Edmonton-Strathcona Green Party candidate quits, endorses NDP

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Wed, 2019-10-16 20:00

NorthReport

Edmonton-Strathcona Green Party candidate quits, endorses NDP

Green Party candidate Michael Kalmanovitch (Edmonton-Strathcona) speaks during the Proud to Vote federal election forum at Evolution Wonderlounge on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. Liberal candidate Randy Boissonnault (Edmonton-Centre) and NDP candidate Katherine Swampy (Edmonton-Centre) joined them on stage. Photo by Ian Kucerak/Postmedia IAN KUCERAK / POSTMEDIA

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The Green Party candidate running in the riding of Edmonton-Strathcona announced Wednesday he is ending his campaign and encouraging supporters to vote strategically and vote for the NDP.

The closely contested race in the riding now has one less person after Green Party candidate Michael Kalmanovitch announced he was stepping down during a forum at The King’s University and in a news release.

According to 338Canada‘s latest poll shows the riding as a toss-up between Conservative Party candidate Sam Lilly and NDP candidate Heather McPherson.

“The Climate Crisis is too important for people and parties to play politics as usual,” said Kalmanovitch in the release. Kalmanovitch was also on hand with Extinction Rebellion during their protest on the Walterdale Bridge on Oct. 7. It stalled traffic the group demanded political action on climate change.

“I am, first and foremost, a person of conscience. I have devoted my life to caring for my fellow humans and our shared home,” said Kalmanovitch, who is a longtime activist.

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“But personal and even business actions can only go so far. We need systemic change in order to address the climate emergency, and that is why I decided to run for office.”

According to the release, Kalmanovitch and his volunteers ran a low-carbon campaign that including distributing over 9,000 flyers on recycled paper and over 120 signs, many of which were hand-made out of reused materials.

“I ran this campaign with the goal of winning the Edmonton Strathcona riding, but based on polling projections, it has become clear that success is unlikely under our first-past-the-post system,” Kalmanovtich said.

“My goal has never been personal political power. My goal has always been policy change. That is why I am ending my campaign effective today, and calling on supporters to consider voting strategically for the candidate and party with the next best climate action plan. I believe that candidate is Heather McPherson of the NDP.”

Kalmanovitch also acknowledged those who may have voted for him during advance polls.

“I deeply appreciate their support, and hope they share my conviction that advancing policy change is more important than personal or party power.”

https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/election-2019/edmonton-strathcona-green-party-candidate-quits-endorses-ndp

Wed, 2019-10-16 20:15

Ken Burch

Good for him. If there was a situation where the Green candidate could beat the Con but the NDP candidate couldn't, I'd hope the NDP candidate would do the same thing.

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:25

KarlL

Doesn't that constitute an extreme form of strategic voting, i.e., I am withdrawing your capacity to vote for a committed Green candidate and would suggest that you vote for your second choice (and now my first choice party)?

I think it is actually too late for him to withdraw officially, so he will be on the ballot with the Green label beside his name. I suppose, that people could still vote for him despite his withdrawal and General Phil Sheridan-esque "if nominated, I will not stand. If elected, I will not serve".

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:46

NorthReport

So the race in this riding has been between the NDP and the Conservatives and apparently it is close

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:50

bekayne

He should have done it before the early voting.

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:52

NorthReport

This was Linda Duncan’s seat

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:54

NorthReport

http://www.rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/alberta-diary/2019/10/where-did-pollsters-find-elusive-liberals-edmonton-strathcona

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:58

(Reply to #7) #8

kropotkin1951

Ken Burch wrote:

Good for him. If there was a situation where the Green candidate could beat the Con but the NDP candidate couldn't, I'd hope the NDP candidate would do the same thing.

The closest to that might be E.May's riding. Most everywhere else the Greens seem to be trying to win NDP seats. The worse case scenarios on Vancouver Island are three way races because the Conservatives have an unwavering base.

