Great piece and it raises some very challenging dilemmas for mainstream conservatives in AB. Of course, my smart-ass instincts immediately came up with one option you didn’t really discuss -- you could always start a new political party! It’s been a week at least since AB had a new party register! More seriously, I really do think the rushed merger after the PC defeat was really the big mistake. Yes, they won the next election but they might have gone down a problematic past. If Smith wins (and that’s quite possible) it will really unleash a struggle inside the UCP over keeping the party on course and that will be very hard given Smith just got a mandate. Then the exit, voice or loyalty options will really come into play. One of the other problems is that given the 40+ years in power, the PCs were not just a conservative party, they were the vehicle for all sorts of people who wanted to do public service. I knew lots on non-conservatives in AB who were PC members because that was their access to power and influence. Access was granted through the party. Those people didn’t join to take part in the kind of ideological battles currently facing the party so will (or already have) exited ... but not sure where they went or where they’ll go.
Excellent piece. It encompasses the feelings and the dilemma that many of our conservative UCP friends are in.
Many have been completely silent since Ms Smith was elected leader. Good people who want the very best for Alberta.
I suspect many are now at a crossroads. The UCP rhetoric has become reality.
What may be left at the end of the day are those who depend on UCP largesse for their livelihood, those who committed to TBA, and those whose personal identity is defined by the political party that they support.
Virtually every Albertan supports the rule of law and democratic norms. The UCP’s destruction of these foundational principles to obtain power reveals their values. UCP and the PCs made exceptionally poor financial decisions. Most of the boom royalties are gone. So we get constant complaints about “Ottawa” and silly policy. That playbook has worked well for conservatives going back to the 1930s. Conservatives views of other parties are so partisan and poisoned their only choices are to reform the Conservative Party or not vote. It’s sad. There is no consideration of policy. Just mindless tribalism.
What’s a conservative-minded voter to do? Well, it depends on how conservative you are. Recent polls show there are enough undecided voters to swing the election either way. Is that you? Don’t dare to vote NDP, but really, really worried about Danielle Smith and the separatist, anti-vax crowd? You have to make a hard choice.
Today, we’re faced with a political crisis far too much like the US election of 2016. Danielle Smith is sucking up to the worst aspects of Alberta culture. She’s taking Jason Kenney’s 2017 playbook—the one he used to “unite the right” in his vanity project, the United Conservative Party. Kenney’s plan: make ‘em mad, make ‘em scared—and promise to save ‘em. It worked in 2017 and again in 2019 (mostly because conservatives were traumatized by the end of their Old Tory dynasty.
Kenney’s tactics worked again for Smith last year. She got elected by the angriest UCP party members as the leader of the new and improved UCP 2.0, which should be called the Take Back Alberta Party.
If you think the rule of law is important for everyone, the UCP is not for you. If you think rules are for the Other Guys, you’ll fit in with the “original” UCP. If you think rules suck and you’re not gonna take it, congratulations! Danielle Smith and the Take Back Alberta Party are the place for you.
Can’t stand Danielle Smith and her fellow crazies? Either the UCP/ TBA Frankenparty or the NDP will win this thing. For the upcoming election, your choices are limited. In no particular order, you can:
• Hold your nose and vote for the local UCP/ TBA candidate. Pray that Smith won’t totally trash the place if she wins. You must realize, though—this is the coward’s way out. You’re giving up.
• Stay at home. Boycott the whole mess. It isn’t your fault the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
• Swallow your pride and, for once in your life, vote strategically. Vote AGAINST Smith and the Take Back Alberta Party. You’re not voting “for Rachel,” you’re voting against Smith.
• Cast a protest ballot. Vote for ANY conservative party that’s not UCP/ TBA. In practice, the only moderate conservative party is the Alberta Party. Everything else is rabid-right fringe. It’s not a wasted vote; it’s a “Both of you suck!” vote against BOTH big parties.
• Spoil your ballot! Vent some spleen! Write “NONE OF THE ABOVE” on the ballot. It’ll still be counted. It’s your right and your decision.
Still can’t decide? Here’s some old advice from Robert Heinlein. There may be no candidates you want to vote FOR; but there will certainly be candidates you want to vote AGAINST. The choice, and the responsibility, are yours.
Splitting the vote ensures a UCP win. It appears that Rural is captured. Strategic voting is required. Unfortunately, voting in this election for the Alberta Party splits the vote and the margins are too thin.
There are only two choices in this election…Take Back Alberta’s UCP or NDP…this conservative is running for the exit as good governance and democracy is at stake.
If you step back a bit, it's like your conservative friend is in a cult and so needs de-programming to regain perspective. I mean, how on earth is ANYONE still a "card-carrying" conservative? It's the same with Catholics; the obvious question for them is at WHAT point do you evaluate your affiliations if you haven't already? How much more proof of the banality of evil do you need for gawd's sake?!
