Albertans go wild(rose)
Wildrose Alliance 41, Progressive Conservatives 31.
Among Albertans 18 years or older polled immediately after the election was called Monday for April 23, it was found that four-in-10 would back the Wildrose Party if the election was held today (41%).
That’s compared to just three-in-10 who would support the Progressive Conservatives (31%), an 11 point jump for Wildrose since Forum’s last poll in February, for a convincing double-digit lead.
In a toe-to-toe comparison, Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith has captured the lead, Bozinoff said, adding that Premier Alison Redford’s approval ratings — never strong — have dipped to pre-December levels.
“Danielle Smith has been ahead of her party in terms of approval ratings — she’s at 46% now. Once you get into the 40% zone, you just get a flood of seats that you’re likely to win,” he said.
Well, Tom Flanagan did say that the battleground for conservatism is provincial…
There is no “battleground for conservatism” except for profiteering consultants like Flanagan and other PR types. The losing policies may be poor responses to current reality, the administrative skills may or may not be there, there may even be some pretence to change culture through the tool of government. There will, however, never be a closing of state run hospitals or the selling off of roads. The same funds will be spent on culture or heritage but it will be shifted to a different topics. The tax rates will not shift more dramatically than they did under Chretien nationally or Romanow provincially. The only think conservatives do differently is, like Prince Edward Islanders oddly, wrap themselves up in a bow and give themselves first prize before doing anything. And, as the record shows, more often than not they are debt load increasers. If that is the battle, it is just a battle, as Ford shows in Toronto, to get power and do pretty much the same as others.