May will be in my riding this week trying to defeat Gord Johns who is arguably the most effect environmentalist the House has seen. Gord even worked with her on one of his bills but partisan politics come in Green as well as Orange or Red or Blue.

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:58

(Reply to #8) #9

knownothing knownothing's picture

kropotkin1951 wrote:

Ken Burch wrote:

Good for him. If there was a situation where the Green candidate could beat the Con but the NDP candidate couldn't, I'd hope the NDP candidate would do the same thing.

The closest to that might be E.May's riding. Most everywhere else the Greens seem to be trying to win NDP seats. The worse case scenarios on Vancouver Island are three way races because the Conservatives have an unwavering base.

Speaking of which:

https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2019/10/16/elizabeth-may-slams-jagmeet-singh-over-disgraceful-ndp-flyers.html

Wed, 2019-10-16 22:59

#10

NorthReport

There is no conservative candidate here

https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/blogs/opinion-svend-robinson-pulls-slightly-ahead-in-burnaby-north-seymour-338-canada-1.23976499

Thu, 2019-10-17 00:06

(Reply to #10) #11

bekayne

NorthReport wrote:

There is no conservative candidate here

https://www.burnabynow.com/opinion/blogs/opinion-svend-robinson-pulls-slightly-ahead-in-burnaby-north-seymour-338-canada-1.23976499

The candidate is still running, and still using the Conservative signs.

Thu, 2019-10-17 01:07

(Reply to #11) #12

quizzical

kropotkin1951 wrote:

Ken Burch wrote:

Good for him. If there was a situation where the Green candidate could beat the Con but the NDP candidate couldn't, I'd hope the NDP candidate would do the same thing.

The closest to that might be E.May's riding. Most everywhere else the Greens seem to be trying to win NDP seats. The worse case scenarios on Vancouver Island are three way races because the Conservatives have an unwavering base.

May will be in my riding this week trying to defeat Gord Johns who is arguably the most effect environmentalist the House has seen. Gord even worked with her on one of his bills but partisan politics come in Green as well as Orange or Red or Blue.

my mom thinks Gord Johns is amazing. she's been all over her friends in the riding getting them to support and campaign.

don't know much about him other than he's done a bunch for the riding in 4 years as a new MP.

i think this Edmonton seat will now go NDP.

Thu, 2019-10-17 09:58

(Reply to #12) #13

KarlL

kropotkin1951 wrote:

May will be in my riding this week trying to defeat Gord Johns who is arguably the most effect environmentalist the House has seen. Gord even worked with her on one of his bills but partisan politics come in Green as well as Orange or Red or Blue.

That would be a very unfortunate outcome if May succeeds. Gord Johns is a great MP.

Sun, 2019-10-20 10:54

#14

Ciabatta2

Not cool Green guy, not cool. Don't tell people how to vote. If you're willing to stand for a party, stand for it for the full 40 days. This is awfully arrogant and obnoxious.

Sun, 2019-10-20 17:42

(Reply to #14) #15

kropotkin1951

Ciabatta2 wrote:

Not cool Green guy, not cool. Don't tell people how to vote. If you're willing to stand for a party, stand for it for the full 40 days. This is awfully arrogant and obnoxious.

You missed the point. He was standing for the planet first not a party, duh.

Sun, 2019-10-20 17:49

#16

Misfit

Ciabatta2 would have cheered if the Green candidate had endorsed the Liberal party, me thinks.

Sun, 2019-10-20 20:37

(Reply to #16) #17

Ken Burch

Ciabatta2 wrote:

Not cool Green guy, not cool. Don't tell people how to vote.

Uh...it's an election campaign...telling people how to vote is kind of the point, isn't it?

Sun, 2019-10-20 21:05

(Reply to #17) #18

Ciabatta2

Misfit wrote:

Ciabatta2 would have cheered if the Green candidate had endorsed the Liberal party, me thinks.

