Ralph Weighs In
Previous Profiles:
Dave Hancock
Lyle Oberg
Mark Norris
Before I get to the fourth profile in my series, I'd like to take a minute to reflect on the man all eight contenders hope to replace. Love him or hate him, it's impossible to deny that Ralph isn't quote worthy. So while I profile provincial PC candidates, Ralph has begun to profile federal politicians, starting off with Bob Rae and Stephen Harper:
I, for one, can't wait for the rest of the profiles in Ralph's series. But, until then, everyone will have to be content to read up on one of the more controversial figures in the race - everyone favourite Senator in waiting, Ted Morton:
Ted Morton
Ted's Platform
-Guide and manage AlbertaÂs full growth potential with our own pension plan, police force and made-in-Alberta immigration priorities
-Defend non-renewable resource revenues from federal raids
-Place curbs on harmful judicial activism
-Protect freedom of speech and religion via Bill 208 for those who support traditional marriage
-Embrace citizen initiative and referendums
In 30 words or less: Right wing University of Calgary professor and a former Senator in waiting. Think Stockwell Day with a PhD.
Ted on Emissions: Unless it turns out that homosexuality is running rampant in the oilpatch, I wouldn't expect much action from Ted on this issue.
On the Net: I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I don't get an interview with Morton so I invite everyone to watch his chat with Stephen Taylor.
Ted's Backers: Ted Morton has gotten an endorsement from the leader of the Alberta Alliance. So he has more caucus support from outside his own party than from within.
Can he win? Maybe if the Martin Liberals had eeked out another electoral win. With Harper in charge, I just can't see his "anti-Ottawa" platform firing up the grass roots.
If He Loses: Will likely jump to the Alberta Alliance or run in the next Senate "election".
My Take: Obviously the farthest right of anyone in this race. Since getting elected as an MLA, he's shown an unhealthy obsession with banning man on man monogamyy and has made it clear that he'll wage war with Ottawa on...everything. A Morton victory is something the rest of the country would have to take notice of.
Dave Hancock
Lyle Oberg
Mark Norris
Before I get to the fourth profile in my series, I'd like to take a minute to reflect on the man all eight contenders hope to replace. Love him or hate him, it's impossible to deny that Ralph isn't quote worthy. So while I profile provincial PC candidates, Ralph has begun to profile federal politicians, starting off with Bob Rae and Stephen Harper:
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein is giving Stephen Harper a B grade for his performance so far as prime minister.
Harper loses points with the outspoken premier when it comes to his dealings with the media.
Klein says Harper should be more like him and make himself more available for comment.
"Bob Rae is a Rhodes scholar. He's well educated, but he's dumb when it comes to politics," said Klein, a high school drop-out who later completed his education in a vocational school after a brief stint in the air force.
"He knows nothing about street politics."
I, for one, can't wait for the rest of the profiles in Ralph's series. But, until then, everyone will have to be content to read up on one of the more controversial figures in the race - everyone favourite Senator in waiting, Ted Morton:
Ted Morton
Ted's Platform
-Guide and manage AlbertaÂs full growth potential with our own pension plan, police force and made-in-Alberta immigration priorities
-Defend non-renewable resource revenues from federal raids
-Place curbs on harmful judicial activism
-Protect freedom of speech and religion via Bill 208 for those who support traditional marriage
-Embrace citizen initiative and referendums
In 30 words or less: Right wing University of Calgary professor and a former Senator in waiting. Think Stockwell Day with a PhD.
Ted on Emissions: Unless it turns out that homosexuality is running rampant in the oilpatch, I wouldn't expect much action from Ted on this issue.
On the Net: I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I don't get an interview with Morton so I invite everyone to watch his chat with Stephen Taylor.
Ted's Backers: Ted Morton has gotten an endorsement from the leader of the Alberta Alliance. So he has more caucus support from outside his own party than from within.
Can he win? Maybe if the Martin Liberals had eeked out another electoral win. With Harper in charge, I just can't see his "anti-Ottawa" platform firing up the grass roots.
If He Loses: Will likely jump to the Alberta Alliance or run in the next Senate "election".
My Take: Obviously the farthest right of anyone in this race. Since getting elected as an MLA, he's shown an unhealthy obsession with banning man on man monogamyy and has made it clear that he'll wage war with Ottawa on...everything. A Morton victory is something the rest of the country would have to take notice of.
posted by calgarygrit at
8:43 p.m.
12 Comments:
Ralph's ideas intrigue me. I would like to subscribe to his newsletter.
By
Etymologica, at 12:28 a.m.
CG,
I think the chances you have given Ted of winning are well off the mark.
