Do you live in Calgary? Wondered what happened to the election that is supposed to be going on?
Well, chances are, your riding is one of the ridings the HarperCon$ think is "safe" - so most of the incumbents are off running about campaigning anywhere but in Alberta. It was headline news when Jim Prentice actually spent a day or two campaigning in his Calgary riding.
Other conservative campaigns largely seem to consist of billboard signs put on public property, and the candidate is mysteriously invisible - whether we are talking about the media or at all-candidate's forums. In fact, finding a Conservative candidate in Calgary these days is almost as difficult as finding hen's teeth.
Now, in this regard, Alberta voters have themselves to blame. By not holding some of the worst excuses for MPs to account for their lack of availability, non-responsiveness and secrecy, they have handed Harper's band the arrogance that we see exhibited in Alberta's ridings. These clowns think they are entitled to their seats. They aren't, and nor should Alberta's voters be so complacent about handing any of these people a renewed contract this election. - Especially when they cannot be bothered to make themselves present in their own ridings during an election!
By no means does this let the opposition parties off the hook. The Liberals, NDP and Green Party have all dropped the ball in Calgary. Instead of fighting for every vote they can get, the opposition parties seem to have conceded Alberta as a whole to the HarperCon$. There are an amazing number of votes available in Alberta - but whoever wants them is going to have to struggle for each and every one of them. That means finding quality candidates, grooming them over multiple elections and being visible not just at election time, but between elections. There are a lot of Albertans who will vote for something other than a HarperCon, if you can convince them that you exist as something other than a zephyr at election time.
2 comments:
We need to have the option of voting "None of these turkeys!" on the ballot. If the "None" vote wins, the parties would have to come back with another slate until a field of real candidates was put out.
Harper's present strategy of not running actively in his own riding is like a husband expecting his wife to continue to support him while he spends all his time with more exciting companions in exotic locals. Together with the gentleman's agreement not to run any real opposition in the party leaders riding this is a "None" vote for sure.
Lee Richardson has a very bright young (relatively speaking) woman running against him. Heesung Kim. Articulate, educated, energetic, feminist and on the ball politically (and with a great, educated, energetic, engaged progressive mom helping her campaign). Heesung has a strong signage presence in at least part of the riding. She gets out and door knocks and wants so badly to get Richardson into a townhall.
Yet, when it came to reaction to Lee Richardson's immigration gaffe, I couldn't find a news program anywhere that managed to get a reaction from her, or even mention her by name. There was waaaay more media coverage of listeners and viewers that heartily agreed with Richardson's 'brave words' on the non-politically correct 'truth' he was espousing about immigration and crime and how he now had their vote.
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