Oh noes! Swine flu!!1!

Attention everyone:

 

Regular flu kills more people every year and swine flu. H1N1 is overblown, just like SARS was. The media blew it all out of proportion because they need to sells ads. The government is overreacting because, well, people believe whatever they see on TV and the internet. And at the end of the day, pharmaceuticals get to make hundreds of millions of dollars off of hysteria. No one has the balls to tell people to relax! Well, I will.

 

RELAX.

 

I don't doubt that this flu is unpleasant to have, but let's get real. You have a higher chance of dying from seasonal flu than this one. If you get swine flu, the odds are on your side.

 

I want to laugh at seven-hour line-ups for the vaccine, but in a way it's kind of sad. Especially since I read an article about vaccine rage. Really? Is society that stupid? So many people have had H1N1 and lived to tell the tale. My uncle's ex-wife had it and was back to work within a week or so.

 

If you want to get the vaccine because you don't want to miss work or something then go nuts. If you think your life depends on it (and you're not old and/or infirm), then you really need to do some reading up on this whole thing.

David Suzuki - The Western Separatist's Best Friend

Climate change can be solved by raping the West, and sending money out East. At least that's what Suzuki says.

Let's say global warming is a real phenomenon. The left's only solution seems to be massive transfers of wealth. That's it. Wealthy countries should send money to poorer countries, and wealthy provinces should send money to provinces who can't accept that manufacturing is now done overseas. Why bother looking into technologies or other means? That's just silly. Just write a cheque and global warming will be solved!

What scares me the most is that because Central Canada would be a net winner, this plan has a pretty good chance of being implemented. Ontario doesn't give a crap about us, so I could see Ignatieff or some other Liberal leader campaigning on this. They'd win, and then Alberta and Saskatchewan would find their backs against the wall.

The NEP nearly destroyed Alberta; it took us 15 years to recover from it. Mark my words, if this plan is implemented it will destroy Canada. Western provinces will separate. It will be swift and it will be dirty, but if Eastern Canada tries to rape us again, we will leave.

The beginning of the end

Today is the day Stelmach and Alberta PCs have been scared of. Danielle Smith has won the leadership of the Wildrose Alliance.

As I've said all along, while I like and respect both leadership candidates, Smith has the best chance of bringing the WRA to government. That's not to say Mark Dyrholm wouldn't make a good premier. It's just that the PCs would have an easier time painting him as some sort of lunatic - which he clearly isn't. A scared PC party is going to attack him with all sorts of lies, just like the federal Liberals do to their opponents. With Smith at the helm, it will be infinitely more difficult for them to do this.

Congratulations Ms Smith, I'm looking forward to you getting this province back on track!

Danielle Smith - the best to bring down a dynasty

So I’ve talked to both campaigns, and I’ve decided to go with my original gut feeling: I am supporting Danielle Smith for leader of the Wildrose Alliance.

I respect Mark Dyrholm and have no doubt in my mind that he has Alberta’s best interests in mind and will one day make a fine leader. However, at this time the WRA has to put forward a known property, and that is Danielle Smith.

Ultimately, while Dyrholm’s campaign is very organized – and at this point has a real chance of winning this race – I believe the fact that he is a relative unknown on the Alberta political scene will hurt him in a general election. The Alberta PCs will throw everything they’ve got at him, and do their best to paint him as an ignorant redneck who would turn Alberta into some sort of wasteland. Clearly, I don’t believe this to be true about him and the facts will say otherwise However, it will be too difficult and time-consuming to defend against this in a general election.

Smith, meanwhile, is known to Albertans and has a record dating back years that she can use to defend herself – and the party. The Alberta PCs are no better than the federal Liberals, and will lie through their teeth to scare people off a new party that’s actually conservative and a threat to them. I can't emphasize the importance of this enough. Any new right wing party, even in Alberta, is going to be painted as the scum of the earth just to scare people. An unknown at the helm, regardless of the facts, is easier to attack than someone people already know or have some awareness of.

Dyrholm will make an excellent MLA, and should use such an opportunity to build a record and make himself known to Albertans. Then, one day, he would make a fine leader and hopefully the second WRA premier of Alberta.