Nope. I think it is unkind, unfair, and unclassy to ask or offer to be a candidate, use the party's finances and airtime and logistics and support, use their membership's money and time and energy - to then make a unilateral decision to drop out near the end and support someone else. And to do so with your name still on the ballot to boot is asinine. Telling the people that supported you and your party they should vote for someone else now - simply because you think it is best - is insulting to the max.

If you can't forsee representing a party for a grand total of 40 days then being a candidate is not for you. These types of moves increase cynicism in politics, not combat it.

I thought it was stupid when it happened to the Liberals in 2011 and the NDP in the last election.

(And, as a side note, maybe one of the reasons this place has become a discussion graveyard over the past four or five years is the exhausting habit that is calling anyone a Liberal when their views don't perfectly align with your orthodoxy.)

Sun, 2019-10-20 21:38

#19

Unionist

This place definitely used to be more open and more fun. I suppose we're all to blame for letting it degenerate into name-calling.

Sun, 2019-10-20 23:16

#20

quizzical

Ciabatta yet May endorsed JWR. she set the precedence imv.

Mon, 2019-10-21 00:02

#21

wage zombie

Today at the final Green rally in Vancouver Granville, there was a surprise guest speaker. Of course it was ... JWR!

And Green candidate Louise Boutin had no idea she would be coming to her rally to see Jody speak.

May campaigned against her own candidate.

Mon, 2019-10-21 12:07

(Reply to #21) #22

Misfit

Ciabatta2 wrote:

Misfit wrote:

Ciabatta2 would have cheered if the Green candidate had endorsed the Liberal party, me thinks.

Nope. I think it is unkind, unfair, and unclassy to ask or offer to be a candidate, use the party's finances and airtime and logistics and support, use their membership's money and time and energy - to then make a unilateral decision to drop out near the end and support someone else. And to do so with your name still on the ballot to boot is asinine. Telling the people that supported you and your party they should vote for someone else now - simply because you think it is best - is insulting to the max.

If you can't forsee representing a party for a grand total of 40 days then being a candidate is not for you. These types of moves increase cynicism in politics, not combat it.

I thought it was stupid when it happened to the Liberals in 2011 and the NDP in the last election.

(And, as a side note, maybe one of the reasons this place has become a discussion graveyard over the past four or five years is the exhausting habit that is calling anyone a Liberal when their views don't perfectly align with your orthodoxy.)

You only show up during elections and only to trash for the Liberal party.

Mon, 2019-10-21 13:08

#23

voice of the damned

Obviously, there is no legal way to stop someone from dropping out right before the vote. But I'm kind of suspicious of his claim that he didn't realize until that late in the campaign that he was likely to lose. It isn't as if the Greens were expected to sweep up a whole bunch of new seats coast-to-coast, and so of course Edmonton would be a part of that.

But then, this is a party that sent a request to London for the Queen to issue a statement criticizing Harper, so maybe some of their members really are that detached from reality.

Mon, 2019-10-21 13:51

#24

Policywonk

To be fair, it was likely that he felt that he was likely to take enough votes away from the NDP to allow the Conservatives to win. That of course hasn't stopped the Greens elsewhere.

Mon, 2019-10-21 14:36

#25

quizzical

if you go through the 338 aggregator for BC the GP will be giving major seats to the Conservatives and the Conservatives will be winning the seat with under 35% of the votes.

Mon, 2019-10-21 15:41

(Reply to #25) #26

Badriya

quizzical wrote:

if you go through the 338 aggregator for BC the GP will be giving major seats to the Conservatives and the Conservatives will be winning the seat with under 35% of the votes.

This is yet another example showing why it is crucial there be electoral reform federally, with some version of mixed-member proportional representation.

Mon, 2019-10-21 16:20

(Reply to #26) #27

Ken Burch

voice of the damned wrote:

Obviously, there is no legal way to stop someone from dropping out right before the vote. But I'm kind of suspicious of his claim that he didn't realize until that late in the campaign that he was likely to lose. It isn't as if the Greens were expected to sweep up a whole bunch of new seats coast-to-coast, and so of course Edmonton would be a part of that.

