With BC Liberal Premier Gordon Campbell set to resign, candidates are starting to throw their hats into the ring to replace the wildly unpopular "Gordo". Federal Conservatives in BC, the remnants of the Social Credit Party, have to decide on a new Liberal to support or whether or not to shift their preference to the fledgling BC Conservative Party (who have yet to run a full slate of candidates). From 1952 to 1986, the Social Credit Party won 11 of 12 BC elections. Then Bill Vander Zalm destroyed that Party and most of those votes went to Gordon Campbell against the NDP.
Campbell didn't win in 2008 because people love the carbon tax, he won because most British Columbians are still afraid of the disaster of NDP forming government. Yet if there is a mass defection from the BC Liberals to the fledling BC Conservatives, that increases the probability that Carole Taylor (whom I have described as a Jim Henson acid trip gone horribly awry) will become Premier in the next general election
What do we do?
it's very early to make any decisions about who will run or lead. A lot of folks are very worried about the NDP coming back to destroy our way of life and that fear still exists.
ReplyDeleteA lot will depend on who gets to lead the so called Liberals and the big "if" the B.C. conservatives field a group of credible candidates with a credible leader.
I sat last weekend a listened to a group ask a sitting Liberal MLA a lot of tough questions.
Many who began as hostile to the MLA left with a comfortable assessment. So who knows?
We of course, shall see how things unfold.
Mel Wilde ( A staunch Steven Harper supporter)
my BC vote will ALWAYS go against the NDP no matter who is running for the Liberal/Consrvative/Green or otherwise.
ReplyDeleteWCT
I think Sarha Palin should run.
ReplyDeleteMel: Good observation, but I'm not as convinced as you seem to be that the voters of BC are as afraid of an NDP government as you and I are.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that there is/was an intense hatered for Gordo, even among those of us who voted BC Liberal. With him gone for the next election, that hatered is still looking for someone to punish over the HST. It may well find its way to taking out the BC Liberals just on principle as they all voted for it with Gordo.
I am hopeful that the new BC Conservative Party will make a showing in the next election, but I keep hearing about infighting in that party. They have been at it since 1996, so why stop now?
I just hope that the BC Liberals will be smart enough to vote in an outsider as Leader, and not elect anyone from within cabinet - too close to Campbell!
The Liberals are NOT dead yet,the next election is three LONG years away, and most people have short memories, as every politician knows.
ReplyDeleteThat most people still remember the state of the economy during the NDP years is a good indication to those from outside B.C. just how bad they were in government.
The Liberals have to reconnect with the people,not that difficult if they'll start with a few popular moves,such as removing the carbon tax,which I suggested to a Liberal MLA a while back.
George Abbott might be the right man for the job, the MSM may not agree as they like "sexy" and flamboyant politicians who send a tingle up their legs, but he appears to be a competent administrator,and we need that a lot more than we do "sexy".
DMorris
Lynn: The next BC election will not be in 3 years - it will be in 6 months.
ReplyDeleteThe new Liberal leader/BC Premier will call an election to get his personal mandate within 3 months of being elected Leader.
JP,I seriously doubt the new Liberal leader would want to further enrage an already fed up group of taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteWe're sick to death of unnecessary expenditures, we've taken a financial battering in so many high profile items,: Olympics,B.C. Place roof,carbon tax, withdrawal of the 15% IT reduction.
The new guy would have to be incredibly naive to think he or she would get another mandate.
DMorris