"...Dave Cournoyer isn't some obscure fat frat boy with a sticky-up haircut." - Neil Waugh (Edmonton Sun)
More later, but what?
"I'd choke our premier," Heninger says to the disgruntled voter, the latest in a string of citizens who have expressed frustration with Progressive Conservative Premier Ed Stelmach.UPDATE: As Dan points out, Stelmach has provided Albertans with an incredibly entertaining update:
According to reports, [Henninger] told a constituent at the door he would like to "choke" Stelmach. The premier said that kind of enthusiasm is exactly what he wants in his MLAs.
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12 comments:
I remember when an Edmonton Candidate in a by election ran against the Getty government too.
What do you expect the turnout to be in Elbow tomorrow.
Is "choking the premier" the same as the federal party having mckay say they wouldn't whip the vote and then punting Casey while mckay said he wouldn't have said that if anyone took him seriously?
I mean, come on, Heninger expects people to buy that he's coming in on the ruling dynasty ticket and that he's going to balk the premier when the razors are out for Bronco, because he's daring to say things that make the premier's standing go down in the public eye? The premier who is the head of his own party??
Or, in this one party province, is Heninger going to front for Dinning while Dinning waits for Stelmach to tank?
I'm surprised Heninger didn't take the opportunity when he was canvassing with Stelmach in Elbow a couple weeks back.
I love how he amplifies the Liberal message. Granted, I don't hear too many Alberta Liberals plotting out detailed policy statements for ringing Stelmach's neck, but...
Why vote for Heninger when you can send the message more effectively with a Liberal? Pretty clear that his campaign is scrambling to adapt to a narrative completely out of his control.
It's amazing that Ralph Klein's riding has become the bellwether for the Alberta Liberals--speaks volumes, doesn't it?
Throttling Ed: OKStelmach approves of alleged 'choke Ed' comment by Calgary-Elbow PC candidate
Tory candidate Heninger said he, too, is somewhat upset with the direction the government is going. According to reports, he told a constituent at the door he would like to "choke" Stelmach.
The premier said that kind of enthusiasm is exactly what he wants in his MLAs.
"Whether he said it or not, that's the kind of person I would like at the caucus table," Stelmach said. "He's obviously very passionate with respect to Calgary-Elbow and the best candidate in the race and will bring those issues forward to the overall government caucus. That's where you make a difference, at the caucus table."
I have been impressed by the strategy that Heninger has used in the by-election. He is running essentially as an outsider, promising to shake things up in Edmonton. This latest comment may actually pull the riding out of the fire for the PCs.
I predict that Kevin Taft and the Liberals will get out their vote, but they will not significantly enlarge their vote base.
The PCs lose this election if a lot of PC supporters decide to sit this by-election out. This is a referendum on the government pure and simple. Kevin Taft, Craig Cheffins and the Alberta Liberals really don't figure in the equation at all.
"I have been impressed by the strategy that Heninger has used in the by-election. He is running essentially as an outsider, promising to shake things up in Edmonton."
By saying he is going to choke the Premier?
Running as part of the premier's team while also trying to be the "change candidate" is a very dicey, confused proposition from the get-go. It didn't really work for most of the PC incumbents and challengers in Edmonton last cycle, and if Heninger has to resort to threatening the Premier, well, then the Tories have already lost.
James:
This is Calgary, not Edmonton. As I said before this is all about the government, the Taft and the Liberals are generally irrelevant.
Well, duh. But it still shows that the argument of "I'll have a voice at the table, and the government will be able to hear our concerns" doesn't always work. Well, it worked the first time around for people like Mark Norris, Ian McClelland, and the rest of those utterly forgettable Edmonton PC MLAs elected in 2001, but it wore thin three years later. It's hard to imagine Heninger pulling out a victory in the face of enormous negativity, but then again, like you say, this is Calgary we're talking about, and this is King Ralph's riding.
If elected, Henninger will just be one of 18 Tories in Calgary. If Cheffins is elected, he'll be one of four opposition members from Calgary.
It is a question of whether Calgary Elbowians want another backbencher to tow the Stelmach line, or a voice in opposition to the Stelmach line.
I thought politicians in Alberta were supposed to be able to do their job without fear of threat to them, their family or property?
Is there a good reason that this public threat to the safety of the Premier was not dealt with swiftly and harshly?
This guy's pretty lucky he didn't say this anywhere near September 11!
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