But then, this is a party that sent a request to London for the Queen to issue a statement criticizing Harper, so maybe some of their members really are that detached from reality.

Did they at least send it to the RIGHT London?

Mon, 2019-10-21 17:45

(Reply to #27) #28

Ciabatta2

Misfit wrote:

Ciabatta2 wrote:

Misfit wrote:

Ciabatta2 would have cheered if the Green candidate had endorsed the Liberal party, me thinks.

Nope. I think it is unkind, unfair, and unclassy to ask or offer to be a candidate, use the party's finances and airtime and logistics and support, use their membership's money and time and energy - to then make a unilateral decision to drop out near the end and support someone else. And to do so with your name still on the ballot to boot is asinine. Telling the people that supported you and your party they should vote for someone else now - simply because you think it is best - is insulting to the max.

If you can't forsee representing a party for a grand total of 40 days then being a candidate is not for you. These types of moves increase cynicism in politics, not combat it.

I thought it was stupid when it happened to the Liberals in 2011 and the NDP in the last election.

(And, as a side note, maybe one of the reasons this place has become a discussion graveyard over the past four or five years is the exhausting habit that is calling anyone a Liberal when their views don't perfectly align with your orthodoxy.)

You only show up during elections and only to trash for the Liberal party.

I only show up for elections because that's the only time this board has any participation anymore. Even this election, it's been pretty silent til now.

I do not trash anyone or any party. I feel bad if my opinions don't jibe with yours, or make you feel iffy, insecure, or just generally unhappy in any way. It's certainly not my intent.

Mon, 2019-10-21 19:32

(Reply to #28) #29

voice of the damned

Ken Burch wrote:

voice of the damned wrote:

Obviously, there is no legal way to stop someone from dropping out right before the vote. But I'm kind of suspicious of his claim that he didn't realize until that late in the campaign that he was likely to lose. It isn't as if the Greens were expected to sweep up a whole bunch of new seats coast-to-coast, and so of course Edmonton would be a part of that.

But then, this is a party that sent a request to London for the Queen to issue a statement criticizing Harper, so maybe some of their members really are that detached from reality.

Did they at least send it to the RIGHT London?

Apparently, they did at least manage to get that part right....

https://tinyurl.com/y6xcy9ds

Tue, 2019-10-22 02:30

#30

bekayne

NDP won the riding.

Tue, 2019-10-22 18:11

#31

Hurtin Albertan

The Greens still got about a thousand votes in the riding, even with no candidate. If there was ever one riding in Alberta to not vote Conservative it would be Edmonton-Strathcona.

I think Mclellan's riding was Edmonton-North or Edmonton-Centre just going from memory.

Ross Harvey won the same riding back in the early 90's (if memory serves correct) for the NDP.

Tue, 2019-10-22 19:01

#32

voice of the damned

^Ross Harvey represented Edmonton East, parts of which became Edmonton Northwest. Anne McLellan represented Edmonton Northwest, then Edmonton West, and then Edmonton Centre. I think those ridings all evolved from each other via boundary-shifts, but I don't have the details.

Tue, 2019-10-22 20:39

(Reply to #32) #33

bekayne

Hurtin Albertan wrote:

The Greens still got about a thousand votes in the riding, even with no candidate. If there was ever one riding in Alberta to not vote Conservative it would be Edmonton-Strathcona.

That was Rahim Jaffer's riding.

Tue, 2019-10-22 23:29

#34

Hurtin Albertan

My mistake. I was going to the U of A back when Harvey won his seat. And the ridings sure have changed over the years but IMO the U of A will always pull things left whatever riding it's in, federally or provincially or probably even in mayoral elections. Edmonton has always been called Redmonton for lots of reasons.