Saturday December 2, 2006 was a very bad day for political frontrunners.
We saw Stephane Dion ride from fourth place on the first ballot to defeat frontrunners Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae at the Federal Liberal leadership convention in Montreal.
We also saw Ed Stelmach ride from third place on the first ballot of the Alberta PC leadership race to overwhelm both frontrunners Jim Dinning and Ted Morton on the third ballot.
I did make it out to the Alberta PC leadership party at the aviation centre and I can say it was quite an entertaining peice of political theatre. As with the Federal Liberal race, I did enjoy seeing the frontrunners go down in a blaze of glory. (and I'll give a shout out to Duncan, Allie, and Blake who were all there).
So, what does an Ed Stelmach led-PC Party mean for Alberta's political scene?
- Ed Stelmach is the first Alberta Premier from rural Alberta since Social Credit Premier Harry Strom from 1968-1971. Will Ed Stelmach take the Tories the root of Social Credit...
- This race very much manifested itself into a Northern Alberta/Edmonton (Stelmach) v. Calgary (Dinning) & Southern Alberta (Morton).What affect does this have on Tory support in urban Alberta? In southern Alberta? Calgary?
- Can Ed Stelmach appeal to Edmonton and Calgary voters? Does Stelmach's victory bode well for Kevin Taft's Alberta Liberals?
- What happens to Ted Morton? It was Ted Morton's supporters who pushed Ed Stelmach over the top on the third ballot (to the effect of 28000 for Ed Stelmach to 4000 for Jim Dinning).
- What happens to Jim Dinning and the Calgary crew? Jim Dinning was Calgary's candidate...
- What does Ed Stelmach stand for? This isn't a personal attack, just a legitimate question. Ed Stelmach's policy positions on this campaign were not exactly the most well developed. We shall wait and see...
I will have more thoughts on "What now?" later this afternoon...
Sunday, December 03, 2006
premier-designate ed stelmach.
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18 comments:
The Edmonton Journal is calling Stelmach the "Premier-Elect"
Someone forgot to tell the Chief Electoral Officer that there was an election
I believe the title is Premier-designate. It's possible I'm wrong and all Eddie is until another letter to the Lieutenant-Governor is Leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. I can say he does respond to "Congratulations Mr. Premier" however.
Ed Who?
Ed Why? Still, he seems to have turned his entire campaign into one long process answer, telling Albertans not so much what he intends to do, but how he intends to do it... this might not be a bad thing.
What is this "Root of Social Credit" you speak of? Some mythical herb in the political forest? :-)
"the root of Social Credit"
Like the root of an oak tree...
or something...
Has Transalta taken Jim Dinning back yet?
Maybe Paul Martin can hook Jim Dinning up with a job at Canada Steamship Lines?
Then he can go back to the central Canada that bankrolled his campaign.
I wonder what Rod Love is up to right now...
Is anybody catching on to the fact that the same rightwing social conservatives that voted for Morton, drove Stelmach over the top?
There's not much difference between Morton and Stelmach after all.
Cabinet predictions people???
Finance Minister: Ron Stevens
Health Minister: Iris Evans
Justice Minister: Gary Mar
Advanced Education Minister: Dave Hancock
Education Minister: Lyle Oberg
Intergovernmental Minister: Ted Morton
Out of cabinet:
Barry McFarland
Shirley McClelland
Greg Melchin
Ty Lund
Doug Horner
Rob Renner
Gordon Graydon
Heather Forsyth
Trent has a good point. What is going to happen now that Stelmach owes the social conservative/Alliance side of the PC party for his victory over Dinning on the third ballot.
What will their demands be? Revive Bill 208? A provincial Police Force. Justice Minister Ted Morton?
And at the same time, if Dinning had finished third, instead of Morton one could claim that he owed his victory to the left of the party. I think this is a repudiation for, not a strengthening of, the right, but given the nature of Stelmach's campaign, look for the predilictions of the PC caucus to become more important than they have. Is the caucus to the right of the current government? I doubt it.
There's not much difference between Morton and Stelmach after all.
Except that one is a decisive and strong man who isn't prepared to let his principles be compromised or his beliefs fall to the wayside. Stelmach on the other hand is deathly afraid of ever confronting anybody.
Hey FCLC... why don't you let him start the job before you start saying he can't be a good leader - you're starting to sound like Kevin Taft.
And I disagree that there isn't any difference between Morton and Stelmach - Stelmach is a moderate Conservative and thats why, in the end, the PC's choose him over Morton or Dinning. They didn't want to go too left or too right. They didn't want to be told who they should be voting for (Dinning) or what they should be doing in their own homes and families (Morton).
And besides - it was a good race, with a great result - it was hard fought with obvious choices and legitimate results.
"Education Minister: Lyle Oberg"
Wouldn't that be hilarious? After all the crap he went through -- opening his big flapper, ending his political career, reviving his political career, seeming like a contender, openning his big flapper, ending his political career -- ol' Lyle could end up right back where he started. He's like those Zombies in Quake that you can't kill. (Well, you could kill them with a grenade launcher. But work with me here.)
Feynman and Coulter's Love Child,
Listen to Allie. Give Ed a chance. Not quite sure about your comments about Morton. I believe him to be a gentleman at his core, but I don't how you can paint him as a decisive leader - if only because he has never held a position of leadership (to now, he has not been leader of any political party or action group). That is what he was running for, by the way.
Not to descend too far into pettiness (we are all trying to come together as a group - or we should be at least), but confused about your blog name's reference to Coulter. To me, she represents the worst side of conservative politics. She is just a loudmouthed opportunitist. A thinner, more attractive Rush Limbaugh.
Stephane was in third place on the first ballot, by two votes. I was there. He was fourth in terms of support on super-weekend, but he got more ex-officio supporters.
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