Ted Morton – “While the Ontario-ization of the premier’s office was not reported by the media, it did not escape the notice of MLAs and PC volunteers, who saw it as yet another sign of her being out of touch.”
Ted Morton – “While the Ontario-ization of the premier’s office was not reported by the media, it did not escape the notice of MLAs and PC volunteers, who saw it as yet another sign of her being out of touch.”
Ted Morton? Talking about Redford “Ontarioizing” her office?
This Ted Morton? http://christopherdiarmani.com/5396/politics-2/election-antics/alberta-election/ted-morton-the-destroyer-of-albertans-property-rights-is-booted-from-the-alberta-legislature/
Naaawwwwww! Can’t be the same Ted Morton that copied Dildo McDinky’s stewardship BS word-for-word and pissed all over Albertan’s property rights, can it?
Ted Morton was the free enterprise alternative to Red Ed. When he tried again,, against Redford, he found that all the free enterprisers had bailed to Wild Rose and he couldn’t draw flies. Also the fact that he was Special Ed’s finance minister, driving up the deficit, messed up his conservative credentials. His analysis of Redford’s troubles is spot on.
Petulant…
Even the pic/video in the pool depict that….one look is a thousand words….amazing that she was immediately banned from even tours of the legislature..
Doesn’t Deb Grey still live in Alberta? Shades of Sarah Palin before Sarah Palin.
Redford’s probably fled the country by now, someone needs to stand accountable!
Time for Ms. Smith to do a Stephen Harper and unite the right.
Maybe its time for Ms. Smith to do a Peter MacKay and step aside so someone with a vision and purpose can lead this province. All I’ve ever heard from Ms. Smith is platitudes and bromides as she extolls the virtues of Alberta and Albertans yet carefully avoids telling us what she would do or do differently.
Glad to see the “BeeAtch” go……worked for a couple of people like her and it didn’t serve them well either !!Time for a new party…a new plan… and some conservative thought.
no, that would be the ted morton who organized the Alberta SCC= challenge to the liberal gun grab. Why he ended up being the judas goat for Red Ally’s Agenda 21 property pogrom is anyones guess – he has me confused.
I typically do not comment much on Alberta politics — nor any other province for that matter — not so much out of a real respect for those who live there, but mostly because I am from BC and have a limited knowledge of the politics there and do not want to come off as a yobbo. Nevertheless, (God, I love that word) I have become convinced that the PC party in Alberta is moribund and will likely do a single term in opposition that will be highlighted by defections and retirements, leaving only a rump; a cartoonish caricature of what it once was before vanishing into political history. This all depends however, on the Wildrose managing to keep from self-destructing again. If the PCs can find a charismatic and trusted leader the Rowdy-Rose will have a tough fight on their hands. They have this one chance to bury the PCs and if they mess things up again it’s over.
Do you really want to know what is frightening? Doug Horner will run for the party leadership and premiership. The guy borrows $ 4 billion and believes he balanced the budget. In my opinion, he has to be amongst the dumbest of the bunch in the legislature. He makes Special Ed look like a genius.
Joe, don’t forget Smith paying lip service to the AGW scam.
You are right Ken. The WRP will have difficulty winning the next election if the PCs can get a serious candidate as leader. No their warmed over left overs are not serious candidates. However I do believe that should a candidate with the stature of Stephen Mandel take over the PC leadership the platitudinous Danielle (hubcaps) Smith will likely finish second – again. Don’t get me wrong I supported the WRP when Stelmach was premier and worked very hard to get the local WR candidate elected during the last election. He lost to the spokesman of the raucous caucus that played such a dramatic role in the ouster of the RedFraud. I’m not a fan of the PCs but the reason the WRP lost the last election was because they didn’t present a vision that the severely normal Albertan could believe in. What’s more they are still failing in that category and as you so rightly mentioned their lurch to the left has disaffected a lot of would be supporters.
Memo to hubcaps Smith: If we Albertans wanted a bootlicking visionless, purposeless leftist government – Alison RedFraud would be the premier with an approval rating of 90%!
Dear Danielle: Give me a hint as to how you are going to improve education from kindergarten through university/tradeschools so we actually have people who can work. Give me a hint as to what you would do with regard to senior’s housing – especially for those who suffer from dementia. Give me a hint as to how you plan on cutting the cost of infrastructure, government, pensions, etc etc etc. I don’t need to be told what a great guy I am or what a wise choice my great grandparents made when they moved to the territory that would one day be called Alberta. I need to know that you and your party have concrete ideas that will enable me to pass on to my children a better province than the one I inherited from my parents.
