Alberta Politics Thread

[RedHot25]

How is Jason Kenney going to merge the 2 parties? He would be a perfect leader for the Wildrose but the PCs here? Can't see that happening.

I'm pretty open to anyone/ anything...but Jason Kenney just...I find him grating. I don't know how else to say that, but his delivery/ communication skills to me is ugh...it's like he conveys anything with an almost immediate like anger.

[Mr.Coffee]

That sucks the Wildrose might join. Leave the hard right people in their little party that'll never get elected.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Remember that Prentice was to be the "real Conservative saviour" for the PC's, and we all know how that turned out. No one had a bad thing to say about him. A former minister, a business guy, by all measures very smart and thoughtful.

I' not sure how you can call Kenny a game changer in that regard. He is also a career politician. Forgive me if I don't get out my foam #1 glove and slide whistle.

I'm sure that if someone did some digging they could find him railing against career politicians back in the day, and here we are.

If Kenney wins and manages to unite those two parties then I'm quite sure that I'll be a disenfranchised voter. A choice between the NDP and whatever that party will be isn't too interesting to me. Before someone even brings up the other two who are going to blow each others brains out in a race for third place, that whole battle holds little appeal for me.

[Fuzz]

Fortunately there are a few years to go before we get put through that ringer again. Kind of nice to have a few years of majority governments provincially and federally just to get a break from the constant cycle.

[Resolute 14]

^ The "constant cycle"? We had a brief five year period of federal minorities, but otherwise have had majorities both provincially and federally for most of our history.

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

That sucks the Wildrose might join. Leave the hard right people in their little party that'll never get elected.

It is rather ignorant to imply that supporting Wildrose = "hard right" when the party currently holds nearly 40% support in polls. The sheer volume of numbers confirms a broad range of support. Like every other party - including and especially the NDP - it has a mixture of moderates and extremists.

The true extremists would probably never accept a merger. But a properly done merger - in the open rather than the cloak and dagger stuff Smith and Anderson pulled - could move the moderate majority back to the PC camp and leave the extremists adrift on their own.

Is Kenney the one who can pull it off? Can't say. But I'd support him as PC leader more than I would Jean as Wildrose leader, that's for certain.

[Resolute 14]

Apropos, Dave Cournoyer's take on the challenges Kenney would face in trying to become the next premier. Good analysis, aside from referring to the NDP as "moderate"

http://daveberta.ca/2016/06/jason-ke...erta-politics/

[CaptainCrunch]

Right at this moment the PC's could run a real live homicidal chucky doll and I would vote for it, just to get the provincial checkbook away from the idiotic party that's running it now.

[CliffFletcher]

Maybe Kenney could find a job for his good chum Rob Anders.

[underGRADFlame]

I hope Kenney comes in and unifies the right. I would actually campaign for him (not that I agree with everything) but he would be by far the best option out there.

I have to say though, if the NDP has shown us anything, is that they've proven Math is Hard because they can't screw the numbers to make thier taxes look like anything but a giant suppository.

[Swift]

MLA Sandra Jansen says she will quit the party if Kenney becomes leader - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...ship-1.3648468

[rubecube]

"I think Jason has never been a friend of the Progressive Conservative party, there's nothing progressive about Jason Kenney," she said

Pretty much my thoughts on the man.

[Ozy_Flame]

Not sure why the PC's would want a firebrand like Kenney leading them. Seems like he could have foot-in-mouth syndrome in no time flat.

[killer_carlson]

Not surprising that left wing leaning persons oppose Kenney.

However, before you describe him as a firebrand, there are few immigration ministers who have ever been more active on the ground with new Canadians than Jason Kenney.

[Fuzz]

It seams the only ones that want to unite the PC's and Wildrose are all people not in either party. I think they will find these 2 don't get a long, and neither of the parties want a merger. Forcing it form outside is bound to fail.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Not surprising that left wing leaning persons oppose Kenney.

However, before you describe him as a firebrand, there are few immigration ministers who have ever been more active on the ground with new Canadians than Jason Kenney.

How does him being an active minister negate me calling him a firebrand? I know he's quite involved with his role. However, I agree with another poster in that his delivery is grating and comes across a bit fiery. And as potential leader of the Alberta PC's, he wouldn't have one portfolio to focus on - he'd have many.

[killer_carlson]

no.

There are loads of WR supporters who just had it with the PCs shenanigans. They may be opposed to a merger if it's rehashing the same tired back room relationships that they rejected before. But if this is addressed, they are on board

There are loads of PC supporters who just had it with radical right on the WR. They are opposed to a merger if it means having to rehash already decided social issues. But if this is addressed, they are on board.

Then there are the fringes to the left of the PCs who aren't conservatives at all, and on the right of the WR who believe social issues are the only issue worth discussing. They make a lot of noise. There aren't many of them, but they occupy a disproportionate amount of the press.

But the overwhelming majority, imo, support a merger.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

How does him being an active minister negate me calling him a firebrand? I know he's quite involved with his role. However, I agree with another poster in that his delivery is grating and comes across a bit fiery. And as potential leader of the Alberta PC's, he wouldn't have one portfolio to focus on - he'd have many.

he's not afraid to take a position and he's not afraid to call out his opponents.

But firebrand has much more of a negative connotation that is increasingly attached to radicals or trump supporters. I don't think it applies to Kenney

[Ozy_Flame]

Fair enough. To each his own.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

Not surprising that left wing leaning persons oppose Kenney.

However, before you describe him as a firebrand, there are few immigration ministers who have ever been more active on the ground with new Canadians than Jason Kenney.

The guy has stood about as far to the right as it's politically acceptable to be in Canada on almost every social issue and has associated with known homophobes. What exactly should his appeal be to the left? In what ways has he demonstrated that he's remotely progressive. Has he not typically been a supporter of the WRP? There are plenty of reasons why moderate PCs are going to be incredibly leery of voting for him.

[killer_carlson]

you seem to think there are no moderate WR supporters. There are. Lots of them. Lots who think the WR should stick to the economic issues.

And why should he give the slightest damn about his appeal to the left? Most of Alberta is fiscally conservative.