sun, do post hate on the internet, on right wing sites, on youtube, that are very easy to spot.

Waving it away with 'it's such a small number' is both incorrect and dangerous. LS's comment of 'I laugh at some of the gyrations the anti-Nenshi crowd put themselves through to justify their stance when I suspect a large part of the reason they don't like the Mayor is the colour of his skin, his religion and (perhaps) his sexuality' is true for a certain portion of people that I myself have met, ran into, read about, etc. I do not say this lightly because I never wanted to believe this about people. But in the last few years I have run into more people like this than I can count.

The sexuality thing kinda confused me too though, lol. Never heard anything about it.

[bizaro86]

I don't have any comment on Rutherford running, other than to point out I broke this story right here on CalgaryPuck a month before the Herald had it.http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=127640

[Daradon]

^^^ Yeah I mentioned that already, though I did not bring up the exact thread.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

...
I think he's become fairly arrogant, I think there is a spending problem at city hall, I think that city council has completely lost its poop in terms of focus...

Right on. I have spent a lot of time sitting through the most boring and the most entertaining Public Hearings over the past 15 years. It's been a circus out there these days with Nenshi loving the sound of his voice more than anything else. From what I've seen, theory matters more for him than the real issues. Nenshi's academic background keeps popping up and prevents him from making good and pragmatic governance decisions. I heard on a few occasions that because of his love of "debate for the sake of debate" he had lost more motions in Council than he won (I did not check the actual numbers, so I could be wrong on the stats, but it does sound plausible).

I do NOT hate Nenshi; he is quite likable, in fact. He is very entertaining, very vocal and smart, which makes him so popular with younger voters. He is also a good conversationalist. But this is not a TV show or a college boardroom. Calgary needs a practical, common sense leader and Nenshi is not it. I will vote against Nenshi for sure. If Rutherford is the only formidable opponent, then it's Rutherford.

[Tyler]

People think the government spends too much money. News at 11.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I do NOT hate Nenshi; he is quite likable, in fact. He is very entertaining, very vocal and smart, which makes him so popular with younger voters. He is also a good conversationalist. But this is not a TV show or a college boardroom. Calgary needs a practical, common sense leader and Nenshi is not it. I will vote against Nenshi for sure. If Rutherford is the only formidable opponent, then it's Rutherford.

What makes you believe Nenshi doesn't have 'common sense'? Furthermore, how do you define common sense as it relates to municipal politics?

Just curious.