Election: Consequences for Leaders? (PGT PC Majority)

[Resolute 14]

The fact that you think Sherman should be proud of winning just five seats (net loss of 4 since the last election) is reason enough, really. And this came in an election where the Liberals should have been able to make inroads against a government that many people said they were tired of.

There is no doubt the results are massively disappointing for Wildrose. But there is no way you can sugar coat the fact that the Liberals have become irrelevant under Raj. They lost 44% of their seats and two-thirds of their support from the last election. There is no reason Raj or any Liberal should be patting themselves on the back after that showing.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

I have no problem with Hehr, but really, he's being touted mostly because there isn't anyone else left. The Liberals are done, and the sooner they figure it out, the better off the left will be.

I don't like this attitude at all - I am not a Liberal supporter and I sure as heck am not a Raj Sherman supporter as I consider the way he handled himself to be an embarassment over the course of this election and his long-winded speech at the end didn't do anything to change my opinion. That being said they still received 10% of the popular vote, there is a portion of the population that does hold their opinion and that should be acknowledged at the very least with a few seats.

I really can't wait until the days of proportional representation though... even though I know it will never happen as there is no benefit to the governing party to do so.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by Slava

You're hilarious. Why would Sherman be done? He had less than a year to prepare for this on an very limited budget and still managed five seats in the face of his vote completely moving to the PCs. The worst performer when you look at it was Smith; two years plus to prepare and crisscross the province, a couple million bucks in the bank and a pathetic showing last night.

I disagree on that - the seat performance was pretty pathetic but she managed to get 35% of the popular vote which is a huge number that didn't really translate into the seat totals that they were looking for. I have to give her credit that she did quite a good job with her big missteps coming in the fact that she ignored that the province of Alberta was becoming much more socially liberal and wasn't able to rein in the views of the more socially conservative faction of the party which I think is one of the biggest reasons that they didn't do as well as the polls were projecting... there was that unknown factor of free votes and crazy/outdates as heck viewpoints held by cantidates, which is a scary combination.

[edslunch]

I don't think we'll see significant change.

Redford won, so she's untouchable unless things go way south

Smith won a seat for the first time, so she'll be busy as a rookie MLA and opposition leader

Sherman can point to strategic voting as the cause of seat loss and he's only been in the job a year

Mason just seems happy and safe where he is

The left-centre parties ought to merge, but I've been saying that for years. Those parties seem content with small moral victories when they can get them rather than being serious about trying to win power.

[edslunch]

I think this election represents a more fundamental shift in Alberta politics that many are thinking. The PCs have moved from having a strong rural base to being largely an urban party. If that trend continues it could see the PCs continuing to move in ways that play to urban voters and leave the rural areas more as a battleground with Wild Rose. In the process they become more progressive and centrist than ever.

[Northendzone]

Redford should cement her legacy as Premier by agreeing to be next Saturday's SunShine Girl........

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by edslunch

I think this election represents a more fundamental shift in Alberta politics that many are thinking. The PCs have moved from having a strong rural base to being largely an urban party. If that trend continues it could see the PCs continuing to move in ways that play to urban voters and leave the rural areas more as a battleground with Wild Rose. In the process they become more progressive and centrist than ever.

How far left can they go without opening up too much room on the right for wildrose? WRP already got ~35% in the cities. Does it make sense to shore up support to the left when there's that many voters to fight for to your right?

[Canehdianman]

If the WRP silences the nutjobs and the Tories continue to spend like drunken Liberals, then I can see the WRP taking next election.