ALP Convention
This weekend was the Alberta Liberal Party's annual convention held in the city they are expecting a big breakthrough in next election - Calgary (no, that's not my patented sarcasm, I'm serious).
I drove down with Daveberta which allowed me to get a good three hour information session on SU politics. Other bloggers in attendance include PTimH, David Swann, and Darryl Raymaker.
The convention was extremely well organized with, I must say, I great selection of food (mmm...pie...). The workshops focused on election readiness in anticipation of the upcoming provincial election, expected in early 2008.
Surprising even myself, I managed to wake up in time for the Saturday breakfast and listened to Keith Brownsey who is certainly a member of the church of Warren judging from his repeated urgings to go negative early and go negative hard. His recommendation of a TV buy to show 5 or 10 second video clips of Stelmach stumbling over his words makes sense to me; just like the Tories are trying to define Dion before he can define himself, it would make sense for the ALP to use the same tactic. Even a cheaply produced add with a limited buy would generate enough earned media to make it worthwhile.
Saturday evening entertaining included a trip to Heritage Park (I presume so that we could see what the city looked like the last time there was a provincial Liberal government). That was followed up with the unnoficial youth CPAC hospitality suite.
All the media reports I saw were quite positive of the convention and it certainly seems like the party has its act together - candidates are being nominated and the debt is being widdled down quicker than Ed Stelmach's credibility. The real litmus test will be the two by-elections expected this spring, including Ralph Klein's old seat in Calgary Elbow which is certainly winnable for the Liberals.
I drove down with Daveberta which allowed me to get a good three hour information session on SU politics. Other bloggers in attendance include PTimH, David Swann, and Darryl Raymaker.
The convention was extremely well organized with, I must say, I great selection of food (mmm...pie...). The workshops focused on election readiness in anticipation of the upcoming provincial election, expected in early 2008.
Surprising even myself, I managed to wake up in time for the Saturday breakfast and listened to Keith Brownsey who is certainly a member of the church of Warren judging from his repeated urgings to go negative early and go negative hard. His recommendation of a TV buy to show 5 or 10 second video clips of Stelmach stumbling over his words makes sense to me; just like the Tories are trying to define Dion before he can define himself, it would make sense for the ALP to use the same tactic. Even a cheaply produced add with a limited buy would generate enough earned media to make it worthwhile.
Saturday evening entertaining included a trip to Heritage Park (I presume so that we could see what the city looked like the last time there was a provincial Liberal government). That was followed up with the unnoficial youth CPAC hospitality suite.
All the media reports I saw were quite positive of the convention and it certainly seems like the party has its act together - candidates are being nominated and the debt is being widdled down quicker than Ed Stelmach's credibility. The real litmus test will be the two by-elections expected this spring, including Ralph Klein's old seat in Calgary Elbow which is certainly winnable for the Liberals.
Labels: Alberta Liberal Party, Conventions, Ed Stelmach, Kevin Taft
posted by calgarygrit at
6:33 p.m.
8 Comments:
Is there a provincial Green Party in Alberta? I think they will take a huge number of votes away from the Liberals if there is.
By
nuna d. above, at 7:08 p.m.
There is indeed a provincial Green Party in Alberta. Here is the web page from Elections Alberta that lists all registered provincial parties.
By
Brian in Calgary, at 8:30 p.m.
Yes, there is a provincial Green party, and Kevin Taft has managed to push his party very close to the Green Party. In a matter of barely two years, Taft drove his party from 29% down to 12%, just a few points shy of the Alberta Green Party.
What a "great leader", eh?
By
George, at 8:59 p.m.
Notably, there is someone running against the Liberals in Elbow, Adam Boechler, the former VP External of Mount Royal Students Society, which resides in that riding.
By
Matthew Naylor, at 9:26 p.m.
Yeah - three Liberal seats in Calgary; why haven't we fed him to the wolves already!?
By
Glen, at 9:52 p.m.
Pay no attention to Werner. He's scheduled for another political photosynthesis soon and will announce himself as the first member of the Pink-Cordoroy Party, otherwise known as his favourite appetizer, pcp...
By
rockfish, at 2:01 a.m.
I didn't make up those numbers. I am merely observing and reporting.
By
George, at 11:53 a.m.
The only polls that count are the ones on election day.
Other polls in AB are teh suck.
By
James L., at 11:24 a.m.
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