And because this is your friend, you attribute high-mindedness around things like public service (with the UCP? come ON) or "loyalty" to their "movement?" HA! But you make no mention of the fact that being a MLA is a VERY good job to say the least, which isn't mentioned nearly enough considering how obsessed with money conservatives are known to be. And how cheap they are, and also how cheap runs deep....
Clearly, she should run, not walk to the nearest exit. Be on the right side of history instead of the political spectrum because let's face it, the right wing HAS lost its mind so has NEVER been more wrong.
Good accounting of the state of the political art, Alberta chapter. And I note, their "Take Back Alberta" "strategy" is a typically conservative knee-jerk, claiming they're trying to move forward with their eyes fixed on the past, and with the age-old ploy of trying to buy voters with their own money. I'm not by nature an NDP voter, but I think Smith's performance to date indicates she's no more cerebral or trustworthy than Kenney was. Which can't be good for the province.
Is there any evidence that Take Back Alberta is also taking over Conservative Party of Canada EDA’s as well? It struck me as odd recently to assume they wouldn’t
I was a "good conservative." An awful lot of us landing in the ABParty. Barry Morishita is the leader we injured PCs need, a thoughtful approach SO refreshing after the chaos. Not all are conservative but many are. I am finding great discussion and innovative solutions driven by that diversity. Led by party principles, but no whip, people like Angela Grace, whose Calgary Varsity riding differs greatly from, say Livingstone Macleod, can vote for HER constituents' needs. A big messy? Maybe. But it feels more like democracy to me.
Win or lose, one thing is clear about the UCP: it has become, and will continue to be, a rural party. They have lost Edmonton, and most of Calgary. It will continue to be dominated by politicians who do not represent Alberta's urban middle class. This will be compounded by generational change and the accelerating decline of the oil industry. The transformation of the conservative party into the Social Credit is nearly complete.
What we have now in Alberta, and in Canada, that is masquerading as a Conservative government, is like Reformers, their precursor, the Socreds, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Donald Trump. It's a stark contrast to what we used to have.
Excellent analysis. I hope the Conservatives who don't support the extremist takeover of their party read and think about this.
Great piece and it raises some very challenging dilemmas for mainstream conservatives in AB. Of course, my smart-ass instincts immediately came up with one option you didn’t really discuss -- you could always start a new political party! It’s been a week at least since AB had a new party register! More seriously, I really do think the rushed merger after the PC defeat was really the big mistake. Yes, they won the next election but they might have gone down a problematic past. If Smith wins (and that’s quite possible) it will really unleash a struggle inside the UCP over keeping the party on course and that will be very hard given Smith just got a mandate. Then the exit, voice or loyalty options will really come into play. One of the other problems is that given the 40+ years in power, the PCs were not just a conservative party, they were the vehicle for all sorts of people who wanted to do public service. I knew lots on non-conservatives in AB who were PC members because that was their access to power and influence. Access was granted through the party. Those people didn’t join to take part in the kind of ideological battles currently facing the party so will (or already have) exited ... but not sure where they went or where they’ll go.
Excellent piece. It encompasses the feelings and the dilemma that many of our conservative UCP friends are in.
Many have been completely silent since Ms Smith was elected leader. Good people who want the very best for Alberta.
I suspect many are now at a crossroads. The UCP rhetoric has become reality.
What may be left at the end of the day are those who depend on UCP largesse for their livelihood, those who committed to TBA, and those whose personal identity is defined by the political party that they support.
Virtually every Albertan supports the rule of law and democratic norms. The UCP’s destruction of these foundational principles to obtain power reveals their values. UCP and the PCs made exceptionally poor financial decisions. Most of the boom royalties are gone. So we get constant complaints about “Ottawa” and silly policy. That playbook has worked well for conservatives going back to the 1930s. Conservatives views of other parties are so partisan and poisoned their only choices are to reform the Conservative Party or not vote. It’s sad. There is no consideration of policy. Just mindless tribalism.
We need to stop referring to TBA as "conservative" and call it what it is: right wing extremism.
What’s a conservative-minded voter to do? Well, it depends on how conservative you are. Recent polls show there are enough undecided voters to swing the election either way. Is that you? Don’t dare to vote NDP, but really, really worried about Danielle Smith and the separatist, anti-vax crowd? You have to make a hard choice.
Today, we’re faced with a political crisis far too much like the US election of 2016. Danielle Smith is sucking up to the worst aspects of Alberta culture. She’s taking Jason Kenney’s 2017 playbook—the one he used to “unite the right” in his vanity project, the United Conservative Party. Kenney’s plan: make ‘em mad, make ‘em scared—and promise to save ‘em. It worked in 2017 and again in 2019 (mostly because conservatives were traumatized by the end of their Old Tory dynasty.