Ken, I would be very surprised if she doesn’t make an unequivocal statement to the contrary. Conservatives are slowly realising that Mr Abbott had it right when he made it clear what he thinks of AGW hysteria. It is the majority view after all. But again, I do not know enough about Ms Smith to stake my shoddy reputation on it.
You guys are kidding right? I would vote for a hubcap itself before I would vote for the ndp, liberals, or PROGRESSIVE conservatives. The WRP is the only party that even hints at trying to get our government downsized and under control and it’s still not good enough for you supposed conservatives.
Danielle has been nothing but professional, and other than not vetting a couple of candidates to the degree that the leftists will go, is the only credible leader of this province. She is also the only leader that believes that she is part of a team, and not the one to make all the rules.
It is hard to believe how far this province has sunk and we still have people who call themselves conservatives, but would vote for the progressives just because Danielle hasn’t checked off every box on their hitlist.
Wake up.
Sid I think you miss the obvious. Conservatives are not the target market. To win a party has to appeal to that group Ralf called the severely normal Albertans. They are people who are not into politics and the thrust and parry of political debate. They want someone they can trust through simple explanation as to where said leader would take them. Since the WR lost the last election I did some private investigation as to why neighbours and friends voted (or didn’t vote0 the way they did. Inevitably the response for those who voted PC or didn’t bother voting towards the WR was “Who are those guys?” or “What did they stand for?”. Yes there are the leftist bigots out there who didn’t like some of the trash that was in the media and some of them moved over to the RedFraud cause but for most the deciding factor was, “insufficient information”. As I said before I will likely vote WR the next time around but I will do so with a lot less enthusiasm than I had when I voted last time. Why? Because I listened to Darling Danielle give her speech to the gathered faithful and other than her telling me that I’m a swell fellow for being an Albertan and that Alberta is a fine place to live I have no idea what she actually stands for! What’s more after the lurch to the left I don’t think she stands for much.
The fact that you feel you need to call her “Darling Danielle” or “hubcaps” shows me that it wouldn’t matter if she talked to you face to face and answered all of your questions, you would still find a way to vote for the progressives, of which we have 3 parties in this province (maybe more). Why are you, and so many other whining citizens, so hung up on the way the elected leader of the WRP acts or doesn’t act? She is only the lead face of the party, the other members and the voters who elected them are the ones that show what the party is about. Do you want a party that has it’s policies set by the leader only? It sure sounds like it.
The only Party that wants to improve the way this province is managed is the WR. The others just want to be in charge. That is enough for me right now. The fact that they show a willingness to listen to Albertans and adjust as they gain experience is just as important.
Am I happy about the climate change policy flop, or the High River gun grab comments, NO! NO! NO! , but we can’t have any more minutes with the current government period.
Sid let me give you a little parable: A sparrow got caught in an ice storm. The ice on its wings caused it to crash land in a cow pasture where upon a cow took a dump that landed squarely on the nearly frozen sparrow. With only its beak above the pile the warmth melted the ice and warmed the nearly frozen bird. Feeling much better about its lot in life the sparrow began to chirp. The noise attracted the attention of the barnyard cat who dug the little fellow out and promptly ate it. The morals of the story: Just because someone craps on you doesn’t make them your enemy. Just because someone digs you out of crap doesn’t make them your friend. Finally when you are up to your eyeballs in crap – keep your mouth shut.
In my case I am crapping on the WR in order to get them off their silly ‘we’re not PCs’ nonsense. Why do I want them to announce some ideas beyond “I’ve got great hubcaps and you’re great because you are Albertan”? BECAUSE I WANT THEM TO WIN! What I am saying is that their present strategy is not a winning strategy. It didn’t work last time and if the PCs can come up with a real leader its likely the WR won’t win next time. I don’t want the PCs back. Whether they are PC in PC name or PC in Wild Rose’s name.
Joe,
A few points…
#1. The Wildrose lost the last election because NDP and Liberal voters switched their vote in order to keep a real conservative party out of power. Party people have studied the numbers. The Liberal share of the vote collapsed. Something like 100,000 people who voted for the Federal NDP, failed to vote for the provincial NDP.
Why?
They voted for Redford, who they thought was one of their own and could keep the real conservative party at bay.
#2. The Wildrose suffered from 2 missteps that provided “severally normal” Albertans enough doubt that they would switch their vote. The pastor with the old “lake of fire” sermon from bygone years and Leech with his “I have an advantage because I’m white”, comment stepped right into the Media Party trap. Just as the Reformers of old…they didn’t know how to play the modern game. They didn’t know how to fight within the liberal frame.
