King Ralph stays put!

[cowman]

Ralph Klein sort of read the boys the riot act last week in regards to their jockying for power. He said he does intend to stay on as premier until 2007...unless the party wants a leadership review! If they ask for a review he says he will quit!
Now much as I like to rip Ralph I don't know if it would be a good thing right now to change ships? I do believe at the end of the day Ralph Klein will stand up for the people of Alberta and fight the feds?
Who knows what a newby might do? Will Jim Dinning stand up to Ottawa?
Morton is the only one really talking tough although Stelmach occasionally makes some good noises? Olberg and Mar...I really doubt either of them are up to the job!
It is interesting that Stelmach refuses to take pot shots at Ralph behind the scenes like most of the others? He says he won't come out swinging until Ralph is gone! This seems to be a very rare quality in a politician? Loyalty to the leader? Maybe we'd all better take a closer look at Stelmach...seems he might be a man of integrity?

[PureCountry]

Eddie is a super person, good family man and has a bucket load of integrity.
He is a farm boy and knows the plight of rural Alberta. He also has got the guts to stand up for what is right for Albertans.
One thing to be sure and remember is that in this Klein government the Deputies are running most of the shows. Shirley has her finger on the pulse of what is happening and always has had but a large number of the ministries are being steered by deputies vs ministers.

[farmers_son]

Rod Love is working with Dinning. The next leader of the PCs and Premier of Alberta is already a foregone conclusion. Rod is very good at what he does.

[farmers_son]

I would not bet the farm on it. I am well aware of who Jim Dinning's team is, one of them is Dr. Brian Bietz former Chair of the NRCB and the other is his wife Nola who was former Executive Director of CAPP. Rural Alberta is supporting Ed big time so it will be interesting to see who the king makers are. Oberg is on a slippery slope, the rest of his colleagues slapped his wrists pretty hard last week. Morton is a nice guy with a lot of good ideas but he won't win, although he could certainly garner some good support. It's a given that the race is between Ed and Dinning and I am sure not counting Ed out. He has some pretty influential people working for him behind the scenes, and he is showing a lot of class in not openly campaigning until Klein decides to retire.
Ed will have the support of the majority of the PC Caucus thats for sure. He is the 'anybody but Dinning' candidate.

[farmers_son]

Maybe you would know this. I heard that Gary Sargent, former general manager of the ABP was helping Dinning with his election. Truth or rumour?

[farmers_son]

Gary has been witn the Dinning 'camp' for several months.
Dinning was first out of the chute but some folks think he 'peaked' too soon, particularly if Ralph is really staying on until '07'.
Mark Norris will go nowhere, even though he seems to be building a fairly substantial war chest. He, or Oberg could be the king maker though. Norris would have to get elected and so would Dinning . I imagine somebody in Calgary will step aside for Dinning in exchange for some plum appointment. Norris is another matter, his constituency went Liberal last election so he has to overcome those odds, if he did manage to win the leadership.
Rural municipalities all across the province will support Ed, but whether or not that support will turn into memberships sold and delegates out to vote is another matter.
I don't sense a huge amount of support for Dinning in the Edmonton area, perhaps central AB., and the Calgary area will be his stronghold.
It is going to be very interesting to watch, particularly if nothing happens until 2007 when Ralph will be 65 !!!!

[cowman]

I would suspect Dinning is the darling of the big business crowd? He gets most of the credit for the Klein revolution? What a lot of people don't know is that Getty was actually a pretty heavy "cutter" of expenses! He had done a good deal of the dirty work before Ralph ever came along?
Somehow I doubt Dinning will be an easy sell to the people of Alberta? He seems sort of bland and doesn't have a lot of charisma! One thing about old Ralph...he knew how to work a crowd and come up with one liners that got the rednecks behind him! Ralph is probably one of the best "politicians" we'll ever see!

[farmers_son]

I remember the leadership race between Ralph and Nancy. It took two rounds for Ralph to win.

[Horse]

I sure hope Dinning is not to wear to crown In fact I hope no tory does if we ever neaded a change it is now.

[cowman]

So who would you suggest? The Liberals? The NDP?....sorry not going to happen!
This is what we have to work with...PERIOD!
The Tory party is in like Flinn and the only change that is going to come, is going to come out of the Tory party? Sorry if that upsets you but that is just being realistic?

[Horse]

Not being a good tory I dont know the lineup of whos who I think you are right but I can still hope mabey a dark horse will show up mabey like Ralph he couldnt make it as a lib so he hoped on the tory bandwagon mabey we could get even a tory that can see the daylight without looking up corporate Calgarys ass and that might be an improvement.
I dont believe there is any diference between tory and lib politicions they are alllooking out for thier own butt. Just look at the tired old libs they have been in power for 12 yr wow unless I am mistaken the torys have been in here for 40 yr go figure.

[cowman]

Nor am I a good Tory! The only time I voted PC in my life was Ralphs second time around! He did what he said he was going to do in his first term...cut the hell out of government...unfortunately he got off track the next time around to the point where we spend more on government than any other province!
The Tory record in Alberta is not a good one. They really haven't managed our assetts very well at all if the truth was known. But with the amount of dollars rolling in it would be hard to screw up!
Unfortunately they are the only game in town? The Liberals and NDP are not fit to govern anywhere in my opinion! Tax and spend socialists who believe in bigger government? Personally I could live with one hell of a lot less government?

[RandyH]

How about a trade!!!!
I will give you a Lorne Calvert, Eldon Luaghtermelt and the rest of the NDP Saskatchewan Goverment for Ralph and two popsicles
I think you guys in Alberta have had it a little easy and need to look east for a reality test. There is more natural resource in Saskatchewan than Alberta in fact the Oil industry use to be based out of Regina before The great Canadian Tommy Douglas chased them out. Tommy was greatest thing that happened to Alberta...
Take it easy on Ralph things could be worse