Call it the rural rumble; the clash of conservative champions.
In the Tory blue corner, provincial Finance Minister Ted Morton. In the other conservative blue corner (with a tinge of green), Wildrose Alliance Leader Danielle Smith.
Morton and Smith — two of Alberta's provincial political heavyweights — could be going toe to toe against each other in the next provincial election in a riding south of Calgary that includes Okotoks and High River.
The finance minister is being courted to abandon his current constituency and instead run against Smith in Okotoks-High River in the next provincial election, expected in March 2012.
And Morton says he's seriously considering the option of representing the Progressive Conservatives in the riding (called Highwood until the election), now held by Tory MLA and former cabinet minister George Groeneveld.
[More]
I suspect Ted would get his butt handed to him on a platter. I supported Ted when he ran against Special Ed (and lost) and since then Ted has been overly loyal to Special Ed as Special Ed did his best to pay off his union bureaucrat buddies and thus shut down the Alberta economy a year and a half before the recession hit. A lot of Albertans looked to Ted at that time hoping he might say or do something but all Ted would do is mutter a few Special Ed platitudes and vote to over turn Ralf's law and run a deficit the size of which would make Don Getty blush.
I was hoping for better also. If Ted were to maybe be drafted to the position of Premier and replace the Turkey warming the chair at present, the PCs may have a chance in the next election. As it stands now, the PCs are 'DOA' and I do think that Alberta is going to pay a price. The turmoil that will follow a new majority taking over will be immense especially when the guys in the drivers seat start to draft their buddies – as has already started. Should be interesting. (And costly!!)