Ed Stelmach resigning as Premier

[Golden Jet]

Why do guys like Hancock & others think the electorate would vote for them as PC leader? Oh, sorry. This is Alberta. A cocker spaniel could be leader & get elected Premier. Actually a cocker spaniel probably has more brains than the trained seals in Edmonton now.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I've also heard rumours of another longtime Tory throwing his hat into the ring--and though I can't say more, I will say that I would consider buying a membership to support him.

Knowing a little about your politics and such something tells me I would feel similarly. I don't know who you're referring to, but it sounds good to me.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

Why do guys like Hancock & others think the electorate would vote for them as PC leader? Oh, sorry. This is Alberta. A cocker spaniel could be leader & get elected Premier. Actually a cocker spaniel probably has more brains than the trained seals in Edmonton now.

well this just cements the fact that you are completely uninformed about Alberta politics and would rather sit in the dark and bitch than get off your lazy arse and figure something out.

Dave Hancock is extremely well respected within his own caucus and by his political opponents as well. There is a reason he was given the portfoloio of having to stand nose to nose with teachers and pull previous committments off of the table in contract negotiations. Health care didn't have anywhere near the drama it does now when Hancock was health minister either. Think about that for a second.

If he was from Calgary he would be the clear front runner in this election.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

He used ABC to his advantage as the non Calgary candidate. A clear choice between the 2 Calgary candidates Morton & Dinning. He never once spoke up during the leadership race, especially when it was narrowed down to 3 candidates as to how devisive that was. Never. Because he knew he could win because of it.
If Calgarians didn't feel the way I do towards Stelmach, how come his approval rating in this city has always been so low? If he cared about Calgary then why did he go ahead with the royalty regime knowing it would hurt oil & gas companies & all the industries attached to it? If you say he had no way of knowing then that is even more damning because how could he have been so stupid to surround himself with clueless syncophants giving him bad advice?
How come he had to open up a Premier's office down here to so much fanfare? Because he never cared about Calgary until his approval rating was nearly below sea level here. Until that happened he didn't need us. Then, when his popularity went into free fall, he wanted people like me to say Ed cares. Bull. He was just about the rest of the province, not Calgary. The Tories, by electing him leader said, "Screw Calgary".
Stelmach was THEIR candidate, not OURS. He never was & it is clear that he never would be. I am hopeful the Tories will now become yesterday's party like the SoCreds. Big, fat, sassy & needing to be chopped down like a big tree for good.

so you're then admitting that you have no proof that Stelmach ran an "Anyone but Calgary" campaign.

You're instead making a leap because he had strong power base elsewhere in the province and never reasonated with Calgary voters to try and re-write history to claim something that never happened. Stelmach's approval rating in Calgary is ground upon ineffective leadership and inconsistent policies - it isn't because he ran a divisive campaign.

Remember on the second round of elections for leader - as called for by the party constitution - stelmach won on the first vote. I suppose trying to re-write history is easier than admitting that Dinning and Morton only had support within Calgary and were not able to gain any measurable support elsewhere in the province.
Sorry to burst your bubble.

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

well this just cements the fact that you are completely uninformed about Alberta politics and would rather sit in the dark and bitch than get off your lazy arse and figure something out.

Dave Hancock is extremely well respected within his own caucus and by his political opponents as well. There is a reason he was given the portfoloio of having to stand nose to nose with teachers and pull previous committments off of the table in contract negotiations. Health care didn't have anywhere near the drama it does now when Hancock was health minister either. Think about that for a second.

If he was from Calgary he would be the clear front runner in this election.

Yep. Hancock all the way. Another Ed Stelmach clone. That's all we need. And excuse me when I ask why a guy like Hancock would run... I mean, he did so well last time.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

so you're then admitting that you have no proof that Stelmach ran an "Anyone but Calgary" campaign.

I'd actually feel better about him if he did as it would have been the lone thing he accomplished in his tenure. I can live with a premier with the charisma of a damp rag providing he is competent but this just isn't the case with Stelmach. On the bright side no matter how incompetent his successor is he/she going to look like a hero in comparison to a guy that should never, ever, ever have been premier of any province let alone one with the economy of Alberta's.

[Ashartus]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

well this just cements the fact that you are completely uninformed about Alberta politics and would rather sit in the dark and bitch than get off your lazy arse and figure something out.

Dave Hancock is extremely well respected within his own caucus and by his political opponents as well. There is a reason he was given the portfoloio of having to stand nose to nose with teachers and pull previous committments off of the table in contract negotiations. Health care didn't have anywhere near the drama it does now when Hancock was health minister either. Think about that for a second.

If he was from Calgary he would be the clear front runner in this election.

I actually used to like Hancock, but haven't been impressed with his performance the last couple of years. I don't know how much of that was because of decisions made by caucus as a whole rather than on his own though. Regardless, the winner of the leadership convention is almost a moot point for my own vote, since a) I still believe the PC party needs to lose an election to be revitalized, and b) Ron Liepert is the sitting MLA in my riding and I won't vote for him because I think he's an idiot.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

On topic, I think Morton may have seriously hurt his own chances (and perhaps his party's) with the "mothership" remark. When you're trying to get people who left the autocratic old guard party for a libertarian grassroots alternative, "mothership" isn't exactly the tone you want to be striking. That's a huge blunder IMO.

Morton's chances are limited as it is. He is the epitome of social conservative and there simply isn't enough support to grasp the win. Plus there are way more on the left (and in middle) who can mobilize to make sure another candidate wins.

The mothership remark has really turned people (of all stripes) off. It came off as being arrogant and that he sees himself as some sort of savior. He has had 4 years to work from within and woe people back; but hasn't because he has done nothing to demonstrate he wants any change. It certainly isn't going to happen now.

