Calgary Centre Federal By-election - Nov 26 (UPDATE - Crockatt wins for CPC)

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Slava

Does not disappoint! I'm enjoying him and noted poster First Lady reviewing his efforts to get drunk people to sign his nomination papers this weekend. Very amusing!

Some people are too easy to provoke..... Sort of like accusing you of supporting the PC's..

Glad I didn't start this thread, too soon for another go round of "What's your AGENDA??"

[Slava]

Originally Posted by First Lady

Some people are too easy to provoke..... Sort of like accusing you of supporting the PC's..

Glad I didn't start this thread, too soon for another go round of "What's your AGENDA??"

I backed right out of that train wreck thread when people couldn't discuss the issues without getting all fractured along party lines.

[Roughneck]

Will vote for either Locke or Turner. Probably Locke just because he's the front runner of the 'progressive' vote.

Christensen seems like quite the ###### and I can't really buy into a guy who creates a five minute youtube video giving a history of conservative politics but can't get the name of one of the parties correct. Not to mention he seems completely unaware of the demographics of the riding he is trying to represent: students, poor veterans and angry commuters are not exactly a large part of this constituency. This is a riding that created the longest school zone in the city and bumped a 50km/h road down to 40. Have one of the most reliable bus lines (#3) to go the shortest distance to work and if you live in this riding, chances are you aren't poor and can't afford prescription drugs (though you evidently can afford some of the highest property taxes in the city as well). Sorry Ben, you suck and would never want you to represent me.

Regardless of Cockatt's qualifications I wont be giving my vote to the CPC. #### them and the way they do things. I don't even disagree with most of their policies and the ones I do agree with I know are simply pandering to their nutjob base to get political funding. It is just the way they do things. All I can say to their party and supporters is 'You're not wrong, you're just an #######'. So sorry Joan, my protest vote will undoubtedly straighten out the party and force them to re-evaluate how they do things and treat the electorate. Your welcome everybody.

Locke...sure why not. Canada needs a strong Liberal party because the alternative is a strong NDP (or almost as bad, a strong NDP/Liberal party). Whatever little bit helps I suppose.

Meades. Nope. Guy doesn't even have a website. Can't vote for somebody who doesn't believe in his campaign enough to even do the bare minimum.

Turner. I would consider this but I am just freaked out by this guy's campaign. It's like three different people are running. Beard and shaggy hair. Clean shaven and haircut. Clean-shaven and shaggy hair. Make up your mind, Chris!
Actually I may still vote for him, if only because he's actually putting in the effort.

[jtfrogger]

I've added an independent candidate to my first post based on this blog post from Dave Cournoyer.

[Bigtime]

I've been following this race a little bit. I've known Chris Turner for a few years, and despite never-ever considering myself anywhere close to someone that would vote Green if I was in the riding I would be voting for him.

He knows the subject matter of sustainable energy and how to best take advantage of that in a province like Alberta and use it to create jobs and help drive us to become one of the leaders in the field.

If you wanted to send the Cons a message that they just can't take a Calgary riding for granted, and put someone in that would not be a complete green nut-job than I think Turner is your vote.

Plus he is very engaged on twitter (like a certain mayor we know), and is quite possibly the biggest Simpsons fan in all of Calgary. He wrote the book "Planet Simpson" about the show a few years back. A great read!

[jtfrogger]

I just added an Elections Canada info page to my first post.

And Ben Christensen is not on the ballot. It looks like he was seven signatures short. Too bad, as we lose some entertainment.

At least until the mayoral election...

[Roughneck]

Well he got 30 more signatures than he did youtube views. Nowhere to go but up!

[Fire]

Originally Posted by REDVAN

Wow, I sure hope people do research and don't just vote due to party preferences...

Party > Candidate

If I do my research and figure out that the NDP candidate is a swell guy, he sponsors 10 kids in Africa etc, I'm not going to vote for him because I'm not a socialist. Or let's say the Liberal candidate supports for lowering taxes but it goes against the Liberal platform, why would I vote for him/her?

If the party I support has a terrible candidate I rather not vote at all than vote in a party I don't believe in.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Roughneck

Meades. Nope. Guy doesn't even have a website. Can't vote for somebody who doesn't believe in his campaign enough to even do the bare minimum.

He does have a website....it is www.danmeades.ndp.ca

[Flames0910]

Chris Turner seems like the most interesting candidate to me. His piece in The Walrus about Calgary (linked earlier in the thread) was really well done.

He makes a good point about party lines not mattering so much in a by-election.

I don't know if I'll vote for him yet, but he's got my attention. He seems to be the only candidate with who already has support from the community at this point. I've already seen buttons and been given pamphlets!

[jtfrogger]

Originally Posted by ben voyonsdonc

He does have a website....it is www.danmeades.ndp.ca

I've added it to the original post.

[Flamenspiel]

Does anybody think that the Nexen to China decision is being pushed back to allow this byelection to be run first?

[Tinordi]

Go Chris Turner!

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Flamenspiel

Does anybody think that the Nexen to China decision is being pushed back to allow this byelection to be run first?

While anything's possible, I sort of doubt it. I think it's genuinely taking them a long time to weigh the pros and cons. In this case I think you're right that the political ramifications are likely opposite to the (at least short-term) economic ramifications, but I suspect that the political effects will be felt in Ontario, not in Alberta

[Bunk]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle5267073/

Pretty astonishing new poll:

Forum Research:
Crockatt 32%
Locke 30%
Turner 23%
Meades 12%

Fairly small sample so a fairly wide margin of error. Still, signals a shift.

[Slava]

Pretty clear that the progressives should align behind Locke and oust the CPC here. There is a 5% MOE here, but even with that they could take the riding.

[SebC]

I have yet to see any indication that Turner and Meades will be anything other than Crockatt's keys to victory.

[c.t.ner]

The race is definitely tightening and a poll like this will give more legs and credentials to both Locke and Turner. People in Calgary Centre who would normally vote on the left are going to be far more energized to vote now. It's going to be an interesting horse race.

[Bunk]

Two weeks to go - it's an eternity in political campaigns.

In 2010, two weeks out from the 2010 Mayoral Race it was McIver 31%, Higgins 28%, Nenshi 16%. Nenshi won with 39.6%. Of course momentum is critical.

Locke is in good position, but Turner had the most positive movement. I'll probably vote for whomever can beat Crockatt.

We should have a Calgary Centre Poll of CP - thoughts?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Bunk

Locke is in good position, but Turner had the most positive movement. I'll probably vote for whomever can beat Crockatt.

Me too ... tough to project how high Turner will go though.