This happened in Saskatchewan in 2003, when the Sask Party ‘should’ have won, but failed.
#3. The policies of the Wildrose are clear and laid out. In modern politics people are either interested in policy or they aren’t. The people who are interested in policy understand that the Wildrose Party is the conservative party. People who aren’t interested in policy are not going to be “educated” they are going to be won over with feel good messaging and a general brand of change and hope and prosperity and integrity. None of which the PC brand has anymore.
#4. Ralph Klein stepped down 7 years ago. It’ll be 9 years by the time of the next election. Enough time has passed that nobody can believe that this is the party of Ralph. People missed him in 2008, but were still voting for him in spirit. Some of that spirit was still at the polling stations in 2012.
Today?
Ralph Klein is dead. The legacy is dead. Hundreds of thousands of people have moved here without experiencing the Klein era.
It’s thoroughly over.
#5. Danielle is jumping on the climate change bandwagon in the same way Harper did. In otherwords, talking the talk without walking the walk. Climate change is the religion of the left and criticizing it openly is taboo amongst “severly normal” people who at least pay lip service to the notion out of respect. Declaring war on climate change alarmism isn’t going to win the severely normals. Severly normals say they care about climate change and then do absolutely nothing in regards to their own life to mitigate it. Absolutely nothing.
This is what we need from our politicians right now. Talk and don’t walk.
#6. Ideology aside…the PC’s have to go for the sake of corruption. The party is so intertwined with government that it’s turning into a banana republic. It’s ferociously bad. A one term change in government alone would be worth it, in order to get a fresh set of eyes on the books and clean out the patronage and pork barrels and bureaucracy and business connections.
Nobody with good character can in good conscious vote PC at this point. If you vote PC, then there’s something wrong with who you are as a person.
Point by point:
1: The WRP lost last the last election because Albertans stayed home. In other words didn’t see a difference between the PCs or the WR that was sufficient to make them get out and vote.
2: Old quotes and misquotes happen to all parties. Neither misstep was sufficient to lose the election had there been a clearer idea of where the WR wanted to take Alberta.
3: Name one. In my little survey few Albertans could name one WR policy and most had no real idea of what the WR stood for except maybe they were anti-gay. I don’t care how well thought out your policies are if you don’t enunciate them well enough, your enemy can and will frame you any way they want and you become the loser.
4: You are right Klein is gone and so is his legacy. That saw cuts both ways as I get the impression the WR wants to go back to the Klein era financially. Do all the leftists and ‘new Albertans’ want to go there as well since the Klein era was a reaction to the Lougheed/Getty era?
5: The difference between the WR and Harper AGW stance is that most Albertan’s measured by poll do not accept AGW whereas most Canadians do. Unforced error by the WRP.
6: I agree the PCs have to go. I have never said otherwise. That being said Danielle running around telling Albertans how great they are is not getting rid of the PCs. While it can be said that some are swayed by flattery in the long run flattery will get you nowhere.
Wow! You’re really good at this. Fantastic explanation! Why don’t you run for the WRP, or have you?
I wish, when one of your candidates says something stupid, Ms. Smith would tell the press that she’ll let the constituents decide just how stupid it was instead of falling all over herself trying to sound politically correct. Other than that I like her a lot.
I encouraged my 2 kids to vote WR last time even though I’m from Sask. because I was so disappointed in the turn Alberta took towards the left.
The WRP amputated pretty much all of its meaningful planks. The AGW pandering I can take but I will not support a party that doesn’t support free speech, and Smith is clear she doesn’t. The WRP, despite their mono-maniacal insistence otherwise, IS PC-redux. I don’t care about the corruption corruption doesn’t matter. I am strongly considering joining the PCs to vote for their next leader.
Danielle is jumping on the climate change bandwagon in the same way Harper did.
IOW she’s going to expensively pander like Harper, bringer of ethanol mandates and banner of light bulbs did? I’ll take a pass on that.
Doesn’t have me confused at all.
Because he’s opposed to property rights, he’s just another f*****g Liberal as far as I’m concerned.
Well, Danielle and some of the WRP policy formers should read the comments of oa515 and Joe and learn from them.
There is no way the PCs should be supported no matter who the next leader is . They are all infected and tainted with the left/liberal stink.