[killer_carlson]

People in Edmonton are equally or more afraid of Morton than they are of the Wildrose. The social conservative message has really struggled up here.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I'd actually feel better about him if he did as it would have been the lone thing he accomplished in his tenure. I can live with a premier with the charisma of a damp rag providing he is competent but this just isn't the case with Stelmach. On the bright side no matter how incompetent his successor is he/she going to look like a hero in comparison to a guy that should never, ever, ever have been premier of any province let alone one with the economy of Alberta's.

I think there are a lot of fair criticisms of Stelmach's reign and many have been discussed in this thread. I'm no Stelmach apologist - believe me - but I had to comment when aspects are attributed to him that are entirely inaccurate.

I agree with your point. Stelmach never seemed to get comfortable in front of the camera once he was Premier.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Morton's chances are limited as it is. He is the epitome of social conservative and there simply isn't enough support to grasp the win. Plus there are way more on the left (and in middle) who can mobilize to make sure another candidate wins.

The mothership remark has really turned people (of all stripes) off. It came off as being arrogant and that he sees himself as some sort of savior. He has had 4 years to work from within and woe people back; but hasn't because he has done nothing to demonstrate he wants any change. It certainly isn't going to happen now.

I know I shouldn't say anything, (because we won't get to read them from you on CP anymore), but comments like this are awesome. Maybe not so much today, but down the road when the Wildrose is either welcoming Ted to the fold, or all voting for the PCs because of his enlightened leadership!

[Golden Jet]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

so you're then admitting that you have no proof that Stelmach ran an "Anyone but Calgary" campaign.

You're instead making a leap because he had strong power base elsewhere in the province and never reasonated with Calgary voters to try and re-write history to claim something that never happened. Stelmach's approval rating in Calgary is ground upon ineffective leadership and inconsistent policies - it isn't because he ran a divisive campaign.

Remember on the second round of elections for leader - as called for by the party constitution - stelmach won on the first vote. I suppose trying to re-write history is easier than admitting that Dinning and Morton only had support within Calgary and were not able to gain any measurable support elsewhere in the province.
Sorry to burst your bubble.

You can think whatever you want. Bottom line your boy Ed is gone. (Cue the dancing in the streets). Of course, he'll hang on for months yet continuing to be the lame duck Premier we all know & despise. Too afraid to take his "accomplishments" to the people in an election.

[killer_carlson]

Originally Posted by Golden Jet

You can think whatever you want. Bottom line your boy Ed is gone. .

Jeepers man!

What part of "I'm no stelmach apologist" did you fail to understand?

Given your propensity to leap to uninformed conclusions, I'm concerned about your capacity to vote in the next election.

[SebC]

Dinning update:

"I never say never," Dinning said in an interview with the Herald on Friday, believing there's still "lots of time" to make a final decision.

"It's week by week, month by month. I don't feel a need to jump into the fray (right now)," Dinning said.

The Calgarian acknowledges he feels a bit of an obligation to run because Conservative party members have been encouraging him to do so since Premier Ed Stelmach announced earlier this week he's resigning.

Dinning is hoping a candidate or two with a progressive, outward-looking view of the world enters the race. But if not, he'll re-evaluate his position when more details emerge on a leadership campaign the PC party says likely won't come until the fall.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Di...391/story.html

[First Lady]

... and tomorrow the Swann dive.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by First Lady

... and tomorrow the Swann dive.

Crazy... gotta wonder how Dave Taylor feels about leaving the Liberals now, if the Liberals get absorbed by the Alberta Party, and how that might affect the Alberta Party (i.e. will people look at them as a viable option if they ditch the Liberal name, but have a lot of the same members?).

[Slava]

Originally Posted by SebC

Crazy... gotta wonder how Dave Taylor feels about leaving the Liberals now, if the Liberals get absorbed by the Alberta Party, and how that might affect the Alberta Party (i.e. will people look at them as a viable option if they ditch the Liberal name, but have a lot of the same members?).

Taylor just left a day or a week too early...and the Alberta Party took him too early as well.

In my eyes the Alberta Party and Liberals are in limbo....they can't merge yet because they need a Tory or two to make it something more than disaffected Liberals. The Liberals can't go there yet because there is nothing to go to. The problem is that no Tory's will leave now because there is the leadership race there and they all know that with a new leader they can win again (which is what it all comes down to).

Interesting times. Stelmach, Swann and later this week Smith enters the PC leadership race? Don't these things happen in 3's?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Slava

Interesting times. Stelmach, Swann and later this week Smith enters the PC leadership race? Don't these things happen in 3's?

You've allued to something interesting here... WRA is kind of in the same position as the AP. If they weren't an independent party, they'd be in prime position to take over the PCs, but it might be better to leave that baggage alone, even though absorption/reunion is likely in the long run.

[Resolute 14]

the Liberals and Albertas have the same problem: a complete derth of leadership. Swann was a terrible choice, and Taylor doesn't appear much better. Rebranding the centrist option to get away from the Liberal stain would be a very good start, but the party will remain moribund until they find their own Aberhart, Manning or Klein - someone who can motivate people to join their cause. The Alberta Libs are royally screwed if the Alberta party can steal some of their vote - but I'm rather doubtful of that. The best they can hope for, imo, is for Taylor to retain his own seat.

As for the WRA and PCs eventually making up, could happen. When the SoCreds became tired the PCs stepped up, and in the long run the right slid to the new banner. Ultimately, the right will fall back under a single banner, but a split election in 2012 might well be a very good thing for Alberta. The province needs new ideas, and the PCs need a reminder that it is not their god given right to govern.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

As for the WRA and PCs eventually making up, could happen.

Danielle has a column in the Sun, just posted tonight on this very issue.

http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/co.../17106156.html