Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Campfire Soapbox. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Ralph Klein's Last Election
Topic Started: Nov 5 2004, 02:01 PM (843 Views)
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
Chris; A riding is one particular area that elects a single Member of the Legislative Assembly. It's easier to think if it as a Member of Parliament, which is what they're called Federally.

In any case, that's what each person votes for - their Member. They don't actually vote for the Premier.

At the end of the day, the party with the most seats selects the Premier, which of course would be the party leader, which of course in this case is Saint Ralph.

As I said some time ago, it's like your Electoral College, except they then hang around to be the Legislature.

By the Way, there is one group that DOES get to vote for Ralph directly, and that's his own Calgary southwest riding, because he must be a member of the Legislature.... Not exactly a close race, but always fun to watch, if you like watching the Christians take on the Lions...

Also By the Way, the Edmonton Journal is the most Liberal paper in the Province, so it will keep reporting that people are uncertain about Ralph right up until he rolls over them... It's not that they lie, but they DO have an interesting slant... For instance, they say that Ralph's Personal Popularity is waning - this is true - traditionally he runs 10 -15% ahead of his party, this time he's only 5-8% more popular than the Conservatives... But they don't actually MENTION the numbers...

Of Course Ralph is cautioned to keep cool - he's known to have a sharp tongue when opponents keep on a stupid track, which is of course what the opponents will do, just to get his goat... It should be interesting...

A Piece of History... Up until a couple of years ago, Ralph was a very devout attendee at Molson's Cathedral. Now he's a complete teetotaller. A lot of people think he was a lot more mellow then, not nearly as likely to blow his top... My wife quit voting for him when he sobered up... :floorrollin:

I'll see what I can report about the debate...
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
cmoehle
Member Avatar
Chris - San Antonio TX
OK, so you don't have an electoral college. What I'd read earlier was misleading. Instead each riding elects a representative member of Parliament for the province, and the majority party determines who will be Premier.

Does that work its way up to the federal level in a federal election? Or is that completely separate?

Molson's Cathedra, eh? I like to visit Shiner's Church now and then.

So give me a link to a conservative news source...
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
Federal Elections are completely separate (I still can't get over STATES running the Federal vote down there!)

But the Riding system is the same, with Members of Parliament electing the Prime Minister.

The most conservative paper in Alberta (at least mainstream paper, I don't think you want the wild eyed extremists) is the Calgary Sun.

Todays's Sun Editorial
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
sylley2000
Member Avatar
Sylvia, Grand Bend ON
So what's the basis of your excitement, other than you would like to march in his parade? Ralph will be re-elected--he's chiseled it on clay tablets and had the electorate take samples home for them to oggle over. It's in the bag! Sure thing! Foregone conclusion!

Sylvia
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
You're quite right Sylley.

Getting worked up about it doesn't make any sense. It's not a question of Ralphie winning, just by how much.

However, I like to play pinball games as well...

Debate going well so far. Liberal Taft has brought up a few good points, NDP Mason seems to be lost in space, Klein is "Playing it Cool"

Klein seems to have read the Globe and Mail and Edmonton Journal thoroughly the last couple of weeks. His best shots have been; "Mr. Taft, the Globe and Mail says... And I know you READ the Globe and Mail, don't you?" Then quoting statistics backing his position...

We's see what the spin doctors say...
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
pentax
Member Avatar
Kamloops - BC Interior
brewster
Nov 8 2004, 06:10 PM
NDP Mason seems to be lost in space,

Brewster - what else would the NDP BE, other than "lost in space"???


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Posted Image
(thumbnail)

Posted Image

"Kirk to Enterprise - Very funny, Scotty.... now beam down my clothes!"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
Well, the Debate is over, and it ran overtime, so the spin doctors lost their chance. I guess we'll hear from them in the papers tomorrow morning...

My view? Well, as a Conservative, I thought Klein won...

