Any word on whether Deborah Meredith will still be running?

Why is there always this "make room for a star candidate" garbage?

"Star candidates" is an over-rated term.

many of these "star candidates" flame out and
many wouldn't know which side of the riding to
start campaigning in.

There will be no spring election so the National Council won't change the 42 day nomination period. Thus, they won't call nominations this spring in the ridings they've been holding for a variety of reasons.

Liberals will have candidates on the ground in key ridings and we won't.

George, it's not the quantity, but rather the quality that counts.

It doesn't really matter whethere are candidates on the ground or not. If a riding doesn't have a cnadidate, a good riding association can do the same things a candidate can, that is address the issues and tear apart the opposition.

Rick! Rick! He's our man!
If he can't win it, no one can!

He's a mutual fund salesman, and everyone I've ever known who's met him has described him as a "slick weekend guest."

Most of my friends are smart enough not to invite him for the weekend, let alone five years of a majority government.

I disagree Blue Boy, when you're out past the first circle of intense party loyalists and are asking for someone's money or volunteer time, the first questions you get is "Who is your candidate?"

Most people want to make that decision of whether they would actually vote for that person before giving money or time. Some won't support that parachute candidate who isn't from their riding, some won't support that person who lost the last election but has some kind of fanatical group that can get them the nomination, etc, etc.

The candidate is the product, he or she is the only one who can establish a relationship out on the door steps.

I disagree Blue Boy, when you're out past the first circle of intense party loyalists and are asking for someone's money or volunteer time, the first questions you get is "Who is your candidate?"

"Answer: We haven't got one just yet, but we will be shortly. May I interest you in our party's position on [name of major issue here]? We believe
that in order to fix [problem], we can [summary of solution] as you can read in our information sheet.."

Used that tool, and it works.

"Most people want to make that decision of whether they would actually vote for that person before giving money or time. Some won't support that parachute candidate who isn't from their riding, some won't support that person who lost the last election but has some kind of fanatical group that can get them the nomination, etc, etc."

True to a point, but the lack of a candidate doesn't stop the riding from doing the homework.

"The candidate is the product, he or she is the only one who can establish a relationship out on the door steps."

True to a point, but visibility is important, and
the message has to get out. If there is interest
in the party's position or goals, then the voter
may be interested enough to be a member, and to
get involved.

Need the horse to pull the wagon. The band wagon
can be left in the barn until we can put a candidate in it.

Naturally, it's been Emerson all along.

I wonder how Joyce Murray is going to feel having her career in politics coming to a end running head first into the BC business establishment's most favoured candidate of the last few decades?

I say it will be the biggest landslide loss in her short-lived political career. Whoever gets handpicked in Vancouver Kingsway will be a lot tougher for Wendy to face.

Budd Campbell says: "Naturally, it's been Emerson all along. I wonder how Joyce Murray is going to feel having her career in politics coming to a end running head first into the BC business establishment's most favoured candidate of the last few decades?"

Budd, you don't know Vancouver Quadra. They hate a unethical turncoat just as much as anyone. The Vancouver Board of Trade crowd is maybe made up of 1500 people tops (Emerson supporters who don't care about the treachery),but many of them live in places like West Vancouver as well as Quadra. They might be the ones to switch, but the rest of the folks in Quadra will be happy to vote for a right-wing environmentalist like Joyce.

Budd Campbell: Emerson isn't running in Quadra yet... and before he can even contemplate that, he'd have to have a) the way cleared and b) a compliant board (which I don't see happening in Quadra) and c) Deborah Meredith, the likely nomination winner in Quadra, out of the way.

Unless everyone from Meredith through to the EDA board and membership is hunky dory with a Reynolds-driven installment of Emerson (doubtful), moving Emerson to Quadra will only result in two things - a lot of bad press, and a loss to the Lib candidate.

Its doubtful that Emerson will run, anywhere. Of course I hope that he does, in order to watch him go down. How absurd it would be to see Emerson run again - in another riding - when he denied constituents in Vancouver Kingsway their voice and real representation.

While I doubt the party is stupid enough to allow Emerson to run, with any luck bravado and ego will cause Emerson and certain party establishment figures to ignore common sense and we'll see David's name on a ballot -- for the last time.

As for Kingsway "whoever gets handpicked in Vancouver Kingsway" -- do tell! Kingsway is one of the least organized Conservative EDA's in the province thanks to successive weak EDA boards and the recent president who is never there. The results speck for themselves: the electoral track record of the Canadian Alliance, PC Party, and CPC in the riding is abysmal.

Which hand-picked emissary of the party will change all that?

While the votes were being counter, I heard several prominant Quadra Liberals discuss what a nice man David Emerson was and how he deserved better than the way he was treated by the Liberal Party.