Remember, in this race, it comes down to which candidate can sell the most PC memberships, and have their supporters come out and vote on election day.
Ted has been spending his days meeting thousands of people and selling them the memberships that will make him Alberta's next Premier.
Come November 25th or December 2nd Stephen Harper's former professor will be the Premier of Alberta.
By
t2, at 2:03 a.m.
mattgelinas; I expect Morton to make it to the final 3, but I have a hard time seeing him get any support from the other candidates who don't make it that far.
It wouldn't shock me if he won but it would definitely surprise me.
By
calgarygrit, at 11:43 a.m.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
By
Brad, at 5:55 p.m.
Morton support so far in this race is being underrated. The thing about Ted's supporters is that they are in love with Ted. Ted can count on basically all the people he sells memberships to will show up to vote. I don't believe any other candidate has this luxury, or at least not near the degree Ted does. Also, seeing Ted's supporters, I know they will be selling memberships to their friends, parents, grandparents, kids, cousins ect. and making sure they all show up. I would not be surprised if Ted shocked people and won this outright.
Also, Ted has a ton of support in the federal CPC. He helped campaign during the election, he was in my Wild Rose office several times helping there, and he also helped in other offices, where he did land some solid supporters. He already has some MPs support, including Art Hanger, Jason Kenney, and one other guy in Calgary, all of which will help him big time.
Obviously the farthest right of anyone in this race
I don’t think he is economically. He is by far the most socially right candidate, and has a right winged health policy, but economically he does not seem that blue. Just last week at the at a student event in Calgary I saw him tell people to watch out for those who are promising tax cuts, and a Ted Morton government wouldn’t be doing so. He was also against the rebate checks.
By
Brad, at 8:36 p.m.
Maybe I'm too out of touch with the Alberta scene, but doesn't Dinning have this thing locked up?
By
Michael Fox, at 11:17 p.m.
Dinning spent the summer trying really, really hard to get everyone to believe that his victory was a foregone conclusion and he'd win a Paul Martin-style landslide coronation. It didn't work, however, and now it's generally acknowledged that there's at least four candidates with a decent chance of winning.
By
The Invisible Hand, at 12:15 a.m.
This race is far from certain - I'm almost positive it will come down to a Dinning vs. Morton ballot with the possiblity of the 3rd option being seen as the "compromise candidate" (unless of course the 3rd is Lyle Olberg in which case the earth will split open and the apocolypse will occur).
I've seen both Dinning & Morton speak numerous times and while my bias is fairly obvious (Dinning), I give Morton credit - he's a very smart man. That said, he's a very smart, very scary man. It's true that Morton is not particularly "right" on some issues, but it is on the stuff he cares about that you find him on the far-right. Obviously social issues but also topics such as "judicial activism" and democratic reform. His post-secondary policies are also rather far to the right.
A friend of me said it best about how it feels to be around Ted Morton - "Don't look into his eyes; you'll lose your virgnity."
By
Unknown, at 11:44 a.m.
Alberta might do worse than Ted... I can't see Dinning shaking the rafters, and Olberg is an idiot.
Dunno... if the shit hits the fan with the Liberals and the Quebec thing, I'm a Morton man.
By
Joe Calgary, at 12:34 p.m.
The thing everyone seems to be forgetting about 2nd ballot dynamics here are that membership sales are permitted between the first and second ballots. Morton may not need to attract support from the other candidates for Dec. 2. He just needs to energize his base to buy more bulk membership blocks. A strong showing on the first ballot will provide just that energy.
I guarantee you this: the rural voters in the party realize that this will be their last chance to select a premier, with demographics shifting towards the city. This bloc will not go down without a fight.
Ed Stelmach and Ted Morton are going to scare the %^&$ out of a few Tory insiders on Nov 25. Make no mistake, the timing of the second ballot to coincide with the LPC leadership is specifically designed to keep this spectacle out of a couple of news cycles.
By
Patrick Kobly, at 12:45 p.m.
The interesting part happens if Ted Morton loses. All I can say is, I'm sure glad that the leadership candidates took the time to offer their opinions on smoking bans, the big issue of our times in Alberta.
By
Brian C, at 10:24 a.m.
I don’t think he is economically. He is by far the most socially right candidate, and has a right winged health policy, but economically he does not seem that blue. Just last week at the at a student event in Calgary I saw him tell people to watch out for those who are promising tax cuts, and a Ted Morton government wouldn’t be doing so.
That's because he's a social conservative. Morton's quite happy to burn tons of money to make sure that we all live a nice "moral" life. (his way, of course)
By
MgS, at 6:38 p.m.
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