I'm With Danielle Smith

I didn't see that one coming.  The Danielle Smith Party merged with the Jim Prentice Party.  I've thought it over quite a bit now and I can say without a doubt that I'm a supporter of the Prentice/Smith Party.

The PC Party?  WildRose?  No I don't really like either of those parties anymore.  Allow me to explain.

The Problem

There's a problem with the conservative insurrection in Alberta.  It's past due.  We had our window and that window is now closed.  Not just because of recent developments.

I've found it increasingly awkward to be pro federal Conservative and anti Alberta PC.  PC, CPC, and WR all fish from the same pond.  I felt it door knocking in Canmore recently.  We should not be fighting anymore.

The Federal election is coming this year.  Like it or not Jim Prentice is a Harper Conservative.  The two brands are inextricably linked.   I know this only too well.  I volunteered for Jim Prentice when I lived in his Riding.  Deepak Obhrai endorsed Jim Prentice and I also volunteered for Deepak and served in his EDA.

There just isn't any room for a conservative civil war in the next year, even if its only in Alberta.  We just can't spare the oxygen.  Trudeau is the biggest threat we have faced yet.  Martin, Dion, Ignatieff were not easy opponents, no matter what people might say in hindsight.  All of them are eclipsed by Trudeau.  We know it's not rational but the Liberals aren't appealing to reason in the next election.  It's an incredibly dangerous time for our country.  We can't afford this squabble between friends anymore.

I'm not talking about making up with Allison Redford, but with your neighbors and co-workers who all support Stephen Harper.

WildRose

Oh Wildrose.  You had so much potential.  The hated Allison Redford conspired with the left and the media to fatally destroy the WildRose brand in the last general election.   They exploited Wildrose's greatest weakness, social conservatives, and used them to unfairly smear the party that truly deserved to win.

It would take 10 years to undo that kind of damage.  A tough and thankless slog that would be.  Enduring the skills of Jim Prentice for a decade with only the hope that the arrogance and entitlement of the post Klein years would blight Alberta once again.  No thanks.

I didn't want to face that.  In a way I wrapped all of Alberta politics in a package in my mind and marked it "Do not open until 2016".  Perhaps the situation would change by then?  Yikes did it ever change.

Surprisingly, I think it changed for the better.

I was signed up for WildRose by two cranky geologists.  These guys resembled the critics from the Muppets.  They were exacting in the their standards and merciless with their criticism.  Of course, they got my name wrong on this supporter list they were drawing up.  That took years to fix, but I had a lot of patience for the WildRose.  I believed in the movement.  We had a mission to get Alberta back on track.  But I only really started to believe when Danielle Smith was nominated for the Wildrose leadership.

I put up signs.  I made calls.  You know the tragic story.  We'll never recover what Allison Redford and her leftist takeover cost us Albertans.  What a colossal waste and squandering of precious booming times!

Then those times changed.

The by-elections showed that people did not blame the PC Party but Allison Redford personally.  I wasn't really paying much attention.  I did however wince at the WildRose campaign slogan.  "Send the PCs a message!"  What message will they send if they vote PC?  Danielle Smith got the message eventually and here we are.

Progressives

I detest progs and their sugar coated lies.  I despise their smug self congratulating entitlement.  Justin Trudeau is your typical prog but so is Allison Redford.  Redford could not have done what she did alone.  There are people inside the PC party as liberal and corrupt as Dalton McGuinty.  We are on their side now.

That has to be the worst part about this move to the PC Party.  Thomas Lukaszuk said Allison Redford "is Alberta."  Doug Horner lied to all our faces about the deficit.  Dave Hancock led the plan to remove Alberta's plate slogan to punish the Wildrose.  On and On.  There was that clown MLA badmouthing our Oil Sands and such.  All these goons are still there.  All those back office leeches and schemers?  Still there.

It's going to be war when Prentice leaves.  long may he rule.

Jim Prentice changes a lot of things.  He's alleviated all the sore points the PC's have created when the scum bags ran the party.  I think the former banker and federal Environment Minister may have the exact skill set that Alberta needs to succeed in these challenging times.  I want to help him succeed.

Loyalty

The minute that any of us becomes a liability or an embarrassment to the party we are shown the door.  It doesn't matter who it is or how much good was done before.  Every party is like this.  Everyone should treat their political party like this as well.  It's only fair and should work in reverse as well.  Don't stick with a party because you're stuck with them.  If something better comes along you've got to move.  Its democracy.  It keeps the parties on their toes.  It makes the parties beholden to you and not the other way around.

