"...Dave Cournoyer isn't some obscure fat frat boy with a sticky-up haircut." - Neil Waugh (Edmonton Sun)
Alberta Liberal candidate Craig Cheffins was elected in tonight's by-election in Calgary Elbow (Ralph Klein's former seat).
Calgary Elbow
Craig Cheffins, Liberal - 4801 (46%)
Brian Heninger, PC - 4017 (38%)
George Read, Grn - 611 (6%)
Jane Greydanus, Alliance - 456 (4%)
Al Brown, NDP - 348 (3%)
Trevor Grover, SC - 175 (2%)
Jeff Willerton, Ind - 124 (1%)
Here's the unofficial poll-by-poll breakdown.
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15 comments:
Thank you kindly, Dave. I knew I could count on you for timely results to feed the house curiousity as we were too busy beating down the back forty while there was light and dry between clouds.
Yay, Chiffen!
This is awesome! I'm so glad Kevin Taft now has a replacement for the void left by Dan Backs.
Also, nice work invalidating the Stelmach garbage donation thing. Good to see that the Libs hit them up for some of that questionable cash as well... difference being that even the garbage men tell the Liberal's "No thanks!"
The energy at the Cheffins party was fabulous!
We nailed it!
The Liberals just took a seat the PCs have held since 1971! Craig Cheffins was a great candidate and will make a terrific MLA! Go Elbow!
Great news. I will be happy to see Cheffins join Dave Taylor, Harry Chase, and David Swann as the most effective MLA's in Calgary! This is only the beginning!
Congrats Calgary Grits! What a good day for Calgary, and a good day for Alberta.
The times are a-changing!
I'm lovin' it:
The "Change the Government" candidate gets 46%
The "Choke the Premier" candidate gets 38%
Talk about splitting the opposition vote!!
Hahahaha!!! The NDs, at 1% of the vote in Drumheller-Stettler, and at 3% in Calgary, miles behind the Green candidate and even the Independent (who doesn't even have a party machinery), is just laughable. It looks like the non-existent ND machinery actually hurt the candidate, Al Brown, who probably would have fared better as an Independent. Maybe people thought they were voting for Mason, given all the signs, and said "No thanks". The party couldn't possibly be happy with these results. Is it time for Mason to hand over reigns?
Long way to go though. I was around when Pete and Donny were throwing minny footballs in a desperate attempt to find the link to voters. It took them 3 elections to finally break the Social Credit Alberta stranglehold. Petey 'n pals then went on to solidify that rural stranglehold for themselves and to this day we have illegal, nay sinister constituency structures. It may take more than three elections to actually get rid of the CON party becuase they have milked dry the "protecting country folk from city folk" routine to the point more than one generation has been brain-washed.
Congratulations!
I don't believe that rural Albertans have been "brainwashed". What their overwhelming support of the PC party reflects is a keen sense of self preservation and a weather eye. The rural parts of the province are temendously dependent on provincial largesse and are terrified of the prospect that they may be left out of government. As a result, rural voters will flock to support which ever party holds power. While this tendency retards any prospects for political change, once the balance begins to shift, the rural areas will move. So if it becomes apparent that, as a result of shifts in the urban areas, a change of government is inevitable, I think that the rural areas would dump their Tory MLAs and sign on to the new order immediately or within one election. It is in the cities that changes in government, however infrequent, are made.
Not to get into a numbers game here but celebrating, while deserved, Liberals should be very worried about this result. You had a vote in a city where the media was absolutely anti-establishment, the candidate was not the strongest, and Cheffins only won by less than 800 votes. If you compare these Liberal votes from this election to the past three general elections, you will notice that it is pretty stagnant. In the last three elections, and then this byelection as well, I don't think the Liberals have ever broken 5000 votes. That should really worry the Liberals. The fact that you had this widespread "hatred" of Stelmach and you still could only get the same liberal voters out even after you picked up a bunch of liberal polls after the last redistribution. I bet the conservatives will find 1500 more votes at least the next general election and the liberals will stay roughly around the same. That should worry all Liberals.
I don't think anyone (including the Liberals) is under the illusion that the Liberals are going to easily sweep Calgary in the next election. This by-election was hardfought between two candidates - and that's how future gains are going to be made in Calgary. The Conservatives have a 36 year headstart in organizing and a ton of money, so it will take extra hard work for the Liberals to breakthrough - but with more solid candidates (and now MLA's!) like Craig Cheffins, Calgary will become more competitive - which is great for democracy.
Rod Love is on Mike Duffy Live at 6:00 pm tonight, Channel 52 CTC Newsnet. Can someone post the transcripts.
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