Thursday, April 19, 2012

Stay Christy, Stay!...(v5.0)

HowLowCanHer
ExpectationsGoVille



It would appear that the (not)Premier is waving the white flag on both bye-bye's already.

CP's Dirk Meissner has the story:

VICTORIA—With the Liberals facing defeat in two Lower Mainland by-elections today, Premier Christy Clark appears to be already looking ahead to next May’s provincial election.

Clark said Wednesday she wants to bring new voices to her government’s free enterprise coalition, but those voices don’t appear to include B.C. Conservatives Leader John Cummins.

Clark said she’s open to different voices within her government — even a new party name — but won’t mention Cummins by name.

She warned that splitting the free enterprise vote means a New Democrat government next May.

Clark’s Liberals are facing long odds in ridings traditionally considered safe for the party...

{snippety doo-dah}

...Clark candidly admits that governments usually lose by-elections, and in B.C. the tradition is decades long, with the premier being one of only two government politicians to win by-elections in the last 30 years...

{snippety doodle-dandy}

...“We are a coalition party,” she said. “We include people from all across the political spectrum. We include everybody who wants to defeat the NDP.”

Clark said the Liberals discussed changing the party’s name at their convention last year. If a name change allows the party to broaden its appeal, Clark’s all for it, but she said she wants to be the leader.

“I’m not opposed, as you know, to changing the party’s name,” she said.

“We are still the free enterprise coalition in B.C. Yes, I’m going to be leading the free enterprise coalition into the next election.”...



But....

Never mind the potential for a perfect storm wherein the moneymen and the FedCons pull the plug on the 'progressive' free enterprise 'coalition' and go all in on a far-right Wild Dogwood-type Hail Mary for all the marbles.

Because it would appear that the real public leader of the 'coalition of the paying', who is backed by a good chunk of that big money that is not his, is still playing that very same card.

With, of course, a new name.

The Dean, in the soon to be self-marginalized/pay-walled VSun, has the latest 'better-late-than-never' assist....errrrr.... story....on the real public face of the abberation masquerading as a coalition:

As Phil Hochstein tells it, he's only been saying publicly what many other business leaders and government supporters were fret-ting about privately as regards the political situation in B.C.

"Everyone's talking about it," says the longtime president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, representing more than 1,000 non-union firms in the construction sector.

By "everyone" Hochstein means anyone with a more than passing interest in the outcome of the next provincial election. By "it" he means the prospect that the New Democratic Party is poised to take power because the non-NDP vote is split between two rival parties, one calling itself Conservative, the other B.C. Liberal.

"I get two or three calls every day, from people saying 'what the hell's going on?,' " says Hochstein. "They can't under-stand why it is happening, given the implications of the split."

{snippety doo-dah}

He speaks with some authority, being no fair-weather friend to the province's free enterprise forces, but rather an unswerving advocate for the cause for 25 years. His dedication has lately extended to mounting his own attack ads - witness that recent series targeting Dix.

The timing is telling too. He began airing his concerns about vote-splitting against the back-drop of the byelection campaigns in Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope, both wrapping up today.

Presuming his fears are borne out when the vote count is completed tonight, one can expect to hear a lot about the need for the centre-right side of the political spectrum to get its act together. "Anyone who frustrates that is selfish and irresponsible," says Hochstein.

He places no specific blame on the Liberals and Premier Christy Clark, except to note that on the evidence of the opinion polls, she hasn't clicked with a big enough share of the electorate.

Nor does he single out the Conservatives and John Cummins, except to maintain that the party's undiluted version of conservatism is not likely to win over British Columbians on its own: "We're not that far over to the right."...

{snippety doodle-dandy}

...He'd like to see them pull together the kind of big-tent party that kept the NDP at bay in the past. Bill Bennett's Social Credit party, which ruled the province in the 1970s and 1980s, included federal Liberals, Conservatives, populists and even an old Socred or two. Gordon Campbell rode to power a decade ago at the head of a Liberal party that included Socreds, Reformers, Conservatives and more than a few actual Liberals.

"It's time to repair the tent and move on," says Hochstein. "People should focus on the similarities, not the differences."...


The Dean then ends his Bye-Bye Eve piece with a 'I doubt this will happen before a General Election whalloping' -type non-denial denial.

But, regardless, that's some kinda table-setting don't you reckon?

And don't forget, this piece telegraphing the potential coming of the new BC/WildDogwood/RabidConscienceRights Party, was published BEFORE folks out in the Valley got up to vote in today's bye-byes.

So.

If you were a ever-so-slightly-toried conservative voter out in the 'Wack who was worried about voting for the Curmudgeon's guy yesterday, how would you feel today?

Eh?

.

5 comments:

Grant G said...

Mr. K./...As for by-elections, in particular Christy Clark`s self-admitted streak breaker in tony Point Grey..

I recall something rather interesting, of course no pundits bothered to make the point, or dare write a column..

Mr. Reformatory John Cummins, allowed Mz Christy a free pass in point Grey..

He didn`t run a candidate in the bye bye election..

In fact the "Always a gentleman" John Cummins was on the record and stated this little gem pre-point Grey by election..

"It`s standard practice to allow a new leader a free pass to get in the legislature"

Which he did, he ran no candidate..And if one thinks how close that by election was...

Had John curmudgeon Cummins ran a "true Conservative" in that riding Christy Clark would still be on the outside looking in...

Maybe Christy Clark is STIL on the outside looking in..

However, I do believe Christy Clucking Clark owes Mr. Cummins a big thank you..

Just a little food for thought from your friendly neighborhood Powell River Persuader.

Good Day

Anonymous said...

Harper's Conservatives. The Campbell/Clark BC Liberals and the BC Conservatives....I can't tell one from the other. I think they are all, Harper's Reformers of his, Northern Foundation Party from 1989. The skinheads organized Harper's party for him. Harper most certainly is, a dictator. Welcome to Fascist Canada. Harper even cheats like all dictators do.

bewlay said...

Uhhhh, having trouble remembering what the dean and his huckster want me to think? Coalition bad word, not bad word?

Getting dizzy eh?

Maybe Bill and Keith will clarify at tomorrow’s tea leaf reading conference?

RossK said...

Grant--

Excellent point....Dug out a media report from the time and fronted this....Thanks.

_____
ml--

Got ya...Have responded in more detail in the comments of the post mentioned above

____
bewlay--

Me thinks (and you too?), perhaps, that the good Dean wants to have it seven-ways-to-insider access-Sunday regardless any and all eventual outcomes.

Which, of course, is precisely the problem.

In my opinion (any yours too?) at least.

Thanks.

.

kootcoot said...

BTW, in spite of popular opinion, it would seem that in BeeCee the government has won approximately 2/3 of bye-elections since the days of Wacky One!