He kept his cool, in spite of the other two "ganging up", firing multiple questions simultaneously. But of course, that was what was expected. He had his facts well in hand, he seemed much more involved than in a few other recent efforts. And he landed a few good shots, particularly pointing out that the Liberals detailed plans came to more money than there was, forcing Taft to admit they'd have to crank up oil royalties, which Klein then said would weaken oilsands development.

On the other hand, I thought Taft did quite well - he presented the Liberal viewpoint as a viable alternative, and also had a good grasp of detail. Considering he's a rookie, I was reasonably impressed. If Taft was actually presenting himself as the choice after Klein goes, I think he should be happy.

Good Ol' NDP Mason was just completely out of his league... Klein's shot that Mason "should drive outside the Edmonton City Limits where the Journal doesn't cover" was particularly telling.
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire

A Civilized Start to the Debate

Ganging up On Ralph - as Expected
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
cmoehle
Member Avatar
Chris - San Antonio TX
Interesting. Klein and even Taft actually base their points on facts and details. You'd have to get down to the third party level here to hear that. Mason sounds like a cross between Bush and Kerry, all generality and promises and isolated in the capital.

Thanks for summary. :tiphat: :cowboy:
Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order.
--Barry Goldwater
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
sylley2000
Member Avatar
Sylvia, Grand Bend ON
Thanks Brew, that was insteresitng to listen to. The moderator could have intervened and asked them to speak one at a time. It was difficult to make out what anyone was saying when they were all taking at once.

Sylvia
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
Sylley, most of it wasn't quite that much a verbal brawl, but it does give an interesting flavour...

Certainly nobody was pulling punches to be nice to ol' Ralphie!
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
Well. the results are in, from all the papers. :blah:

It was generally conceded that there was no clear winner. :box:

All were happy to see Ralph back to his old self. It does make you wonder how much his ailing mother has been bothering him the last 6 months. :thinking:

All were impressed with Taft - It was his first major exposure to the Alberta People, and he came off well. I may have to change my mind and say he won. Not so much for this election, but he definitely has made a positive impression for next time. :clap:

All were more charitable to Mason than I was. :unbelievable:

Predictably, the Calgary Sun said; "Premier Ralph Klein proved once again last night that, when it comes to political debates at least, he's still the champ." :cowboy:

Unpredictably, the Edmonton Journal said; "competent Ralph Klein delivered a strong defence of the government's record" :dunno:

Even the Moderator was given good marks, both for her handling of the event and her looks. The Calgary Herald called her "The Perfect Lynda Steele". I'm not sure that she was perfect, but she sure was a nice change from craggy faced Ralph. :toast:
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
brewster
Member Avatar
Winemaker Extraordinaire
The final polls are in on the debate... The Calgary Herald, probably the most balanced newspaper, shows it this way...

Taft..... 47.2
Klein... 42.7
Mason. 10.1

I think both Klein and Taft will be happy with that - it sets Taft up for next time, and it's close enough for Klein to cruise through this election..

Mason? Well... A Socialist who's afraid to step out of Edmonton wasn't going anywhere anyway...

The Main Contenders for Klein's job in the Conservative Party are starting to emerge, both from outside the present cabinet, which seems weaker and weaker the more you look at them... Ralphie's obviously been holding them together...

From the Calgary Herald: (Comments in Red are mine)
Quote:
 
The jockeying has already begun to replace Ralph Klein as Alberta premier.

Keith Brownsey, a political analyst at Mount Royal College, says the leadership will likely be a battle between former Treasurer Jim Dinning ( The Treasurer who did the dirtywork at the beginning of the Ralph Klein Revolution - A strong Fiscal Conservative.) and Ted Morton, a Tory candidate with ties to the former federal Alliance Party. (I mentioned him earlier. A Real Hardliner - If he gets in, Ottawa LOOK OUT!)

Doug Main, a former cabinet minister who is backing Morton, says his views appeal to Albertans who feel the province is getting a raw deal from Ottawa. (There's a revelation! That's like saying climbing in a Lion's den might be dangerous!) 
Posted Image My Favourite Campsite
Bow Valley Provincial Park, Kananaskis Country, Alberta
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Soapbox · Next Topic »
Add Reply