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Wednesday, December 17, 2014

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John Chittick

A populist party is an ugly thing to a principled voter especially when it is seen as the prettiest date at a pig party. Alberta's Conservative legacy is marked by big government, corruption and political entitlement - all made possible by fear of an opposition perceived as being worse (and they likely are). Along came WRP and what started out as a Party attempting "conservative" ideological purity became social conservative handicapping and populism over principles. Urban Alberta said no, particularly to the former - assuring a conservative progressive future for a few more years.

It could be worse. Look at Ontario!

Leacock

The social conservatism was by no means the reason they lost. More social conservatism and less of an odour of libertarianism probably would have gone over far better. The party through the social conservatives under the bus, and then wondered why they stayed home on election day.

John Chittick

There's nothing like a more authoritarian political platform to drive out that foul stench of liberty. The sweet smell of dependency, paternalism, intrusiveness and coercion is so much more preferable to free will, free speech, property rights, self-responsibility, and thrift.

If you are correct, it's even worse than I thought.

Cytotoxic

"The party through the social conservatives under the bus, and then wondered why they stayed home on election day."

They didn't stay home. They don't exist. SoCons are dinosaurs and no one wants anything to do with them.

The WRP's problems were not caused by too much libertarianism or social conservatism but by Smith's falling under the Siren Song of THE CENTER. The Center, where new parties go to die. There is no center. Only the politically myopic think it's The Sweet Spot. Smith vandalized the WRP platform and turned it into PC-lite. Good riddance to her and her gullible friends. The WRP has enough time to reconfigure, assuming no snap election.

Cytotoxic

" the old style Red Tories are dead at the federal level. "

Completely wrong. The Red Tories are effectively in control. Moore, McKay, and the PC caucus have all gotten their retrograde policies in place.

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