Kenney’s tactics worked again for Smith last year. She got elected by the angriest UCP party members as the leader of the new and improved UCP 2.0, which should be called the Take Back Alberta Party.
If you think the rule of law is important for everyone, the UCP is not for you. If you think rules are for the Other Guys, you’ll fit in with the “original” UCP. If you think rules suck and you’re not gonna take it, congratulations! Danielle Smith and the Take Back Alberta Party are the place for you.
Can’t stand Danielle Smith and her fellow crazies? Either the UCP/ TBA Frankenparty or the NDP will win this thing. For the upcoming election, your choices are limited. In no particular order, you can:
• Hold your nose and vote for the local UCP/ TBA candidate. Pray that Smith won’t totally trash the place if she wins. You must realize, though—this is the coward’s way out. You’re giving up.
• Stay at home. Boycott the whole mess. It isn’t your fault the lunatics have taken over the asylum.
• Swallow your pride and, for once in your life, vote strategically. Vote AGAINST Smith and the Take Back Alberta Party. You’re not voting “for Rachel,” you’re voting against Smith.
• Cast a protest ballot. Vote for ANY conservative party that’s not UCP/ TBA. In practice, the only moderate conservative party is the Alberta Party. Everything else is rabid-right fringe. It’s not a wasted vote; it’s a “Both of you suck!” vote against BOTH big parties.
• Spoil your ballot! Vent some spleen! Write “NONE OF THE ABOVE” on the ballot. It’ll still be counted. It’s your right and your decision.
Still can’t decide? Here’s some old advice from Robert Heinlein. There may be no candidates you want to vote FOR; but there will certainly be candidates you want to vote AGAINST. The choice, and the responsibility, are yours.
Splitting the vote ensures a UCP win. It appears that Rural is captured. Strategic voting is required. Unfortunately, voting in this election for the Alberta Party splits the vote and the margins are too thin.
There are only two choices in this election…Take Back Alberta’s UCP or NDP…this conservative is running for the exit as good governance and democracy is at stake.
If you step back a bit, it's like your conservative friend is in a cult and so needs de-programming to regain perspective. I mean, how on earth is ANYONE still a "card-carrying" conservative? It's the same with Catholics; the obvious question for them is at WHAT point do you evaluate your affiliations if you haven't already? How much more proof of the banality of evil do you need for gawd's sake?!
And because this is your friend, you attribute high-mindedness around things like public service (with the UCP? come ON) or "loyalty" to their "movement?" HA! But you make no mention of the fact that being a MLA is a VERY good job to say the least, which isn't mentioned nearly enough considering how obsessed with money conservatives are known to be. And how cheap they are, and also how cheap runs deep....
Clearly, she should run, not walk to the nearest exit. Be on the right side of history instead of the political spectrum because let's face it, the right wing HAS lost its mind so has NEVER been more wrong.
Good accounting of the state of the political art, Alberta chapter. And I note, their "Take Back Alberta" "strategy" is a typically conservative knee-jerk, claiming they're trying to move forward with their eyes fixed on the past, and with the age-old ploy of trying to buy voters with their own money. I'm not by nature an NDP voter, but I think Smith's performance to date indicates she's no more cerebral or trustworthy than Kenney was. Which can't be good for the province.
SM, Calgary
Excellent analysis, Lisa! Time for the progressive Light Blues ( Hi Mr, Lougheed!) to join and vote for Rachel.
Is there any evidence that Take Back Alberta is also taking over Conservative Party of Canada EDA’s as well? It struck me as odd recently to assume they wouldn’t
I was a "good conservative." An awful lot of us landing in the ABParty. Barry Morishita is the leader we injured PCs need, a thoughtful approach SO refreshing after the chaos. Not all are conservative but many are. I am finding great discussion and innovative solutions driven by that diversity. Led by party principles, but no whip, people like Angela Grace, whose Calgary Varsity riding differs greatly from, say Livingstone Macleod, can vote for HER constituents' needs. A big messy? Maybe. But it feels more like democracy to me.
Win or lose, one thing is clear about the UCP: it has become, and will continue to be, a rural party. They have lost Edmonton, and most of Calgary. It will continue to be dominated by politicians who do not represent Alberta's urban middle class. This will be compounded by generational change and the accelerating decline of the oil industry. The transformation of the conservative party into the Social Credit is nearly complete.
What we have now in Alberta, and in Canada, that is masquerading as a Conservative government, is like Reformers, their precursor, the Socreds, Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Donald Trump. It's a stark contrast to what we used to have.