While CBC Pravda whines that it was sexist to oust the red queen , they ignore that she was almost a rookie MLA who was in third place until she brought in the 5$ union Tories who she promptly put the boots to as soon as they became an inconvenience , just another lying lawyer. Nothing to see here
Unfortunately any even remotely conservative political person in this (these) countries has to not only fight off the lies of the progressive socialists, they also have to battle against the media who are overtly cheering for more and more government spending. The last election was so telling that once it became obvious the people were ready to try something else, the media went into full battle mode against the Wildrose. How dare someone try and pare back their friends and relatives in the big government?. How could such extreme rednecks think they could know better how to run a government?. What is this common sense you talk of? How dare you try and rise to a position of power without sucking up to the media first?
You either want to keep things going the same way or you don’t. Choose.
That you go along with climate alarmism speaks volumes about your true politics. You seem to do an awful lot of complaining about conservative purity, even while sounding like a pinko sometimes, almost as though you were trying to stir things up. You know, like an agent provocateur?
“… corruption doesn’t matter”. Why? Because you have friends or family in the government? Because progressive parties keep paying unions and bureaucrats more, more, more ??? Because you have a contract with them?
I always thought the Alberta PCs were GODAWFUL (milquetoast would-be liberals, all) starting with Lougheed and getting worse fast. I agree thar Redford is the worst of a very bad bunch. Good riddance.
Regarding your point #5, I am not sure I agree any longer with the idea of going along to get along on this issue. Pandering to the alarmist types will not ever gain votes as they hate everything we stand for. Give in to them on anything and the demands just get louder. It is a death by a thousand cuts. People need to know where you stand philosophically on this issue first, then one can make allowances without betraying your principles. Ms Smith needs to make her position clear on climate hysteria now, then soften her message a bit for the election, much as Tony Abbott did. But doing nothing at all is simply bleeding out slowly. I disagree that the “severely normal” frown on climate realism. In fact, I think they are all looking for someone strong enough to lead them and will quietly check the right box, alone in the poll booth, as long as they know they have someone willing to fight watching over them.
I think the internet is a politicians worst enemy:-))))
That you think I ‘go along’ with the climate alarmism speaks volumes about your reading comprehension. I never said I did. Smith’s statement regarding AGW was hedged such that she didn’t commit to anything drastic.
There’s been a lot of BS from the alarmists but it’s also pretty clear that humanity exerts some warming on the planet. I don’t know why everyone is getting so worked up over this since we already have the solution: natural gas. The Global Warming Wars are over (even if they keep going) and methane won.
“… corruption doesn’t matter”. Why? Because you have friends or family in the government? Because progressive parties keep paying unions and bureaucrats more, more, more ??? Because you have a contract with them?
Because it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things if Redford blows a few tens of thousands of dollars on something stupid. The freedom to smoke a hookah (which Redford banned) and the freedom to keep my earnings is important. Corruption is not correlated with more poverty. Both China and India got more corrupt with more prosperity.
One final point regarding Wild Rose policies. Try Googling “Wild Rose Policy Book”. Then try to follow any of the leads offered. You can’t even read the policy without getting on the WR mailing list which no doubt leads to endless appeals for funding. YUCK!
If you cannot see the contradictions in your reasoning then there is no point trying to have a sensible discussion with you. You simply cannot have things both ways — especially when your words are right there for all to see — and that always is and always will be what destroys your arguments. It’s what inevitably happens when one tries to act like something they are not.
Joe, the turnout in 2012 was way higher than 2008. People didn’t “stay home” because they didn’t know what Wildrose stood for. Maybe you experienced some typical politically ignorant folks that don’t vote much anyway, but people who bothered knew…or thought they did.
Anyway, for those who are interested, shortly after the election I published 13 things the Wildrose Party needs to do in order to win next time.
They’ve since adopted all of the recommendations except one, (which we will have to wait and see come election time.)
http://www.poletical.com/wildrose-moving-forward.php
Jeff
Um Jeff/oa515 you do realize that the uninformed – uninvolved are your target market don’t you?
I guess I shouldn’t hold my breath for a rundown of my ‘contradictions’.
I guess you are practising what you preach, which can be considered a good thing sometimes, but your lack of response is worrying to me.
In your article “Moving Forward: 13 Things The Wildrose Needs To Do”, item #6 you say:
“If you’re explaining, then you’re losing. Abortion, climate change, gay marriage…..just stop the discussion and if you must talk, speak in liberal terms.”
I guess that explains why you did not respond to my questions. Does your advice equally apply to discussion with conservatives too? Do you not see how your approach smacks of high-handedness and secrecy? Are you trying to confirm the leftist idée fixe that conservatives say one thing but do another, aka; hidden agenda? Are you aware that “hidden agenda” is a very successful area of attack on the CPC? How long will it be until you decide that discussion of the budget is a “liberal issue” and refuse to say anything, or only “speak in liberal terms”? Do you see how this tactic could lead to disaster? When you act like the enemy, how are you any different from them? It’s pretty much exactly what the current PC gov’t is doing and others have said quite rightly that pretending to be the PC party is a foolish idea.
