I caught the tail end of EMay on CBC radio yesterday morning. Apparently she's thinking about running in BGOS. Green Party came in second to a Con there last election.
E May in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound?
Wed, 2009-08-05 07:23
#1
E May in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound?
Wed, 2009-08-05 08:12
#2
I don't know what you heard, but here's the history to date.
BGOS was probably the first possibility raised when May's tone shifted and she wasn't just giving lip service to "maybe I'll run somehwere besides Central Nova."
But she really seems to have settled on Saanich - Gulf Islands. She and they are as weird as ever about this- saying nothing definite for weeks now, and not even chatter I have seen about her being feted at their AGM. But unless you heard something pretty definite- not just her usual "we are looking at everything" which from May means zero even implicitly- then no definite or semi-definite announcements or tilting of hands means that SGI is still the plan.
Wed, 2009-08-05 09:31
#3
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see her crash and burn in BGOS. And that is exactly what would happen once people there got a good look. Larry Miller would eat her alive for breakfast on issue after issue.
Wed, 2009-08-05 09:44
#4
I was going to title this: EMay in BA's Backyard.
I only listened to the very end of the interview, so I didn't hear mention of Saanich. But from what I heard, she sounded as if she was considering BGOS.
I don't know Miller, BA, but it does seem like a poor strategy to campaign exclusively as a parachute candidate. And that's not setting such a great leadership example, either. She would have been better off sticking in the London area and maybe picking off a riding like Elgin-Middlesex-London, or Oxford, where the Con candidates are weak and where the Libs and NDP don't seem to care.
Wed, 2009-08-05 10:33
#5
Well it is almost our backyard- the riding starts at our back fence!
EMeee thinking that BGOS is low hanging fruit for some parachute candidate -even a leader- shows how little she has a clue about this area. People here, even if they don't particularly like or support Larry - are still pleased that he has become the Chair of the Commons Agriculture Committee. Local boy made good and all. For Mee and the Greens to think they can just waltz in and take the riding is pretty funny.
I would love to see them waste all those resources in a lost cause - but if I were a Green I would be saying - what the heck are you thinking.
Wed, 2009-08-05 11:15
#6
Are the Liberals stupidly going to give her a pass again?
Wed, 2009-08-05 11:17
#7
No they have a candidate
Wed, 2009-08-05 18:28
#8
Iggy has made it clear that the Liberals are running candidates in all 308 ridings and that the Dion-May "alliance" was a bad idea.
Wed, 2009-08-05 18:44
#9
[url=http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_south/saltspringislanddriftw... Islands seems likely as well.[/url]
A snowballing rumour that Elizabeth May will be moving to the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding with high hopes of winning a seat in the House of Commons is gaining strength, along with questions of whether or not the national Green Party leader's presence will help or hinder the battle against climate change.
May held a book signing on Pender Island July 7 and will be the guest speaker at the Green Party's AGM at St. John's Church Hall in Saanich on July 9 - appearances which continue to fuel speculation on her candidacy in this riding. But would another environmentalist's intentions unite the region or further divide the progressive vote across several parties?
The possibility of a summer by-election, pending results from pollsters and visits to a few remaining ridings are among May's reasons for holding off on any announcements. So far, Saanich-Gulf Islands is still most certainly a possibility, but not a certainty until she can determine that it is absolutely the most likely locale for her to be elected to parliament - a move she has openly stated is the party's top priority.
May speaks ruefully of the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding's electoral history - which has seen some of the "best people" put themselves forward for election campaigns, she said, only to compete with each other and all lose out in the end.
"Briony [Penn] has been a Green Party member before being recruited to the Liberals, Andrew Lewis is a very fine person and you feel badly when so many people were working with the same goal in mind," she said. "It would be nice to see a chance for everybody to be united."
Yet this is the very threat that May could bring with her, according to Penn, who does not plan to back the Saanich-Gulf Islands Greens.
Penn believes that a coming together of progressive voters from across federal Liberal, Green, NDP and Bloc lines is the answer to breaking free of the Conservative minority and climate change inaction.
"In the last election, I ran on a platform of bringing all three voices in this riding of progressives to parliament and supporting a coalition," Penn said. "At the time the riding association of the Green Party here did not support my bid. If they had, I would likely be sitting in parliament today, representing this riding, from the 2,000 votes that I lost by."
