Quote:
Originally Posted by DowntownWpg
IMO we see a correlation of chamber-backed candidates winning largely because the centre-left vote splits between many candidates. Often there will be an assortment of delusional fringe candidates, Nick Trenette, minimum of one left-leaning councilor, and a former NDP MLA or union elite. Some exceptions, but normally don't see the conservative vote split to the same degree as the centre-left.
Certainly an exception was Murray. He only ever so slightly beat Kaufmann, and probably would have lost if it wasn't for the fact that Kauffman ran a horrible campaign and had zero personal appeal. Then won again, as he was the incumbent.
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That's it right there: the left has never gotten along in Winnipeg (decades ago it was Communists vs. socialists), and that's why other than Glen Murray, the only labour-backed candidate to become mayor was John Queen in 1933--at the apex of the Great Depression (although I'm not sure where Juba vs. Sharpe fits in). Pretty remarkable, given that, as Andy points out, most of this time was prior to Unicity, when the North and West Ends were major voting blocs.
Kaufmann was funny: I remember being a teenager when he ran for mayor, and seeing a billboard at Pembina and Grant Avenue, with his face taking up half of it, with the words "LET'S GET IT DONE." It just creeped me out.