Whoever wins this race will have my full support. Should Dyrholm win I will be doing whatever I can to get the WRA elected in Alberta. But at this time, I believe Smith is the most prudent choice who will give a relatively unknown WRA the best shot at taking down Ed Stelmach and the 40 year PC dynasty.

WRA - Two solid candidates

So I have been courted by both leadership candidates for the Wildrose Alliance. I have received an email from Danielle Smith to have a chat sometime over the weekend, and Mark Dyrholm left a message at my house today.

Now, who do I support?

I have long been a fan of Smith, since her days on Global TV. I heard her speak once, years ago, introducing Preston Manning at the UofC. I think she has solid economic credentials, which is imperative at a time when Ed Stelmach is doing his best to drive Alberta into the ground. She has name recognition among non-political types which will be important to bring the WRA legitimacy, or at least attract disaffected PCers.

Dyrholm is a relative unknown to me and most Albertans. However, he does have a solid team backing him up. And when it comes to general election time, it's going to take a solid team to try and bring down a 40-year dynasty. They haven't stayed in power this long for nothing. They know how to win elections.

The WRA is in the great position of having two great candidates for its leadership. Whoever wins, the party will benefit and one day soon, all Albertans will benefit. We're experiencing a perfect storm here, one that happens ever so rarely in this province. Within two election cycles, the government party of Alberta will be defeated. I am certain of this.

But again, which candidate do I support? I am torn. Both candidates are worth supporting, but at this time I can only choose one.

Mark my words, however, whoever wins this race will have my support going forward. The winner should expect the support of everyone who backed their opponent. Solidarity is essential to defeating the PCs. If differences can't be put aside then nothing in Alberta will change.

At this time though, I am still undecided, something made even more difficult by the quality of both candidates and their teams.

I'll make my official endorsement, whatever it's worth, next week.

Smith vs Dyrholm: Who wants me?

An interesting thing happened when I got home from camping yesterday. I checked my caller ID, and saw "Craig Chandler" on there a few times. He is, as you know, working for Mark Dyrholm's campaign.

Now, I joined the Wildrose Alliance specifically to support Danielle Smith. Hell, I emailed her campaign and said "Hey, I'm willing to help out. Let me know!" The only response I received was a request to join the party. Nothing else. I was a bit disappointed but not entirely turned off.

Today, Chandler called me again and we chatted for about 10 minutes. Today of course is holiday Monday. He was polite regarding Smith, and stated quite strongly why he thinks Dyrholm should be elected as WRA leader. I disagreed with him on a few points, and he accepted that without patronizing me.

I never contacted his campaign at all. Yet here they are calling me at home, and saying if I want to help out they're willing to have me. Danielle Smith's campaign? Nothing. Is this a lack of organization, is it arrogance or is it something else?

I'm not going to change my alliances over a single phone call. Yes, I'm going to give Dyrholm a closer look, but I'm still not convinced. I think Smith has a better chance of leading the WRA to government in two elections. However, I do feel a hell of a lot more appreciated by Dyrholm's campaign than Smith's.

To me, it looks like Dyrholm is already running with full force. I could hear the background during the call. They sounded busy. If they're this organized for a leadership race, I think he'd be able to run a hell of a campaign come election time 2012. Is it that Smith's campaign just not as far along as Dyrholm's? Are they going after different people?

Or do they not want or care about my support.

Look, I'm not so arrogant to assume that I'm some important individual who all candidates should be desperate to court. I'm not. I'm just a guy in my late 20's, about to start a new degree to become a teacher and happens to lean conservative. I just consider myself a regular guy who is no more important or special than anyone else in this province. But I do see a difference between Dyrholm and Smith and how they appear to be going after a regular guy like me.

Grassroots wins elections, and so far I only see one campaign really courting the grassroots.

Danielle Smith for WRA Leader? Maybe, maybe not.

I've decided to commit to Danielle Smith for leader of the Wildrose Alliance Party. The time for change has come to Alberta, and I believe she's the one to do it.

My prediction: PCs in Alberta are extinct in two election cycles. Change in Alberta happens rarely, but when it does it's swift and absolute.

I'll be purchasing my party membership tomorrow.

Update: I'm not so committed to her campaign. My reasons are detailed here.