Alberta Provincial Politics - Unite the right - discussions

[RealJimmyJames]

So it looks like Jason Kenny will be running for leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives under the banner of uniting with the Wild Rose Party in some form.

Can someone tell me why this is different than Jim Prentice? I always figured he lost because he appeared to be blatantly seeking power. He too swept in from Ottawa, tried to unite the two parties. Is Jason Kenny's situation that much different?

I'm not even sure if uniting those two parties is fundamentally possible, let alone if it's a good idea and would result in an election win. I mean, I like burgers, and I like pizza, but I'd never order that pizza-burger monstrosity they have on the menu at Boston's.

Can anyone explain all this to me?

[RealJimmyJames]

» Click image for larger version

[finboy]

I have to agree, Kenney is very much a Harper conservative, and I think the only way the conservatives can win back votes is to ditch the batshit socially conservative ideas of the wild rose and stick to fiscal conservatism. I wouldn't put Harper's government in the "fiscally conservative, socially liberal" camp, so I don't see what the strategy is here.

[01RedDX]

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[finboy]

Originally posted by 01RedDX
That pizza burger actually looks good.

But this is more like a crusty old bologna sandwich combined with a stale 7-11 hotdog.



Popular enough back in the day but well past their prime and even less palatable when combined.

Ftfy

[Sugarphreak]

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[HiTempguy1]

You do realize that 25% and 27% voted for the Wildrose and Conservatives right?

Many voted for the NDP because they wanted the PCs gone, not because of some massive cultural revolution in Alberta. You guys really need to get your heads out of the collective asses of downtown Calgary and Edmonton

Plenty of the Conservative voters would vote Wildrose in a heartbeat, and easily 20% of the people who voted NDP would normally have voted Conservative or Wildrose.

The conservatives lost due to
1) Corruption
2) Elitism/talking down to their constituents
3) Taking the electorate for granted
4) Doing a shit job of managing Alberta's finances
5) Not being conservative enough (both fiscally and socially).

None of these reasons screams "Alberta has changed!" Just all your lefty news sources wishes it was the case.

I want the whole PC part gone. Without fresh blood, the party will continue to rot. Wildrose offers a chance at change with a leader from outside the PCs, as the leader makes the party.

[Feruk]

Brian Jean isn't leader material though... I don't care if PCs or WR win, but I don't wanna see another vote splitting. Anyone who unites the right without being too much of a social conservative has my vote.

Also, we've now seen "change", and I don't like it.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
You do realize that 25% and 27% voted for the Wildrose and Conservatives right?

Many voted for the NDP because they wanted the PCs gone, not because of some massive cultural revolution in Alberta.

Agree with this assessment, folks were tired of the PC bullshit. However, I don't think you can add up those numbers and say the combined party will get 52% of the vote. much will depend on what the new party looks like, and how successful they can be at convincing voters that they have some core values that are appealing.

[Masked Bandit]

If JK can get the two parties to run under one banner I will predict a decisive win for the new group in the next election. Shave off the far right crazy of the WR and they're good to go.

[shakalaka]

I was actually going to make a thread about this as I am interested in hearing the general opinion about JK and his idea to unite etc. I am not much for politics, however, lately due to my current affiliations at my new firm with ex PC MP's and current politicians I am getting more and more interested as I keep getting dragged to these events. I was there yesterday when JK announced but I really don't have enough knowledge/interest to form an opinion of my own. I met him and he seems like a decent guy, but I am reading a lot of hate towards him and people calling him dumb etc. Apparently Brian Jean said he has no interest in a merger as of right now so it makes it sound like JK was just making some things up. Will be interesting to see the direction this takes but curious to see what people think of him.

[HiTempguy1]

Brian Jean might not be the leader needed, but WildRose certainly will not back down for "good enough".

I don't think people understand that the PC's are done for. You can't simply amalgamate two parties in Alberta, it's impossible. One must concede defeat. The PC's never will, and they still literally have the EXACT SAME PEOPLE THAT CAUSED THE ISSUE IN THE FIRST PLACE RUNNING.

Wildrose will be destroyed, and you could possibly get a further protest vote (Alberta Party next??) if they defect to the PC's. The Wildrose, now in hindsight, was a much better choice than Nutley and crew for this province.

PC's need to die. Nobody in that party should be voted back into office, they can go have their plush office jobs thrown at them from the private sector that they worked so hard to cozy up to

[e31]

Taken at face value, JK is running for leadership of a 3rd place party. Should he not have considered joining WildRose if he wanted to have a shot at leading AB? I'm even more offended now if the PC party still thinks they can lead a "unite" movement after the last election BS.
Look at how well it worked out for Prentice's PC's after absorbing the WR traitors. PC < WR by a long shot.

[g-m]

Liberals were a 3rd place party. Just saying.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by e31
Taken at face value, JK is running for leadership of a 3rd place party. Should he not have considered joining WildRose if he wanted to have a shot at leading AB? I'm even more offended now if the PC party still thinks they can lead a &quot;unite&quot; movement after the last election BS.
Look at how well it worked out for Prentice's PC's after absorbing the WR traitors. PC &lt; WR by a long shot.

You have to understand that JK is C, not PC. Wildrose is also a C.

While on the surface, it looks like JK should go for Wildrose, the goal is take the P out of PC and turn it into Wildrose for the "merge".

So JK's strat is to destroy PC from within.

And since JK is a C, he has no place in the new federal Conservative party which is turning itself back into PC.

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
You do realize that 25% and 27% voted for the Wildrose and Conservatives right?

While that has been the talking point of the Right, I doubt all 25% PC vote are hardcore right wing votes?

I would guess that at least 1/2 is voting for stability, the progressive values and NDP fear that will never vote WR.

So if JK united the right to the right and removed the progressive values, it could be a better showing but WR won't break 40%.

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
If JK can get the two parties to run under one banner I will predict a decisive win for the new group in the next election. Shave off the far right crazy of the WR and they're good to go.

I don't see how JK will do that as he IS a social conservatives.

[dirtsniffer]

UNITE THE RIGHT, by voting WR in the next election.

[SKR]

I don't think there should be any political parties. You should be able to elect an MLA that represents your interests, not an MLA that represents the interests of the party that at best represents your interests more than the other parties.

I used represents and interests too much because I stink at words.

[nzwasp]

So is Kenney going to be doing all this while still sitting as an active member of the federal govt?

While I would vote for the cons again I dont think i'd want either Kenney or Brian Jean as the leader.

[dirtsniffer]

why not Brian Jean?

\/ I have read the party policy, the only time religion is mentioned is when it says people have freedom of religion \/

[nzwasp]

Because i dont think there is room for religion when it comes to politics.