Alberta Politics Thread

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Heading in to this I would not have bet than Kenney would be successful. Judging by the way our resident loonie lefters are trying to stir things up clearly somebody is worried. Maybe he's got a better chance than I thought.

Still not a big fan though.

I think he has a chance. I don't live in the province though, so I'm not exactly worried. I'm more just taking the piss.

[Ozy_Flame]

lol loonie lefters. Don't know how many times I've told this board I voted for the centrist Alberta Party.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

lol loonie lefters. Don't know how many times I've told this board I voted for the centrist Alberta Party.

That's not Wildrose though, you leftist blowhard.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

If I was a PC rank and file I'd feel like the mistress right about now.

From what I learned last night, there are quite a few Federal PCs that are looking to step away from the party because they don't like being the official opposition and they aren't hopeful about getting back into power in the next election.

A couple more Alberta MPs are looking to potentially battle it out with Kenney for Alberta PC leadership. Kenney probably knows this and wanted to get a head start on the others.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Jason Kenney will create the chasm of all chasms with millenial Albertans. You watch - over the next three years he's going to alienate the PC's from the 18-34 crowd.

I'm not a fan of Kenney, but the dude is only 48. Previous PC leaders were 55 (Stelmach), 46 (Redford), and 57 (Prentice) when elected. Not sure why Kenney would be more alienating to millennials than any other likely PC candidate.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I'm not a fan of Kenney, but the dude is only 48. Previous PC leaders were 55 (Stelmach), 46 (Redford), and 57 (Prentice) when elected. Not sure why Kenney would be more alienating to millennials than any other likely PC candidate.

Kenney is the kind of guy who would say to himself "I'm in my late 40's, it's basically the new early 30's, I'm still hip" and then go to a youth rally and piss them all off by telling them that there is too much socialist messaging on their t-shirts and need to wear something more along the lines of true Albertan values. He'd then hand out a t-shirts that say "being Right is the new cool" and then pat himself on the back upon leaving for a job well done.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I'm not a fan of Kenney, but the dude is only 48. Previous PC leaders were 55 (Stelmach), 46 (Redford), and 57 (Prentice) when elected. Not sure why Kenney would be more alienating to millennials than any other likely PC candidate.

Because he's totally the 50 year-old guy that would bitch about "those damn millenials."

EDIT: As I said though, being out-of-touch with the youth vote doesn't exactly make him unique among politicians.

[Kjesse]

There's too much focus on some of his minor comments. It really doesn't help push the debate forward. If the best you can swing is comments about what people wear, you're not aiming high enough. Aim for his real policies and how he sees the Alberta curriculum should be, going forward.

Today he has basically stated that he's putting everything on the line to unite the right. If he wins he'll ask for a grassroots vote to merge or form a new party and will ask the WR to do the same. From there everything is up in the air, even who leads the merged or new entity.

Like the right or not, that is how you achieve goals-- take a stance, be public about it, and press it forward and if it works, great, you've achieved something. If not, at least you tried.

I'll do some prognosticating here: Kenny wins, WR and PC vote to form new party, the Sandra Jannsens of the world and their ilk join the Alberta Party which surges. End result: One right party, but more moderate than WR has been, a "center-ish" party, the Alberta Party, and the NDP, which though is starting to sound more central all the time. The Libs get left in the dust unless they find a leader bold like Kenny.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Delgar

I'll do some prognosticating here: Kenny wins, WR and PC vote to form new party, the Sandra Jannsens of the world and their ilk join the Alberta Party which surges. End result: One right party, but more moderate than WR has been, a "center-ish" party, the Alberta Party, and the NDP, which though is starting to sound more central all the time. The Libs get left in the dust unless they find a leader bold like Kenny.

Is there enough space for that, though? If you assume the NDP have built a pretty big stronghold in Edmonton, and the new right-wing party would have a pretty good base in Calgary and rural Alberta, where does that leave the Alberta Party?