Also, do you really believe the media will quietly go along if the WR says nothing, or spouts liberal dogma whenever a liberal subject is raised? I have lots more but I think you get the idea.
He contradicts himself at the end anyway…
Four years from now you could probably run the same campaign and due to time and familiarity, people would vote for the Wildrose Party in numbers that would allow for a majority.
Jas_1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
The thing that bugs me about principled conservatism is that it’s often retarded. Danielle Smith made a straight-forward case for the type of conservatism that most smalldeadanimal vistors wouldn’t bat an eyelash at, but mainstream voters were scared off.
You gotta sell in an environment that is polluted with deceptive competitors. If you want Stockwell Day results, then present unsophisticated straight forward conservatism.
Having said that, Wildrose was also too new and Redford was bound to be a disaster. Both of these elements have been dealt with and Albertans are fed up with the PC’s. (19% would vote today for them according to recent polls…for what it’s worth.) If Wildrose presented their same campaign in this environment, they’d probably sneak in with a win…but why risk it.
Be smart, be crafty, be sharp. It’s how Harper stays in power and forwards an agenda of two steps forward, one step back. It works and it’s better than the alternatives.
you want to hang on to your earnings and say that corruption isn’t a problem, were the h3ll do you think the corruption money comes from, are you really that thick????? or are you LAS reincarnate?
strad, you just don’t get it, but then I don’t think you have “street smarts”, so that could explain your lack of grasp of the intent of his position.
I take back what I said previously after reading your site. #1 Purge the Social Conservatives – we’re the real deal conservatives and win at any cost is not worth shedding our principles.
You’re so slimy I almost believe in evolution.
You’re the serpent in the garden with your silver tongued rhetoric .
You’re a Liberal/NDP/PC hack posing as a WR supporter.
Like many partisans the WRP doesn’t seem to understand the need to develop a base of support beyond its natural audience. Think back to the days when Reform was getting started. Preston Manning spent countless hours touring the province eating rubber chicken in church basements and community halls in small towns and large cities. Unlike the WRP which seems to have adopted the Sarah Palin approach which speaks “en nous” with her patented “Well its just common sense”.
News flash if the sense were that common then you would already be in power!
I get it, and I’m also okay with a certain amount of covertness if it used to destroy the enemy and not merely copy their tactics in order to be a lite version of them.
That’s how the PCs got in the mess they’re in now. The PCs are done for, take advantage of it. People go where they’re fed. Knowledge, as much as anything else.
Jesus drew masses of people, and it wasn’t for the promise of fish and bread.
Now you resort to throwing insults at members of your own side and continue to evade addressing difficult questions. Questions that must be confronted directly lest you lose focus on the very principles you profess to hold dear. Sounds a lot Like the Alberta Progressive Conservatives to me, but I will admit I do not possess even a decent working knowledge of Alta politics. It’s that obvious. With all due respect, I sure hope the WR has more sophisticated advisers than yourself or they will be chewed up and spat out like they were last time. I am not sure you understand that the Wildrose isn’t entitled to assume government in Alberta, they have to earn it. You cannot do that by sneaking around or bullying folks you don’t want to listen too.
ug… To, not Too.
Oh, I should mention that I took the time to actually read what you have written to gain a better understanding of where you are coming from and the nuances of your politics. It is abundantly clear that you did not do likewise with me as you have incorrectly assessed my politics, as many here can attest. I am by no means what you refer to rather venomously as a “principled conservative”. But I am quite certain that the principled conservatives that frequent this site have made note of your dislike of their views. I go to great lengths not to insult or criticize my brothers and sisters in arms and you should learn to do the same. Do you really want to open a schism before the WR even goes to the polls? Or are you planning to try the full Alison Redford approach and push conservatives aside in favour of “extremely normal” folks, like teachers and gov’t employees?
The point I’ve been trying to make is that Danielle Smith did not present a straight forward Conservative point of view in the last election. She didn’t present ANY point of view other than “We’re not PCs”, I have nice hubcaps and Alberta is great which is why the WRP lost the last election. Why did the anti-gay label stick so quickly and effectively? Because the WRP had failed to define itself and its beliefs. Now some are suggesting that the WRP further obviscate their position by pretending to be liberals. ewwwwww
It’s how Harper stays in power and forwards an agenda of two steps back, another step back. -FTFY
You make a compelling case for keeping the WRP out of power until they get a new leader and their principles back.