Decision 2010: Calgary Municipal Election

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by jeffwhit

wipe christianity off the face of the calgary map.

Not that I'd mind that. I'm an equal-opportunity religious bigot.

[srperrycgy]

Save Peter's at all costs!!!

[halifaxboyns]

I've not lived in Calgary very long and to be honest; I actually watch global news over CTV (I grew up in Halifax and Global always had the better news cast because Peter Murphy got on my nerves....soooo much, plus Peter Graham and Laura Lee Langley made a great team); but I digress.

I've watched clips of Barb and read about her and I think she has a great personality and ability to spin things - that being said; I figure it's one of two things (the reason she's leaving): she's either sick or she's running for Mayor. I'm willing to believe the later because of the fact the websites are registered.

The big question will be her campaign platform. If she runs on a plan of improving fiancial restraint, while getting better bang for the buck, reducing sprawl, improving transit and keeping property taxes reasonable I think she might have a good shot. If she plants herself right in the centre, I think McIvor will have a BIG problem on his hands, same for Connolly.

She also seems to have a commanding presence. Part of being a good mayor is keeping control of Council when they go off on tirades or tangents from the issue - which I will give Bronco some good marks for. He's not perfect, but he did manage to keep them mostly on track. This is something a new mayor needs which I don't believe McIvor has or Connolly and certainly not Hawksworth (lets face it; if he got in - they would walk all over him). So another quality I feel she's got.

I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens!

[MichaelS]

In that third twitter screen shot, Chandler mentions that he has a "nuke" that he will release in the last few days of the campaign that will guarantee Nenshi loses. Anybody have any idea what that might be?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by MichaelS

In that third twitter screen shot, Chandler mentions that he has a "nuke" that he will release in the last few days of the campaign that will guarantee Nenshi loses. Anybody have any idea what that might be?

Probably that Nenshi is an Al-Queda operative. After all, he's brown. Brown people caused 9/11.

They were probably queer, too.

[CorporateWhore]

Maybe Chandler is concerned that Nenshi actually has a secret plan to eliminate cheeseburgers from the city. I think that is what keeps him awake at night.

I'm pretty sure the dude stores a 12 pack of emergency cheeseburgers in his chin just for those nights, Bigtime.

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by freeweed

Probably that Nenshi is an Al-Queda operative. After all, he's brown. Brown people caused 9/11.

They were probably queer, too.

Oh, oh! Let's be American media and call him a racist already, because he's playing mind games by associating "nuke" with "brown person".

Which one of us wants to pretend to be offended and call the media?

[Radley77]

Polling out printed in Metro Calgary (431 people) from Ivrnet Inc. during mid-July 2010:

Ric McIver 44%
Bob Hawkesworth 13%
Kent Hehr 8%
Wayne Stewart 7%
Joe Connelly 6%
Jon Lord 5%
Alnoor Kassam 5%
Craig Burrows 5%
Paul Hughes 5%
Naheed Nenshi 4%

http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/585273--poll-shows-mciver-in-the-lead

HUh?! Not really suprised to see McIver in the lead, but very suprised by the margins.

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Oh, oh! Let's be American media and call him a racist already, because he's playing mind games by associating "nuke" with "brown person".

Which one of us wants to pretend to be offended and call the media?

I'm genuinely offended by those that do that, does that count?

[mooky]

I'm so offended I wanna get a twitter account (and I hate twitter) just to ask Mr. Chandler for proof of his allegations, otherwise, I might start a rumor like the glenn beck satire site that was set up a while back.

http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com/ (site no longer up, but google and you'll find lots of information on the original satirical claim)

I mean, hell, anyone can make grandiose claims without responsibility for what they write or say it seems these days.

[halifaxboyns]

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

Oh, oh! Let's be American media and call him a racist already, because he's playing mind games by associating "nuke" with "brown person".

Which one of us wants to pretend to be offended and call the media?

• Video Link

This seemed like an appropriate clip - why get angry, but certainly someone should think of the children?

