Alberta Election 2012

[TheNewTeddy]

Southern Alberta and Northern Alberta have always been different. Look at the 1971 map.

[geoffrey]

Northern Alberta has lots of Indians, and the Wildrose's chief backroom guy wrote a few books that probably aren't viewed so positively in those communities.

[August1991]

for a couple, see Alberta Bible Belt and Wildrose pandering to rural landowners over perceived "loss of landowners rights"...

"Bible Belt"?

Is there a Bible Belt in the south but not the north?

Southern Alberta and Northern Alberta have always been different. Look at the 1971 map.

Huh? And if so, why?

Northern Alberta has lots of Indians, and the Wildrose's chief backroom guy wrote a few books that probably aren't viewed so positively in those communities.

I lived in Edmonton years ago. I've had the chance to travel to Alberta more recently, but I don't know much about the place. But this ran through my mind too. Did native Indians push the local vote against the Wild Rose?

If I were involved in Alberta politics, I'd focus on this local question. (To paraphrase Tip O'Neill, politics is about local teams and ideology.)

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My analysis of this Albertan election: Among 10 Albertan voters, 1 Liberal voter switched to the PC and 1 PC voter switched to WRP.

Draw your own conclusions. I have mine.

Edited April 28, 2012 by August1991

[TheNewTeddy]

The soil is different. The more/less work you put into farming and the more/less result you see, the more likely you are to be more left/right wing.

If you put in a hell of a lot of work and get nothing, you will not take the same view as someone who puts in little work and gets everything.

Also the area code boundary is the best dividing line.

[TheNewTeddy]

My analysis of this Albertan election: Among 10 Albertan voters, 1 Liberal voter switched to the PC and 1 PC voter switched to WRP.

Draw your own conclusions. I have mine.

Somewhat right.

2008

PC - 501K votes

Lib - 251K

NDP - 81K

WR - 64K

2011

PC - 567K

WR - 442K

Lib - 128K

NDP - 127K

Polls show that the majority of PC voters in 08 voted for Wildrose.

Remember too that polls showed people voted for Change, and did not much care what that Change was. Dare I say that PC voters in Calgary and Edmonton remained PC voters; Liberals, some of them anyway, switched.

My feeling

PC voters split

55% went Wildrose

45% went PC

Liberal voters split

50% went Liberal (loyalty)

15% went NDP (under the belief that the NDP would be the only "other" party in the leg)

35% went PC

Non-Voters (last time) split

70% went PC (this won them the election)

15% went Liberal (without these, they'd have won 0 seats)

15% went Wildrose (skewed towards the southern half of the province)

[Topaz]

After all the mistakes the WR members said days before the election now another one is saying the City aren't as smart as the country people? I wouldn't think trying to get city dwellers vs country dwellers is such a good idea, especially since the PM was/is a city dweller in Calgary. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/gary-bickman-wildrose-mla-says-city-folk-lack-124317344.html

[Jerry J. Fortin]

After all the mistakes the WR members said days before the election now another one is saying the City aren't as smart as the country people? I wouldn't think trying to get city dwellers vs country dwellers is such a good idea, especially since the PM was/is a city dweller in Calgary. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/gary-bickman-wildrose-mla-says-city-folk-lack-124317344.html

Don't kid yourself the Wildrose is more alive than dead. They have succeeded in splitting the right, discrediting the left, and playing with the media. They did not win, but look at how close the actually came. The big difference in the division between rural and urban voters is a red herring. The demographics break down to one third rural, one third Calgary, and one third Edmonton. It has been that way for some time.

[wyly]

Don't kid yourself the Wildrose is more alive than dead. They have succeeded in splitting the right, discrediting the left, and playing with the media. They did not win, but look at how close the actually came. The big difference in the division between rural and urban voters is a red herring. The demographics break down to one third rural, one third Calgary, and one third Edmonton. It has been that way for some time.

the perception of intolerance and ignorance has been permanently tattooed on the wr it'll be hard to erase...the wr may have had it's one and only opportunity...for the next election in four years time alberta urban regions will even be more moderate as both calgary and edmonton become more cosmopolitan and progressive due to migration from outside alberta...