While Penn has stepped down as a candidate for the Liberal Party, she will be supporting climate change scientist Renee Hetherington of Saanich, pending her successful nomination. Penn describes Hetherington as a "wonderful person worthy of voting for, as is Ms. May."
"The chances of either winning boil down to a very difficult numbers game which I am well acquainted with. I believe that the odds are slightly higher for Dr. Hetherington," Penn said. "If by some unfortunate chance both are running in this riding, we will have a Conservative MP again."
Wed, 2009-08-05 19:32
#10
From above:
"So far, Saanich-Gulf Islands is still most certainly a possibility, but not a certainty until she can determine that it is absolutely the most likely locale for her to be elected to parliament - a move she has openly stated is the party's top priority."
That's honesty, if true. Is that a Green plank that's a member generated and endorsed? Or is that a decree of EMay's?
Wed, 2009-08-05 19:38
#11
remind
"Saanich-Gulf Islands seems likely as well.", yep for the very result stated by brioney, a conservative MP still, one wonders how long green party supporters are to take to figure this out?
And Andrew Lewis I doubt would be supporting EMay, either.
Wed, 2009-08-05 19:58
#12
Okay, fuck. Excuse the language. I'm typing with a cast. Make that my god damned status update.
Re. Greens going Red. A big trend?
Long time and solid Green Monica Jarabek is now a Lib in London-West. She pulled nine percent last go around in a tight Con-Lib race. She's been in that riding for several elections.
Wed, 2009-08-05 20:04
#13
That's EVERY party's top priority - winning over all else. The Greens are just honest about it. :)
Regarding former Green candidates running now as Liberals - that's not surprising in the least, considering the way May stabbed some of her candidates in the back during the last election by encouraging people to "vote strategically" for Liberals.
Wed, 2009-08-05 20:53
#14
Why doesn't Elizabeth Meeeeeeeeeeeee make up her mind already. If she would just pick a riding and stick with it she could spend the whole summer campaigning. Instead she has wasted two months with her little pulling daisy petals routine "she irun here, or her or here"...
Wed, 2009-08-05 22:08
#15
bagkitty
She should run in Calgary. If she wants to demonstrate how serious she is about tackling the Harperites directly. Who knows, some of the old PCs might recognize her from the old days and toss her a vote.
Wed, 2009-08-05 22:10
#16
Affectionately speaking, if there's any so-called flaky middle-aged lady in BGOS I'd like to see running for the left, it's Laura Kikauka.
Those of you who know of last weekend's Electric Eclectics festival know what I'm talking about.
Wed, 2009-08-05 22:40
#17
She should run in Calgary. If she wants to demonstrate how serious she is about tackling the Harperites directly. Who knows, some of the old PCs might recognize her from the old days and toss her a vote.
For all her pandering to "Progressive Conservatives appalled by Harper", there is no evidence that May has any appeal to that group. It is pretty clear to me she takes mainly from the Liberals and NDP.
Wed, 2009-08-05 22:52
#18
remind
wow, farmpunk, you broke your arm or wrist? Sorry to hear that.
Thu, 2009-08-06 07:12
#19
Yeah, scaffoid bone. Motorbike accident. Person turned left in front of me, no way to stop.
I wonder if the Libs are actively recruiting Greens? Jarabek is a good candidate: young, photogenic, seasoned, and well known in a tight riding. I suspect Sue Barnes won't give up her riding without a fuss, however. I can maybe see Jarabek shifting to London-Fanshawe.
But what's the point of having her in red if not to run in the riding she's campaigned in for the last two elections? I can see Barnes shifting to more of a party role. A very organized and intense person, Barnes, who could help Jarabek beat Holder, a tough opponent.
Thu, 2009-08-06 10:05
#20
Ouch! Sorry to hear that. Must making tractor duty a real pain.
Thu, 2009-08-06 10:08
#21
Tractors aren't a problem. Setting up irrigation pipes, feeding chickens and moving the pens, and picking sweet corn... that's a little more difficult. Plus I can't rapid-fire type - very annoying.
Thu, 2009-08-06 10:14
#22
You must have better steering than me!
When it comes time to catch the chickens if you are still in the cast I bet I will be able to hear the swearing from here!
