Alberta Provincial Election

I've been thinking about for whom to vote...

The Conservatives...well, let's face it, they're due to be switched out. They've been in power for way too long, and it's time to get a fresh perspective on government in Alberta. So that leaves the Liberals (I'll vote Liberal when pigs fly... :), the Green Party (too much of a one-horse platform), the NDP party (no comment) and the Wildrose Alliance.

The Wildrose Alliance is the new conservative alternative. I like their platform, I like their website, I like the candidate in our riding, I like their grassrootsyness, which reminds me of the early, glory days of the Reform Party, which was pretty my life for a few years there. :)

The leader of the party is Mormon, which is interesting, because while there are a lot of nutty Mormons out there, they also have a lot of the same family and ethical values that Christians do. I'm sure they won't do well enough for us to end up with a Mormon premier, so I'm not worried, but it would be really awesome if they ended up as the opposition party.

Dad says I'm throwing away my vote if I go with them, because the Conservatives are just going to win anyway, but if you're going to vote with an attitude of fatalism like that, that's totally the wrong reason to do it!

Why should you vote? Because you can!!!

People fought and died so that you could live in a democracy and have the right to have a say in who makes the decisions for this country and our provinces! You should vote because you want to let your voice be heard and so you can make a difference in your land and for the future! You may say that one vote won't make a difference...did you know that last provincial election, just 44.7% of eligible voters actually voted? Can you imagine what would happen if those people took the time and effort to make a decision and get out and vote? It could change the whole course of Alberta's future!

So, spread the word! Vote for the Wildrose Alliance Party! Get out there and make a difference! Remember...only you can prevent voter apathy!

I was just reading an article in the Globe and Mail, and this paragraph caught my eye and made me laugh...

"Don’t think we’re getting carried away here: The Wildrose Alliance will not win this election. It will not come close to winning this election, and it will be lucky to get more than a handful of seats. Still, clearly, things are changing for Mr. Hinman’s party. His Alberta Alliance party’s merger with the Wildrose Party lacked any real meaning, but symbolically, it gave the Alliance, which had earned something of an oddball reputation over the years from its eccentric founder and former leader, Randy Thorsteinson, a new brand. The name isn’t great, but at least replacing “Alberta Alliance” with “Wildrose Alliance” makes it sound less like the kind of group that might be led by Stockwell Day and more like an organization of arborist activists."

Ashley, who sits at the desk next to me, calls it the flower party, which makes me feel more like a hippie then an arboreal activist lol

Anyway, that was my civic duty rant for the day... :)