I'm not going over to the PCs for Prentice even though I think he's pretty good.  I would have already jumped.  I'm going to the PCs because that's where my leader, Danielle Smith, is going.  Shes a smart and brave woman.  A lot of people see this as a betrayal but I don't.  I'll go where she goes.  PC or Alberta Party even.

Danielle Smith is being a leader.  She made a bold move.  A move that I couldn't even anticipate.  I respect that.  Smith and the others aren't going to wait quietly in a box until the coast is clear to attack Jim Prentice.  We are going to do everything we can, for ourselves, for our parties and for our province and country to defeat Justin Trudeau.  -and we are all going to need each other should we fail.

Congratulations John Tory and Jim Prentice

John Tory

Finally the scandals and faux scandals in Toronto are done.  

I liked Rob Ford until he lied to people.  His crack use isn't actually a big deal to me except that its generally bad for your health and your career.  The lies I could not excuse.  

I was born in Toronto and grew up in its shadow so municipal politics over there was still interesting.  Rob Ford made it a riot.  That is what I really liked about him.  He was the caricature of everything the left hates all rolled into one package.

Imagine this guy was a big city mayor.

Right.  Rob Ford made the left's head explode in exactly the same way and it was fun to watch them roll in their hypocrisy.

I defended him when the left started picking on him, which they obviously were.  He did enough all by himself to make everyone's efforts a complete waste.

In the end he dropped out for health reasons but got a seat on the council anyway.  Good for him.  He'll make a far better critic than a leader.

Jim Prentice

Oh yeah.  There was an election around here.  I heard the PC's swept it.  Good for them.  I wasn't really paying attention.  PC's are still the government regardless with no end in sight.  They are fat and sassy and can start throwing their weight around like always.

Democracy in this province is sick.  The PC Party and the Alberta government bureaucracy are far too cozy for a healthy relationship.  It won't matter who is in charge.  Corruption doesn't go away because someone says so.  It's like black mold.  It has to be rooted out.  This is the one redeeming aspect of democracy and it is malfunctioning in Alberta.

The PCs have tightened it up after Redford but it can't stay that way forever.   I like Jim Prentice and I wish him all best.  We are all in it together and it helps no one when the government fails.  From what I've seen so far Prentice has made some good decisions.  The plate slogan reversal sticks out in my mind.  That was completely offside and completely in character for the PCs.

We are still Wild Rose Country and I am still decidedly for Danielle Smith and the Wild Rose Party.  We didn't pick up any seats this time.  Oh well.  The PC Party may rule for another 1000 years but I don't think that's a good thing for Alberta or even the PCs themselves.  So the electorate in those ridings doesn't think its our time there yet.  So be it.  We'll prove we can best represent them and all of Alberta next time.  Next time is when it matters.

Keep hacking away Danielle.  There is only one way to eat an elephant and that is one bite after another.

A Bright Vision For Alberta

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith's Keynote Speech at the 2013 AGM.



An inspiring address from an inspiring leader.  There is no question who represents the best of what Alberta is and what it can be. 

Climate Change is Absolutely True

Say it with me.  "I believe in Climate Change."

Bye Ed

So long Ed Stelmach.

My strongest feeling towards our Premier is sympathy.  This didn't start today.  I always felt pity for Ed.  He just doesn't belong there.  I think he's a good man that tried to do the right things.  Those things were exposed as wrong.  When the recession hit Alberta was caught off guard with a job killing royalty regime and a deficit among other problems.

I've seen first hand how stupid taxes kill jobs and small businesses.  Progressive idea's seem so good in boom times, but at the end you get the usual progressive ills like deficits.  I blame Ed but it wasn't just Ed.  It was the whole team; the whole party.  The whole party should pay.

We know they are progressives now.  They have been in power too long.  They are entitled, so they think.  Whatever they might do to improve the economy in a rear-guard action is right an proper, but what is to stop them from slipping back to progressive/socialist schemes once the economy takes off?  Nothing.

I'm sorry Ed and the rest of the PC's.  Picking on you guys feels like kicking a puppy.  I would stamp the life out of a snake, but you guys aren't snakes.  You lost your way and I know where you can find it: in Opposition to a Wild Rose Alliance Government.  Then maybe we'll get some competition for the best policies for Albertans. 

So long Ed.  It wasn't your fault, I know.  This is much bigger than you or your feelings.  We just can't pick our leaders out of sympathy.  May I suggest you go into charity?  You could do a lot of good work for the Cancer Society or some noble cause where you would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your service.

Alex

Update:  Turns out Ed has given himself a 1 million dollar parting gift from the tax payer.  I take it back.  Get lost Ed and take your blasted PCs with you!