A day after Edmonton-Centre MLA Laurie Blakeman declined to enter the race, it is being reported that Calgary-Mountain View MLA David Swann has entered the race to replace outgoing Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft.
Swann, who has recently returned from the Water is Boss conference in Fort Chipyewan, will face off against former Edmonton-McClung MLA Mo Elsalhy and current Calgary-Currie MLA Dave Taylor. More later.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
david swann enters the liberal race.
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13 comments:
I'm taking bets it is a Swann victory.
Great! I'm very excited to see that Swann is in the race! He has my vote!
Swann has already got an endorsement from Calgary Alderman Joe Ceci.
With the exception of Mo it is looking more and more like a Calgary fight. Swann and Taylor should make formidable opponents.
more of the same from the liberals. chalk up yet another trouncing for the tories.
I'm thinking Mo will be choice #2 for both Swann's and Taylor's supporters. The guy is extremely likeable, never alienated anyone and a hard worker
David Swann is a great man who would make an absolutely terrible leader. He has even less charisma than your average anonymous blog poster. Have any of you watched him in question period? He is BRUTAL! He rambles on too long, with the speaker cutting him off before he ever gets to the actual question. I respect the man but he would be a terrible leader.
Any chance of anyone from outside the current active party fold taking a shot at this to make it interesting?
Paint drying vs. Grass growing doesn't excite me. At least if Blakeman had run there'd be some yelling and subsequent wisecracks...maybe even a decent Journal cartoon.
Go Swann!
Swann has the potential to win votes from current ND and Green voters as well as people who don't vote because they think that all politicains are corrupt and cynical. Swann actually stands for something!
"Swann has the potential to win votes from current ND and Green voters as well as people who don't vote because they think that all politicains are corrupt and cynical. Swann actually stands for something!"
Unfortunately, that would seem to mean only slight gains in metro Edmonton and not a whole lot else... and perhaps not enough to translate into seats.
The NDP's support in the province is (almost) entirely centred in the Capital, with a secondary base in the seat-sparse North. Everywhere else, aside from the city of Lethbridge, they've polled lower than the right-wing Wildrose Alliance.
The Greens poll lower than the Alliance, too, everywhere but Edmonton and Central Alberta. That's not looking to be a real deep well to draw from, either.
Unlike some Alberta politicians Swann has spent some time off the farm and out of the province. He has a clear and focused understanding of big picture issues like the environment, the oil sands, and how these issues tie into public health and community realities for Albertans now and in the future.
I have met David Swann a number of times and consider him one of the most passionate and *real* politician that i've met in recent years. His passion reminds me of the passion that the Lougheed Tories had in the 1970's.
If a vote for Swann can bring back that passion then sign me up.
I think the "Swann is a great man who would make a terrible leader" comment hit the bullseye.
Swann is a passionate man, he is a smart man, he is a man who stands for something...but none of those things will most likely lead to a Liberal victory. It would just be another "egghead" (as Rick Bell puts it) leading the leftist Liberals.
If we truly want a leader who can change the party's fortune we need someone who can connect with the average Albertan.
The average Albertan is NOT an intellectual and we can't keep thinking they are or they soon will be.
Let's get rid of our ridiculous dreams that this province of hard work and grit will turn into symposiums and Grits, and lets get real.
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