I am assuming that the independent party would initially be ideologically situated between the current Republican and Democratic parties. Presumably how we imagine that the three parties would evolve over the longer term would influence our answer to the question.
Edit: It has occurred to me that business interests constitute what could be regarded as a 'shadow third party' in the US. If these business interests behave responsibly, they could potentially thrive in the long term. This is probably the topic of another post....
I’ve been taking a class on global issues, and in this class we have been going over the what it is classified as conservative and liberal. To me it almost seems like America has managed to have its 2 major parties both be conservative.
This is a proverbial fork in the road for the future of Alberta and you have the wheel. To allow Jason Kenney to continue on as leader is not only a detriment to the UCP and CPC but the people of Alberta as well. The erosion of public trust has made Jason Kenney and those in his inner circle untenable. For the record I voted for UCP with exuberance. But covid, as times of crisis usually do, magnified the importance AND observation of government 10 fold. I, like many other Albertans, arguably know more about Jason Kenney and how he handles himself, than any other Premier in history. And his personality and character have been found wanting, to put it extremely mildly. Albertans don't trust him. I understand a decision of this magnitude is not easy to make, but ask yourself... Which side of history do you want to be on?
P.S. I already voted for the federal NDP because they haven't been corrupted by power.
As Jack Brown's second term comes to a close, the Conservative Party of the United Federation must choose a standard bearer to defeat the SDP in 2008. While many pundits predict a Conservative win because of the ongoing recession, a lot could go wrong if the Conservatives don't pick a good candidate. The Leader of the Opposition David Clysdon sought a third term, but his loss in the 2000 & 2004 elections, as well as his strident moderation, have alienated various men of his Party.
David Clysdon: 65 years old member from Upper Bann and Opposition leader since 2001, the most liberal of the candidates, he belongs to the "Justice & Development" faction of the Party. Clysdon supports a neoconservative or hawkish foreign policy, and ordered his Party to vote for Operlandian partecipation in the War on Terror. He also supported banking bailouts and voted for Armfield's and Brown's tax increases in an attempt to balance the budget. He is a staunch supporter of the EU and NATO, and pursues a socially moderate outlook. Clysdon opposes gay marriage and was the staunchest opponent of the legalization of euthanasia, but his record was ranked as 100% by abortion rights groups. Clysdon is also a proponent of scrapping tuition fees, eliminating business rates, increasing foreign investment through free trade and the privatization of electrical utilities. He supports a compromise on austerity, cutting most spending except education, healthcare, the military and infrastructure; as Governor of New Cornwall between 1997 and 1999, he made a reputation of being tough on crime, and incarceration of non-violent drug offenders went up. As a MP since the 1980s, he supported amnesty for illegal immigrants various times, even when it was deeply unpopular, though most attempts to liberalize immigration laws have been vetoed (except during Armfield and Brown). He is a supporter of stimulus checks, and supports leaving gun issues to the States.
Dave Walsh: 43 years old acting Senator from New Cornwall since 2007, and former state legislator, Dave Walsh unites the more conservative component of the Party for the most part. He is socially conservative, opposing abortion, same sex marriage, euthanasia, as well as supporting a reform to divorce laws. He is a committed internationalist, supporting the country's partecipation in EU and NATO, as well as supporting immigration reform, but he supports an orderly withdrawal from Iraq and opposes amnesty. A staunch pro-deregu
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