Now running as an independent and citing an in-house poll, which puts him at the front of other candidates vying for the seat, Chandler says he needs at least another $23,000 in donations to keep the momentum going.
An 'in-house' poll? Credibility-wise, that's right up there with drinking your own kool-aid. Yes, Chandler's got a fair number of signs out on the main roads through a couple of areas, but that likely is a matter of going through the phone list from his nomination campaign.
However, it seems a bit of a stretch to me to suggest that he has a "lead" over anyone other than Jonathan Denis at this early stage. (Personally, I think Denis is a weak candidate at this time, especially with the PC's suffering from what appears to be a weak leadership)
The grand irony here is Chandler complaining about a "lack of funds" after allegedly spending in excess of $127,000 to get the PC nomination last fall. Talk about having your priorities upside down. I doubt that any of the other candidates for nominations spent more than a couple of thousand on the nomination. (Less, I would imagine) And I'd guess that campaign costs for the election will run most candidates somewhere around $30,000.
10 comments:
Good comments about Chandler. I met him at my door a few months ago and although I voted Liberal last time I took out a membership to vote for Denis. He impressed me at the door as a very strong leader, even though I don't agree with everything he stands for.
I'm a little confused by your comment - are you referring to Denis when you say "He impressed me at the door"?
(BTW - my comment about Denis as a "weak candidate" is centered more around timing and the current circumstances of the PC party than Denis himself - his public profile prior to this fall was virtually nil outside of the circles that follow law closely)
Just an FYI.
Part of Chandler's strategy is to let people know they are low on funds as widely as possible and what better way then earned media?
I've known Denis in the federal party for about 10 years. He's pretty well known especially for a consulting firm he operated with Pierre Poilievre, someone I'm not a fan of. Must have done something right to get the number of votes he did at the nomination, although the alderman he beat would have been my choice.
Then Chandler must have done something really well to Pummel Jonathan 2 to 1
Chandler started campaigning for the Egmont nomination in the summer - well before anyone else, and he took it "door to door" {which is a little unusual for a party riding level nomination}
There's no doubt that he worked hard on that project. Jonathan Denis didn't start his campaign until sometime in October. (I suspect strongly that Denis may have been "urged" to run once party brass started to figure out the kind of political baggage that Chandler would bring - but that's purely a guess on my part)
There are also intimations that Chandler may have paid out of his own pocket for a sizable number of the party memberships he "sold". I cannot confirm this, but it would certainly explain some of the outrageous sum he claims to have spent on the nomination campaign.
I'd have to imagine that Denis and other nomination candidates spent 1%-2% of what Chandler claims to have spent on the nomination process.
Denis's 500 votes would have won anywhere else in the city by a wide margin. He must have run a pretty good campaign to crush that alderman who only got 200.
The point is Jonathan did not run anywhere else. He faced Chandler and lost. No matter how anyone spins it Craig won and that is that.
No matter where Chandler won he would have crushed anyone.
As for bying memberships. His newsletters claimed to sign up 2,971 members. If they are $5 per membership and he bought them all that would = $14,855 so that does not explaing his claims of $127,000.
I have heard of many spending almost $100,000 on a nomination, but, Craig just appears to be transparent where others are not.
1) Even $15K for the nomination is excessively high, IMO.
2) Nobody is disputing that Chandler won that first nomination vote. The question in my mind is whether he won it or he bought it.
Spending $127,000 sounds an awful lot like "bought democracy" from where I sit. (and if others have done it in the past, that doesn't make it right)
Denis had a much higher percentage than Chandler in round #2 and was not appointed, he won fair and square. The candidate who was now supporting Chandler was left in the absolute dust. Makes you wonder how much support Chandler really has now. He will finish under 1000 votes.
Post a Comment