Very sorry to hear about the break. I guess you can sort of be glad it wasn't worse.
Going back to my motorcycle days it always amazed me how often I seemed to be invisible to other drivers.
Thu, 2009-08-06 11:27
#23
Why is it we are calling Elizabeth May flaky - because she is so outspoken and honest? I am not a green supporter per se, but I would really like to see her in parliament. Is it that the gentlemen in the group don't like such a forceful woman around? She is no more flaky than some of those old geezers sitting on the conservative bench. Some of them are absolutley nuts, but they wear grey suits and ties so that is ok, I guess.
Thu, 2009-08-06 12:11
#24
remind
EMay is honest? Who knew.
Thu, 2009-08-06 12:44
#25
Snert
I am not a green supporter per se, but I would really like to see her in parliament.
Ah. And I'm not a Blue Jays supporter or anything, but I hope they win the World Series!
Some of them are absolutley nuts, but they wear grey suits and ties so that is ok, I guess.
The left has a long history of supporting women -- Audrey McLaughlin jumps to mind -- when they're progressive and capable, and despite their lack of a grey suit.
But the "it's because [i]she's a woman[/i]" trope doesn't seem to want to go away for Green supporters (or, non-supporters evidently). Anything to explain May's failure except, well, May.
Thu, 2009-08-06 13:10
#26
remind
Well to be fair, I think her point was about adama's use of "flakey" to describe EMay, and that there are men who are whacks in the conservative ranks, but are not labelled as such, because they are men.
And I see her point on that actually, and agree with her, as I too, took exception to both Adma's use of flakey, combined with a picture of a woman he apparently thinks is flakey, and then there is his ageism in his use of the "middle aged" descripter. I choose not to bother with it and decided to go off topic, as it is just freaking typical and accepted by men as a salient observation.
It apparently is okay to elect men who are middle aged and older and who are flakes, as it goes in both cases, not thought of as an wrong thing, but as an accepted thing, as the maginalization of women is.
As when you put a woman into that political dynamic, it is wrong, at least according to adama, as we were basically told only women who are young hot babes are to be allowed in parliament, and forget individuality choices, for middle aged women, it seems they must conform to looking and behaving "middle aged" too.
Thu, 2009-08-06 13:36
#27
Well I would be happy to describe some Conservatives as flakey. However, I didn't realize it was a requirement in describing EMee in a thread all about her.
Mee is a flake, a poser and a environmental dilettante who has done more to damage the environmental cause that help it. All of which has nothing to do with her gender.
Thu, 2009-08-06 14:09
#28
"Flakey" is actually a word I've seen used to describe more men than women.
Thu, 2009-08-06 15:07
#29
Why is it we are calling Elizabeth May flaky - because she is so outspoken and honest? I am not a green supporter per se, but I would really like to see her in parliament. Is it that the gentlemen in the group don't like such a forceful woman around?
She does get away with appearing honest because she says things others don't say. But she also has a habit of making stuff up that sounds good, telling really big fibs about what she has done or not done, making 'stretched' claims, and doing major things for reasons that are incomprehensible even to activists of her party.
'Flakey' fits. But its her degree of dishonesty that gets my goat.
When she first came into electoral politics I wanted to see he get into Parliament. I find that incomprehensible now- especially since I knew then of a lot of the bad taste she left in her wake in Nova Scotia. Sort of figured thats a long time ago and shes probably changed.
Fortunately, its highly unlikely I'll see that [old] wish come true.
Thu, 2009-08-06 15:32
#30
Well, I just read Susan Delacourt's blog commenting on the same interview Works with Broken Arm heard...
...and I stand corrected, it sounds like she is 'musing' as much about BGOS as she is about SGI... using the same type of meme even.
Lord knows what May is up to. I can't figure what purpose all this parading about is doing. Most voters do not directly hear about her vacillations: but her credibility with the media is dropping, and that can't help.
Shes a longshot to run anywhere. All these places she is musung about running in now were better choices for beating the odds than was Central Nova. [And thats what many of said THEN, not with hindsight.] And her best go was with campaigning and campaigning for months, if not years, to make a dent on those long odds.
She wasted 2 years on the doomed Central Nova windmill tilt. And with even less time to campaign, shes still wasting it 'musing' about this place and that.
