Olaf, you can’t be serious?? Ontario has had many Tory provincial governments, has voted for the Conservatives in national elections. Just because Ontario rejected a hard right Reform Party doesn’t translate into Liberal only. I believe Harper won more than a few seats in Ontario when the Conservative Party was re-constituted.

When is the last time Alberta had a provincial government that wasn’t Conservative? Yep. How many Liberals have been elected federally in the last decade? Yep.

That argument has no factual basis. If you want to say Ontario leans Liberal fine, but to compare itto the monolith that is Alberta politics is apples and oranges.

I don’t buy the argument that Albertans are all social conservatives and wingers. Having said that, I was constantly amazed to hear people I met, who exhibited liberal leanings saying they voted for Klein. I attributed the strange affiliations more to a sense that only the Conservatives really stood up for Albertan interests, which seemed to trump root belief systems.

I think where you erred is in your acceptance of the proposition that a French speaking liberal leader is what is turning off Albertans. In fact, there are many French speaking communities in this province. I had a friend in university who grew up in northern Alberta and did not speak a word of English until he went to school. While some Albertans may not like a French speaking PM, I do not think that thinking is more prevalent here than anywhere else.

People here have posted that it is “liberal arrogance” that is turning off Albertans - and I agree.

I also agree that Alberta shares the blame for their political isolation in this country and have stated that many times, however it is not as simple as:

“…if Albertans want to show they’re progressive, they can vote for one of those, instead of voting for the Conservatives, and in large #’s.”

It takes two to tango. It would be nice if liberals made a bit of an effort. Frankly, the NDP make more of an effort than the liberals do in the Edmonton ridings.

People here associate the liberal party with Ontario and Quebec. People in Ontario often tend to be dismissive of Albertans. Even on liblogs I continuously see posters denigrating Albertans as a bunch of inbred hicks. It is bigotry and it is insulting, and I agree with Olaf on this one - it is one of the biggest reasons why the liberals cannot get elected in this province.

As for Alberta and Albertans, the Liberals have their platform, as do the NDP and the Greens. if Albertans want to show they’re progressive, they can vote for one of those, instead of voting for the Conservatives, and in large #’s. Till then however, or until we get a form of Mixed Member Proportional Representation electoral reform that will take into account those progressive votes in Alberta which would allow the non-Conservative parties some seats, I view Alberta as a lost cause, with the possible exception of maybe Edmonton.

A big red herring Aaron… where did I say anything about Albertans being intolerant?

Following in the footsteps of your Conservative heroes I see by twisting statements… keep it at your blog, Aaron if you want to post distortions. Don’t post it here.

I consider myself well informed and progressive. When I read things like:

“At this point, I could care less about Alberta…”

It makes me wonder why I bother. Please try to remember you are also insulting the people who share your point of view, as well as cementing the opinions of those who do not.

Since 1905, Alberta has had 4 changes in government (liberal, UFA, social credit and conservative). We have had a conservative government since 1971 - that despite the fact that Klein has been proven to be anti-democratic (let us just get rid of that pesky legislature by not sitting), and corrupt.

For you to compare that to Ontario is, quite frankly, laughable.

I was born and raised in Alberta, by the way.

Images of intolerance littered our newspapers and polluted our television screens. Again and again, the media showed the spectacle of a handful of zealots in Brockville, Ontario, trampling the fleur-de-lis. Ontario mayors who declared their municipalities English-only were portrayed as anti-French and anti-Quebec.

Some advice. Forget Alberta. See if you can actually win your own Ontario riding back from us evil Albertan Conservatives. Then worry about Alberta. :em19:

Images of intolerance littered our newspapers and polluted our television screens. Again and again, the media showed the spectacle of a handful of zealots in Brockville, Ontario, trampling the fleur-de-lis. Ontario mayors who declared their municipalities English-only were portrayed as anti-French and anti-Quebec.

Some advice. Forget Alberta. See if you can actually win your own Ontario riding back from us. Then worry about Alberta. :em19:

Alberta has been a monopoly for the Conservatives both provincially and federally for as long as anyone can remember… and when they weren’t voting for Tories provincially.. they were putting in Social Credit for ages upon ages. They are not attuned to the more progressive political values that many of us on the centre-left espouse.. I frankly don’t see any part on the progressive side making a break through - be they Liberal, NDP or Green.. not unless we can get some more mass immigration to there from the East to work in the oil fields… progressive thought through assimilation might be the only way to go :em23:

And, Alberta isn’t “the West”. In my opinion, We (as in the Liberals) should be focusing more on places we have chances in - like everywhere else BUT Alberta. There is good electoral hope for us in BC and Manitoba.. less in Saskatchewan, but I’m counting on the NDP to wipe up the Tories there over the fiscal imbalance discontent.

Your outrage is amusing, Olaf.. but my point has been (which you Conservatives have all gotten sidetracked from in your anger at it being pointed out the rather obvious fact that elections aren’t won or lost in Alberta’s rural ridings) that I could care less whether some Albertans hate the fact the Liberals have a leader from Quebec (There wont be one from Alberta any time soon, if that’s what they want) or they hate official bilingualism. A long line of leaders has come from Quebec for the Liberal Party dating back to Laurier, and the party embraces bilingualism. If some of the Alberta rednecks hate it.. I shrug.. they weren’t going to vote for the Liberals anyhow. If they hate that so much, there’s no point in trying to appease them.