[freeweed]

Originally Posted by mooky

I'm so offended I wanna get a twitter account (and I hate twitter) just to ask Mr. Chandler for proof of his allegations, otherwise, I might start a rumor like the glenn beck satire site that was set up a while back.

http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com/ (site no longer up, but google and you'll find lots of information on the original satirical claim)

I mean, hell, anyone can make grandiose claims without responsibility for what they write or say it seems these days.

Well, I'm not saying that Chandler raped and murdered that girl, but you don't exactly hear him denying it, do you?

[Bigtime]

I like your style Freeweed.

[Ramsayfarian]

Ask Chandler when did he stop beating his wife?

[MichaelS]

Originally Posted by Radley77

Polling out printed in Metro Calgary (431 people) from Ivrnet Inc. during mid-July 2010:

Ric McIver 44%
Bob Hawkesworth 13%
Kent Hehr 8%
Wayne Stewart 7%
Joe Connelly 6%
Jon Lord 5%
Alnoor Kassam 5%
Craig Burrows 5%
Paul Hughes 5%
Naheed Nenshi 4%

http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/local/article/585273--poll-shows-mciver-in-the-lead

HUh?! Not really suprised to see McIver in the lead, but very suprised by the margins.

Didn't a poll come out recently that said Wayne Stewart was leading the race? Or am I remembering wrong?

[mersar]

Originally Posted by Radley77

HUh?! Not really suprised to see McIver in the lead, but very suprised by the margins.

It's been pointed out that one of the partners in Ivrnet is involved in McIver's campaign at a pretty significant level, so it isn't exactly surprising to see results like that.

[Bassic Lab]

Originally Posted by mooky

I'm so offended I wanna get a twitter account (and I hate twitter) just to ask Mr. Chandler for proof of his allegations, otherwise, I might start a rumor like the glenn beck satire site that was set up a while back.

http://glennbeckrapedandmurderedayounggirlin1990.com/ (site no longer up, but google and you'll find lots of information on the original satirical claim)

I mean, hell, anyone can make grandiose claims without responsibility for what they write or say it seems these days.

I do not think that he wrote anything there that can reasonably be termed an allegation. Well I suppose the issue of Nenshi attacking Chandler and the PGIB is specific enough to count but honestly, who has not attacked Chandler? Tory bloggers routinely attacked him even before his involvement in the WRA and then WRA partisans attacked him as a dangerous extremist during their leadership race. The Nazi comment cannot in good conscience be considered an allegation. It is baseless slander. Nothing the man says should be taken seriously.

[fusili]

Originally Posted by mersar

It's been pointed out that one of the partners in Ivrnet is involved in McIver's campaign at a pretty significant level, so it isn't exactly surprising to see results like that.

I wouldn't trust any poll this early in the election. They are mostly done by firms that are working for one campaign or another. There is a lot to desired when it comes to the scientific reliability of these polls.

If Gallup, Ipsos, Environics, Angus Reid or Ekos did a poll, I might pay a little attention.

[Wooster]

Regarding Barb Higgins, if she's entering I'd imagine her biggest impact right away will be to erode the support purely from name recognition that Ric McIver is currently riding.

The "hey, I've actually heard of that person" vote (when asked in a public opinion poll) from the average Calgarian that pays very little attention to civic politics will then be split between Higgins and McIver.

People will only really start paying attention to actual issues, policies and leadership qualities much closer to the election. As clearly the most substantive candidate Nenshi has managed to gather a lot of support from the so-called "super-engaged" (people like us) which is his necessary first step. He has the pool of volunteers and fundraising momentum that can propel him to be viewed as one of the contenders come the later stages of that campaign, at which point people will start paying greater attention and align their support with one of the leading contenders whom they agree with most and think can actually lead the city. People like Higgins and McIver are in the opposite position - starting from a position of being well-known and having to prove themselves under greater scrutiny as someone who actually knows what their doing being leader a city of a million + with multi-billion dollar budgets.

It will be an interesting campaign.

[bob1954]

McIver 44% that isn't good! People are thinking all the hogwash he's been putting out about tax dollars, too much being spent, all that. I just hope he put's the priorities of the city first and not new suburban developement! I've been hearing he's suburban friendly (with developers). I thought a poll like the one listed above would be much closer! Have to wait and see.