Her own worst enemy. [And this is only viz the impression she gives on the big public stage..... without even touching on her self destructive behaiour within the GPC.]
Maybe shes a plant by the Liberals and/or the NDP.
Thu, 2009-08-06 15:41
#31
bagkitty
She should run in Calgary. If she wants to demonstrate how serious she is about tackling the Harperites directly. Who knows, some of the old PCs might recognize her from the old days and toss her a vote.For all her pandering to "Progressive Conservatives appalled by Harper", there is no evidence that May has any appeal to that group. It is pretty clear to me she takes mainly from the Liberals and NDP.
Well is she runs in Calgary South West she isn't really likely to cause too much upset in either the Liberal or NDP camps... I think the most damage she could do there is deprive the Liberals of their potential 60% rebate on election expenses... I don't believe the NDP even came close to getting that this last time around. I say it would be a worthwhile sacrifice to keep her from ensuring a very split vote in some other riding. Who knows, she might do better than expected and be eligible for the rebate herself... and tie up a bit of Conservative money in actually having to campaign in what they consider "their" seat. Just a notion...
Thu, 2009-08-06 16:25
#32
Why is it we are calling Elizabeth May flaky - because she is so outspoken and honest?
Outspoken yes, honest... nooo....
I am not a green supporter per se, but I would really like to see her in parliament.You are an Elizabeth May supporter, if not a Green Supporter. Personally I have little regard for a person who makes contradictory comments between train whistles.
She is no more flaky than some of those old geezers sitting on the conservative bench. Some of them are absolutley nuts, but they wear grey suits and ties so that is ok, I guess.People need to elect better candidates.
There are many excellent women in politics, today.
Thu, 2009-08-06 19:19
#33
I am going to have to apologize to Ontario Morning now. They've actually broke some news, of sorts! I was stunned to hear May being spoken to live on air... I had to check the time and remind myself it wasn't The Current.
It's May's strategy which gives me pause. She's been trolling for a safe seat since London-North-Center. She can't actually have believed a riding would stand up and pull her in for some organic granola and a seat in the house... did she?
Thu, 2009-08-06 19:29
#34
Bagkitty, hey, neat idea. Run against Harper... that would satisfy the publicity end nicely and it's not as if she's got an overwhelming chance anywhwere else.
Make Steve Sweat! Could be a campaign slogan.
Thu, 2009-08-06 19:34
#35
remind
Lord knows what May is up to
Answer:
trolling for a safe seat since London-North-Center.
because:
she...believed a riding would stand up and pull her in for some...granola and a seat in the house
Which is tff farmpunk! :D
However, that does describe SGI, or at least the GI part excluding Saanich, but with Brioney and Andrew not supportive of her. Granola invites might be few and far between.
The organic granola crowd is NDP ;)
Thu, 2009-08-06 20:21
#36
And I see her point on that actually, and agree with her, as I too, took exception to both Adma's use of flakey, combined with a picture of a woman he apparently thinks is flakey, and then there is his ageism in his use of the "middle aged" descripter. I choose not to bother with it and decided to go off topic, as it is just freaking typical and accepted by men as a salient observation.
Actually, I meant "flaky" and "middle-aged" half-ironically, half-affectionately, and even a little subversively. And if you Google up the name "Laura Kikauka", you can tell what I'm getting at--in a way, I'm folding the whole "flaky/middle-aged" stereotype against itself.
Also note my ref to
Thu, 2009-08-06 20:27
#37
Organic granola and the NDP... the rumours are true!
Again, weird EMay tactics. Why would Monica Jarabek work her ass off to be a Green when next thing you know EMay descends from a plane and grabs the riding, or hints at it?
I would be steamed if I were a candidate like Dan o'Neill, London-Fanshawe. The dude rides public transit and bikes or walks to events. In comes his leader if so she - and the polls - deem fit, and grabs the spot. That's why I mentioned party consent earlier. Michelle says all parties want to win, and their leaders to be elected. But do the Greens really endorse this kind of riding surfing as a party?
I enjoy EMay's personal style and she puts out some fun rhetoric... but maybe she should give John Tory a call, lest she suffer a similar fate.
Fri, 2009-08-07 11:57
#38
Bagkitty, hey, neat idea. Run against Harper... that would satisfy the publicity end nicely and it's not as if she's got an overwhelming chance anywhwere else.
