Well faithful readers, much has happened in Alberta Alliance Land since my last post. I've got a lot of catching up to do. The following is on my list of things to do and cover:
- Craig Chandler's defection to the Progressive Conservatives. Mr. Chandler has recently announced that he will be seeking the nomination for the Tories in Calgary Egmont.
- Further discussion of the false statements being made by the Alberta Alliance regarding the size of Alberta's bureaucracy.
- The 2007 Alberta Alliance AGM, and what it means to the AAP.
- Summarize and comment on the disastrous results obtained by the Alberta Alliance during the June 12 Alberta by-elections.
- The 2006 finances of the AAP have now been made public. The river of red ink continues.
- A new right wing provincal party has been created to challenge the Alberta Alliance. The "Wildrose Party of Alberta" includes a number of former highly placed Alberta Alliance operatives and candidates.
- Some new polling numbers. Could the Alliance be on the rebound?
- Media coverage of the Alberta Alliance.
On this last point, I thought I'd start with Paul Jackson's June 19 Edmonton Sun column entitled "Tories lack vision". In the column, Jackson covers the by-election results from the perspective of the Alberta Liberals, and then says the following:
... the most telling point from the protest vote in Calgary Elbow - and to an extent in Drumheller-Stettler - is the once alternative right-wing vote is now dead.
In Calgary Elbow, even Green Party candidate George Read beat Alberta Alliance candidate Jane Greydanus. In Drumheller-Stettler, Alberta Alliance candidate Dave France came in fifth place. Astonishing. ...
... The Alliance, which in 2004 polled 9% of the vote across the province and seemed to be soaring, is now not even on life support.
For this I blame its leader, Paul Hinman, who is a decent, but feckless fellow, and who couldn't organize a trip to a cat house for a bunch of horny football players.
Instead, after a winning game, Paul would likely invite them to a church basement for soft drinks and cookies.
Personally, I'd choose the cat house, and, in my younger days, I actually visited a couple of these fine emporiums.
Bizarre.
I have never considered a politician's propensity to head for a whorehouse rather than a church to be an endearing factor in the minds of most voters. While I agree with most of Jackson's comments and criticisms of the AAP and Hinman to date, this column is over the top.
And if I consider it over the top, the Alberta Alliance communications staff must have been beside themselves, and must have quickly issued a strong public condemnation of this hit piece.
Right?
Well, there's nothing on the Alberta Alliance website about it. In fact, the website hasn't been updated in over a month. The results from the by-elections haven't even been posted.
I'm beginning to feel a bit sorry for Paul Hinman. It must be a real grind to continually be under attack when nobody in the party ever comes to your defense.
It creates the impression that the members, staff, and executive, have all but given up.
Source (click for screencap):
