BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta

Subject: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: meself
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 12:50 AM

Big surprise in the Alberta provincial election: the far-right Wild Rose Party under the charismatic Danielle Smith, has been soundly defeated by the Conservatives under 'Red Tory' Alison Redford. Pundits and pollsters had been predicting a Wild Rose government, but here are the latest numbers: Conservatives - 61 seats; Wild Rose - 18; Liberals - 4; New Democrats - 4. This is a more favorable result than anyone left of far-right dared hope for. Not only has Wild Rose been restrained, but the Liberals and NDP have both achieved the minimal number of seats needed to have "official party status", which means they will get some government funding.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: meself
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 12:52 AM

Now it's PC 62, WR 17.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 09:45 AM

I guess that this rose had too many thorns! The Tories owe their victory to the leftists so we are told.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: meself
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 10:44 AM

Well, I don't think there are enough leftists in Alberta to make a major difference. In certain close-fought ridings, the 'strategic voting' of erstwhile Liberals and NDs probably pushed the Tories to the top, but more generally, I think most of the right just decided that they are not as far right as Wild Rose

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: GUEST,999
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 01:58 PM

I was hoping that Wildrose (the name is from the Provincial flower) would do better to cut back the power of the incumbents. Too bad. Also not good that the Alberta Party led by Glenn Taylor didn't have a good showing.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: meself
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 02:02 PM

I'm surprised that you'd be supporting the far-right, Bruce ....

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: GUEST,999
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 02:31 PM

I'm not supporting the far right. I was cheering Wildrose because it was the only party that could take seats from the present government. Forty years of Tories is forty years too much. The NDs and Libs if they had half a brain would have amalgamated and tried to win the election.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 04:20 PM

The Tories continue to be the party of those doing business in the province, as employers and entrepreneurs, or as employees. As such, it will continue to hold control of the legislature.
Leftists such as the NDP are too few ever to become part of a government here. The province remains prosperous with high employment.

The Wild Rose Party was not able to restrain some of its candidates from stupid racist remarks aimed at minorities in the Province; also some extreme isolationist stands.

I haven't seen the last breakdown for Calgary this morning, but its elected members include a Sikh, a Vietnamese, a Chinese, and two others of Asian ancestry, one defeating a Wild Rose candidate who made racist remarks*.
Edmonton (said to be more "blue collar" than Calgary) has similar representatives.
The cities are 20-25 percent "ethnic" (I dislike that term- the people included under that umbrella term are as much Canadian as anyone of Ukrainian, German, English, Irish, Metis or other ancestry in Alberta).

* The Wild Rose candidate said he had an advantage because he is "Caucasian." He, like many, equate Caucasian with European, when the term as academically applied covers a wide swathe of peoples from Europe through central Asia, including many from the Indian subcontinent.

Subject: RE: BS: Far Right Rejected in Alberta
From: meself
Date: 24 Apr 12 - 05:12 PM

I agree that forty years is too long - however, I felt that a further-right party made up largely of former Tories disgruntled because the PCs are moving slightly closer to the center could not be any kind of a positive change.
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I wonder if those two nutcase WR candidates really had that big a negative effect on their party. I know that's being offered up as the only possible explanation for their poor performance, but I'm not convinced that most Albertans really care that much about that 'redneck' stuff one way or the other. I suspect it was the overall WR platform and attitude that was being rejected, and 'red Toryism' being endorsed.