[Jacks]

Originally Posted by Delgar

The Libs get left in the dust unless they find a leader bold like Kenny.

And change their name, I know it isn't fair and the name isn't as toxic as it used to be but it's still an albatross around their neck.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is there enough space for that, though? If you assume the NDP have built a pretty big stronghold in Edmonton, and the new right-wing party would have a pretty good base in Calgary and rural Alberta, where does that leave the Alberta Party?

Probably nowhere, they really have to start doing something significant to build up their brand. I really haven't seen that so far.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Is there enough space for that, though? If you assume the NDP have built a pretty big stronghold in Edmonton, and the new right-wing party would have a pretty good base in Calgary and rural Alberta, where does that leave the Alberta Party?

There is plenty of room in the center. Where have all the liberals gone? They're out there without a true home. The shifts that would take place with a WR/PC merger opens a huge opportunity. Again, just prognosticating.

[Resolute 14]

The centre right now is the Liberals at 8% and the Alberta Party at 5%. The liberals have homes. There just aren't many of them left anymore. If they want their base back, those parties need to be going after the NDP.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Delgar

There is plenty of room in the center. Where have all the liberals gone? They're out there without a true home. The shifts that would take place with a WR/PC merger opens a huge opportunity. Again, just prognosticating.

Yeah, I just don't see it. There aren't enough of them to overtake the right-leaning folks in Calgary and the NDPers in Edmonton, and rural Alberta has always been super conservative. It's the same problem we have in BC. The NDP controls Vancouver Island and big chunks of the mainland, but interior BC is pretty much all BC Liberals, and both sides aren't willing to take a risk on a new party because they're afraid if they do then their unfavoured big party will gain more control

[Flash Walken]

Ugh, appealing to millennials.

Ugh.

Is this really happening in Alberta? A wholesale redistribution of political alliances and descriptors?

I guess I am still not entirely convinced it is possible for the two entities of PC and WR to coexist peacefully, there seemed to be so much vitriol towards the attempted Prentice coup. I can believe that was mostly backlash against Smith but it felt like there was More there. Maybe I am misremembering.

[Resolute 14]

I think there are two big differences, Flash.

First, Kenney would be promoting an open dialogue rather than a backroom deal. Sure, the three or four percent at the far fringe would be upset, but no loss there.

Second, situation has changed politically. Losing government should hopefully bring the PC 's back to reality, while the fear of allowing Notley to continue on her tax and spend rampage beyond one term could result in a pragmatic decision.

And even if it doesn't - even if the two parties don't find common ground in a merger - it still opens up the avenue of a reverse of the 2012 election where people currently polling for Wildrose rush to the PCs en masse (or vice versa) to block another NDP government.

[Kjesse]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

The centre right now is the Liberals at 8% and the Alberta Party at 5%. The liberals have homes. There just aren't many of them left anymore. If they want their base back, those parties need to be going after the NDP.

I suppose it would be more accurate to call the liberals centre right. I often consider them centre left in Alberta because they have historically (as in my entire life up to last year) simply disagreed with everything the PCs said as official opposition.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

Ugh, appealing to millennials.

I don't necessarily mean appealing to millenials in a relational way, but someone who's has devout to the free market as he is is probably not going to be crafting policies that cater to the issues that most millenials consider to be important at the moment.

[LanceUppercut]

Originally Posted by rubecube

I don't necessarily mean appealing to millenials in a relational way, but someone who's has devout to the free market as he is is probably not going to be crafting policies that cater to the issues that most millenials consider to be important at the moment.

I'm sure he will craft the "what should I wear today" and "my friend didn't text me, I need a safe space" policies to win them over.

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by LanceUppercut

I'm sure he will craft the "what should I wear today" and "my friend didn't text me, I need a safe space" policies to win them over.

Hey it's not as easy as just picking out your best golf polo and the same pair of dockers that you middle-aged dudes rock.