Replacing West Kelowna MLA Christy

[Cactusflower]

*Off Topic*

[Cactusflower]

...
I suspect as much too, and if he doesn't, the most likely alternative isn't exactly someone to get excited about

I have actually and even wrote on my experience:

I went to the all candidates forum today and I'll give a quick breakdown of the candidates (in the order they were introduced):
1. Kyle Geronazzo (Libertarian): Young, naive, enthusiastic, but failed to communicate what the Libertarian party is all about, so not really well received by the crowd. He wasn't the most polished of speakers. Too light on ideas and too unpolished to not come last.
2. Ben Stewart (Liberal): Dull. Uninspiring and lacking in charisma. Possibly an off night for him, but really seemed like he wasn't present. Nothing interesting to say and repeatedly referred to the BC Liberal government in the present tense. When challenged by a heckler in the audience that he was a quitter, he didn't respond and just let it go rather than try to quash the view that he was just there to keep the seat warm. Didn't have anything innovative to share. And even Mark Thompson called him a quitter and the BC Liberals the party of quitters (Clark, Watts, Stewart). Not quite as well spoken or passionate as Cook, so second worst for the night.
3. Mark Thompson (Conservative): Well spoken, some good ideas that many others in the panel supported and nodded their heads to, including Cook/NDP. Definitely the winner of the night. He is a bit of a showman, but he was well prepared for the topics and is clearly a smart cookie.
4. Robert Stupka (Green): Not a great public speaker. Towed the party line a bit. Repeatedly referenced that he is an evidence oriented kind of person since he is an engineer. Quite a smart guy, probably quite capable. Second best performer, despite his unsteady delivery.
5. Shelley Cook (NDP): Not a bad public speaker, but goes on too long and delivers too little. Stuck to the party line all the way and kept reiterating party positions. Failed to connect with the people when she had a chance and didn't show great charisma. That said, did just enough to not look as weak as the damp squib punching bag of Stewart. 3rd best/worst.

The two biggest parties have poor candidates and I wish the electorate would punish them for giving us such poor choices. Ben needs to grow a backbone and stand up and be counted. He needs to make us believe in him and what he can do for BC, not just his party. He is a long term liability for the Liberals.

Shelley needs to get to know her constituents and how they differ from Vancouver voters. She needs to take local interests on, learn to represent us rather than tow a party line and sometimes even challenge what is being done. Sadly she seems to epitomise some of the most damning criticisms of the NDP.

Thanks for the critique, but IMHO the only thing Mark is going to add to the by-election is a successful splitting of the BC Liberal vote. After all, the BCLP coalition is made up of a lot of Conservatives.

[occasional thoughts]

Social Credit will never lose this riding. Not in my life time at least. Not that I think that's a good thing.

[Verum]

...

Thanks for the critique, but IMHO the only thing Mark is going to add to the by-election is a successful splitting of the BC Liberal vote. After all, the BCLP coalition is made up of a lot of Conservatives.

I strongly doubt that he will have any such effect really. I suspect that he'll get a relatively small share of the vote, and people will tactically vote Liberal or NDP, which is sad because it will hide the actual level of support that other candidates would naturally have.
My money is still on Stewart winning, and by a significant margin.

[Cactusflower]

...

Thanks for the critique, but IMHO the only thing Mark is going to add to the by-election is a successful splitting of the BC Liberal vote. After all, the BCLP coalition is made up of a lot of Conservatives.

I strongly doubt that he will have any such effect really. I suspect that he'll get a relatively small share of the vote, and people will tactically vote Liberal or NDP, which is sad because it will hide the actual level of support that other candidates would naturally have.
My money is still on Stewart winning, and by a significant margin.

Time will tell, but I sure wouldn't be putting any money on Stewart in this race.

[The Green Barbarian]

Time will tell, but I sure wouldn't be putting any money on Stewart in this race.

LOL

[Snman]

Don't care who wins, as long as it's a Liberal.

[Cactusflower]

Don't care who wins, as long as it's a Liberal.

Then you're about to be disappointed, since there is no Liberal party in B.C. There are liberal people but they don't vote for the BC Liberal party.

[Queen K]

I'm not saying whose vote I'm planning to cancel on Valentine's Day, but I am saying that person may as well go ice fishing.

[flamingfingers]

I lived in West Kelowna when Ben WAS an MLA and he WAS effective but I lost all respect for him when he allowed the BC ChristyLiberals to elbow him out of his MLA position for her to parachute into his comfortable seat. But he will probably win despite his abandoning his constituents in 2013.

To reiterate: Before 2013, I felt he WAS an effective MLA. I feel by now he is a has-been.

Why elect a person into the Opposition?

[Urbane]

I lived in West Kelowna when Ben WAS an MLA and he WAS effective but I lost all respect for him when he allowed the BC ChristyLiberals to elbow him out of his MLA position for her to parachute into his comfortable seat. But he will probably win despite his abandoning his constituents in 2013.

To reiterate: Before 2013, I felt he WAS an effective MLA. I feel by now he is a has-been.

Why elect a person into the Opposition?

Just to be clear, do you lose respect for all MLA's who step aside so their party leader can return to the Legislature or to Parliament after the party leader loses his or her seat? Or just someone who would do that for Christy Clark? How about this fellow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Arthur_Williams

[flamingfingers]

1993 Urb? Seriously? Were you even born then? I wasn't. How desperate do you have to get|?

[Urbane]

1993 Urb? Seriously? Were you even born then? I wasn't. How desperate do you have to get|?

No, you completely missed the point. Robert Arthur Williams (Bob Williams) stepped aside for Dave Barrett in 1976 after Barrett lost his seat in the Dec 11, 1975 provincial general election. Mackenzie King lost his seat twice and had to find a new riding but to listen to you one would think that Christy Clark was the only leader ever to ask someone to step down after losing his or her seat. You clearly don't want to answer by question, for obvious reasons, and we all know the answer anyway. It's just another example of some people being fine when NDP'ers do precisely the same thing that they attack Liberals for doing.

[jayro]

It didn't bother me that he stepped aside what bothers me is the way the BC Liberal party has treated people they have abused their power and manipulated the people of BC and gotten with it for too long

[Verum]

Just to be clear, do you lose respect for all MLA's who step aside so their party leader can return to the Legislature or to Parliament after the party leader loses his or her seat? Or just someone who would do that for Christy Clark? How about this fellow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Arthur_Williams

As someone who was and is critical of Stewart for abdicating his position, from what I know of this, I would be similarly critical of Williams. That said, I don't actually remember this event, so if there was some extraneous circumstance, I could change my mind. I just can't imagine what such could be. Based on what I know, I certainly wouldn't have voted for Williams were he to have run again and were I a voter in his riding.