ALBERTA: Provincial Elections!

[Barrister]

Have there ever been any Injun parties in Canada?

Yes. Never amounted to anything.

So my wife and I went out to vote and promptly cancelled out each others votes.

[Josephus]

What is it with Parliamentary pages and the need to protest?

It's the same one as last time I think.

[Barrister]

So far votes are coming in PCs 44%, Wildrose 39%, which if it held would shape up as a PC majority.  Liberals and NDP in single digits.

[Sheilbh]

So far votes are coming in PCs 44%, Wildrose 39%, which if it held would shape up as a PC majority.  Liberals and NDP in single digits.

[Barrister]

PCs being called as the winners.

This could be a best case scenario, or it could be terrible.  I'm still uneasy about Wildrose - just whether they have the experience to be government.  So now they are the clear second party, this could warn the PCs to straighten up and fly right.

Or...

There's a definite sub-text of strategic voting.  I've heard it myself.  Lots of Liberals voted strategically for the PCs, and the Liberal vote collapsed.  The PCs could now decide to govern from the centre / left.

[PRC]

Wow, wasn't expecting that outcome.  Could be a best case scenario as you say Beeb.

[viper37]

Why would Coderre think that a his voice would carry any weight whatsoever in an Alberta election?  If anything, a proper Albertan would conclude that anything that a federal Liberal is against must be a good thing, since that party has been unrelenting in their enmity towards the West and most especially Alberta.

I don't think he thinks that.  But there's been a lot of articles in Quebec newspapers about how bad a Wildrose government in Alberta would have been bad for us.  Coderre is preaching to the choir, he's talking to Quebec leftists: "see, that's what happens when Harper is in power, everyone hates Quebec, we're the only option to protect you from Evil right-wing Alberta now".

[viper37]

The problem for them is I think Canada has moved beyond that Liberal vision of the country.

one could hope, but I don't think so.

[viper37]

For the record, I would have liked to see a WR govn't in Alberta, despite the radical social right-wing types.  The economic platform had a lot of nice ideas, and the talk about changing equalization payments appealed to me.

[Barrister]

For the record, I would have liked to see a WR govn't in Alberta, despite the radical social right-wing types.  The economic platform had a lot of nice ideas, and the talk about changing equalization payments appealed to me.

Equalization is a purely federal formula.  I never heard Wildrose talk about it, nor is it within their jurisdiction.

[Josephus]

so what do you think happened Beeb? People who said they were going to vote Wildrose changed their minds? Or were formerly Liberal voters scared of Wildrose and voted for the safe "enemy we know"?

[Grallon]

It appears Albertans aren't quite as reactionary as they appear from the outside.



G.

[Barrister]

so what do you think happened Beeb? People who said they were going to vote Wildrose changed their minds? Or were formerly Liberal voters scared of Wildrose and voted for the safe "enemy we know"?

Well, both.  Wildrose was polling higher than they got, so people did reconsider.  But the Liberal vote also dropped substantially - and you have to think that was strategic voting in favour of the PCs.

[Neil]

so what do you think happened Beeb? People who said they were going to vote Wildrose changed their minds? Or were formerly Liberal voters scared of Wildrose and voted for the safe "enemy we know"?

Well, both.  Wildrose was polling higher than they got, so people did reconsider.  But the Liberal vote also dropped substantially - and you have to think that was strategic voting in favour of the PCs.

Don't forget the huge undecided vote.

As for Liberal voters, why wouldn't they vote PC?  Redford is a Liberal.  Still, the complete corruption of the PCs seems preferable to the dangerous ideas of the Wildrose.  I just hope that this win doesn't embolden them to become even more corrupt.  Fortunately, Alberta is a strong province and easy to govern.  The oil money means that we can probably afford a term or two of Redford's centre-left policies.

The only thing that makes me sad about this whole thing is the victory for the teachers union.  Even so, in real life the bad guys sometimes win through sneakiness.

[Barrister]

so what do you think happened Beeb? People who said they were going to vote Wildrose changed their minds? Or were formerly Liberal voters scared of Wildrose and voted for the safe "enemy we know"?

Well, both.  Wildrose was polling higher than they got, so people did reconsider.  But the Liberal vote also dropped substantially - and you have to think that was strategic voting in favour of the PCs.

Don't forget the huge undecided vote.

As for Liberal voters, why wouldn't they vote PC?  Redford is a Liberal.  Still, the complete corruption of the PCs seems preferable to the dangerous ideas of the Wildrose.  I just hope that this win doesn't embolden them to become even more corrupt.  Fortunately, Alberta is a strong province and easy to govern.  The oil money means that we can probably afford a term or two of Redford's centre-left policies.

The only thing that makes me sad about this whole thing is the victory for the teachers union.  Even so, in real life the bad guys sometimes win through sneakiness.

Bah - undecided voters are non-voters.