Make Steve Sweat! Could be a campaign slogan.
On that note, Meeeeeeeeee could also do the most logical thing of all and run against John Baird the Tory eco-terrorist in Ottawa West-Nepean. Ottawa is the place May has lived in for her ENTIRE ADULT LIFE and is also where all the national political media is based. I guess it would just make wayy too much sense for her to run there. One thing about Elizabeth May, when given a range of options, you can always count on her to choose the one that makes the least sense!
Fri, 2009-08-07 12:24
#39
remind
Well...the least sense for the green party's chances to actually get her elected.
Fri, 2009-08-07 12:43
#40
Snert
But do the Greens really endorse this kind of riding surfing as a party?
Remember last election when EMay publicly rooted for a Liberal candidate who was running against a Green?
I think Green supporters have low self-esteem or something. They'll tolerate ANYTHING from May, and still be out there polishing her statue the next day.
Fri, 2009-08-07 16:11
#41
The chances of a non-Tory winning Bruce-Grey Owen Sound are just about zero.
Fri, 2009-08-07 16:14
#42
That's not true. Long history of Liberal MPs and MPPs depending on how the riding was divided up. However, EMEE is a lost cause in this riding. Shane Jolley or Dick Hibma on the other hand could be a real threat.
Kimberly Love the Liberal candidate is also doing a lot of work this summer. I have ran into her twice and I only live on the boundary.
Fri, 2009-08-07 16:18
#43
Snert
Say, did Shane Jolley ever find that bike that he was looking for? In someone's window? At 3 in the morning?
If I were running against him I'd ask him for an update at every debate, press conference, or on days ending with a 'y'.
Fri, 2009-08-07 16:23
#44
He pled to something or other I think. Strangely though it doesn't seem to have slowed him down.
Mon, 2009-08-10 13:54
#45
Well it seems EMeeee has forgot to talk with the 'little people'-
http://www.am920.ca/news.php?area=details&cat_id=4&art_id=5894
Shane Jolley Won't Support Green Leader in Bruce-Grey Owen Sound
Monday, August 10, 2009 1:20 pm
A prominent local member of the Green Party doesn't want the federal leader to run in Bruce Grey Owen Sound.
Shane Jolley says he wouldn't support Elizabeth May if she ran there in the next federal election.
Last week May was in Owen Sound and said she was tempted to run in the riding.
Jolley has run federally for the Greens and thinks you should be connected to the riding you run in.
In the 2006 federal election Jolley won 13.9 percent of the vote, more than any other green party candidate in the country.
Mon, 2009-08-10 14:41
#46
An old thread that has the story Snert is referring to:
http://www.rabble.ca/babble/canadian-politics/green-party-and-2008-elect...
Mon, 2009-08-10 20:23
#47
remind
"Well it seems EMeeee has forgot to talk with the 'little people'-"
This is freakin funny, SGI's Brioney Penn and Andrew Lewis, won't support her run there either. Nor will many environmentalist in the riding I hear.
Tue, 2009-08-11 06:03
#48
This would be one consequence of her approach of thinking she can tantalize everyone with "maybe I'll run in your riding."
Rather than the tried and true, and you'd think obvious, approach of pick the riding where you want to run.... and start, quietly at first, to line up all your ducks.
Tue, 2009-08-11 07:00
#49
Wow, that's a slam and a half from a respected local. I almost hope May chooses BGOS now.
Cool CKNX. I know some people working there.
Riffing off Uncle John's point about Cons in these rural Ontario ridings... They are actaully quite flexible between Lib and Con. Provincially less so, but Haldimand Norfolk went NDP in the Rae days.
The NDP on both levels may be laughing at May's troubles finding a riding, but neither do I know who the NDP candidate is in any of my local ridings. I watched the ONDP parachute in a great candidate, Brad May, to Elgin-Middlesex and predictably he was crushed because he was from the GTA. James went because of the party but wouldn't it have made more sense to have a local?
Sorry, correcting myself now. The NDP does have a young local now in Elgin, and he's a decent candidate and learning: Ryan Dolby.
Tue, 2009-08-11 08:17
#50
And Dolby already ran federally, so he's got one feather of experience under his cap...
Tue, 2009-08-11 08:31
#51
A wrap it is.
Who is the NDP running in Saanich-Gulf Islands