The guy is like Macbeth. He’s just beginning to realize that the three weird sisters may have been deceiving him after all. Birnam Wood does come to Dunsinane.
The only winter one that I remember was the 1980 federla election, in February, which was triggered because the Clark government fell on its budget. But that’s a good thing - having an election, even at an odd time of the year, was necessary to give the people the chance to decide the dispute in the Commons. The odd timing just emphasised how important it was.
The most recent poll shows the NDP pulling ahead to first place, Wildrose in second, and the PCs in third. The NDP is polling strongly in the two main cities, Calgary and Edmonton. If they have a concentrated vote in such target-rich environments, the mechanics of first-past-the-post could have a pay off for them.
For the federal elections, the “fixed date” act has two clauses - the first sets a fixed date for elections, and the second acknowledges that, constitutionally, the first clause has no legal effect. Technically, only the GG can call an election, and his/her prerogative cannot be limited by Parliament.
Well as an Albertan I am sure you know, but one difference is that this your second dynasty in a row. Social Credit was in power for 36 years before this one. And looking now, I see only 4 parties have formed governments in the last 110 years!
It’s stranger than you think. The first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, actually belonged to something called the Liberal-Conservative party for the first few years. It then became usually known as the Conservative party, around 1873. Then in 1942, the party asked John Bracken, a member of the Manitoba Progressive party, to lead them, and he insisted on a name change to the Progressive Conservatives. Pragmatism, politics, strange bedfellows.
The electorate seems to be volatile. A poll taken last Thursday has Wildrose in front (by one point, so a tie, essentially), NDP second, and PCs third, with PCs now apparently in better position in Calgary than the previous poll I cited:
I figure polls are so close and swinging back and forth so much that it may come down to which party manages to have the fewest candidates making stupid comments (or perceived to be stupid, regardless of whether the candidate was misunderstood), like Prentice’s “Math is difficult” or Dirks’ “Albertans haven’t got it yet” comments.
Mr Prentice is having to make some fine distinctions:
• A sitting MLA who was convicted of soliciting a prostitute while on government business in Minnesota is still worthy of carrying the PC banner in this election because he manned up and took responsibility for his criminal misconduct;
• but another potential PC candidate was disqualified by being the subject of a civil restraining order by his ex, not because of the restraining order as such, but because he didn’t tell the PC organization about it.
Multiple polls released today showing the NDP in the lead in the high 30s (!) with the PC and WR trading spots depending on the poll in the mid 20s. Because of the NDP’s concentrated support in Edmonton, that might not translate to a majority like it normally would, but it’s bound to make things very interesting on election night if they hold.
