The new western Liberal strategy
Debby Carlson, co-chair of the Ignatieff campaign, Alberta:
"In Alberta some people spit on you if you're Liberal. But there are thousands of Liberals in Alberta, we're just too spread out to elect anybody."
Question: "What if every Liberal in Alberta moved to the same area of the province?"
Carlson: "We could win two ridings. Probably four ridings if we all moved north. That would be so cool."
Question: "You've heard of someone spitting on a Liberal candidate in
Alberta?"
Carlson: "I experienced it in 2004 for the federal riding of Edmonton/
Strathcona. People spit on me. Some Liberals in other provinces will
door-knock alone. You don't do that in Alberta."
Question: "So if all Alberta Liberals moved to one area you wouldn't have
that problem?"
Carlson: "That's absolutely right. And we could win four ridings."
Harmonious convention sounds
9:12 a.m.: "Ken! Ah! Dee!"
9:32 a.m.: "Di! On! Di! On!"
9:45 a.m.: Grown man ties Bob Rae
bandana around his head.
9:48 a.m.: Old woman slaps a Dion sticker to her forehead.
9:49 a.m.: Tense-looking man with the
letters "GK" stencilled on his forehead walks past old woman with sticker on forehead.
9:50 a.m.: Old woman with sticker on
forehead is handed a huge Canadian flag, which she begins to wave, violently.
Inside the Liberal seniors' commission
Speaker: "Will you conclude please . . ?"
Old man at mic sporting green cowboy hat: "I'm Irish, I'm French, I'm Métis. And my wife is from
Europe . . ."
Speaker: "Will you please conclude . . ?"
Green Hat: "We defeated the Americans in the War of 1812, and by the way, I wasn't there." [Chuckles and wheezing from crowd]
Speaker: "Will you please conclude . . ?"
Green Hat: "I know a lot of people who speak two languages who don't know a sow from a cow."
[Roaring applause]
In Pictures:
