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A twist in the Simcoe-Grey campaigns
02 April 2011
The election campaign in Simcoe-Grey will likely go to the Conservative candidate, but that victory is not quite so cut and dried as it might have seemed. Incumbent and former Conservative party member, now "independent Conservative" candidate, Helena Guergis, might have some outside help that will certainly raise her profile and could push her campaign into high gear.
Helena's plight in her challenge against what is commonly seen as an unfair treatment from the Prime Minister, has garnered a certain amount of popular sympathy. The local riding association president quit because of the treatment Helena received and the party has lost several members who stayed in Helena's camp. But it's not just here where some sympathy might be expected for a local girl: even in Harper's own bastion of deep-blue Alberta, his treatment of Guergis has been questioned and criticized.
This morning I got a call from a Tory in the wild rose province who said he and possibly several prominent Conservatives in the west planned to help Helena's campaign and raise funds for her. Given their former closeness with Harper, this might be seen as a less-than-friendly 'shot across the bow' of the Prime Minister's campaign ship. And it could seriously rattle some cages among Tories to see these deep blue supporters taking clearly partisan sides over the issue at election time when such a public display of disaffection could hurt the Conservatives in more than just this one riding.
Stay tuned, details still to come. If it plays out as I described, it will certainly add a lot of colour to the campaign.
Helena's plight in her challenge against what is commonly seen as an unfair treatment from the Prime Minister, has garnered a certain amount of popular sympathy. The local riding association president quit because of the treatment Helena received and the party has lost several members who stayed in Helena's camp. But it's not just here where some sympathy might be expected for a local girl: even in Harper's own bastion of deep-blue Alberta, his treatment of Guergis has been questioned and criticized.
This morning I got a call from a Tory in the wild rose province who said he and possibly several prominent Conservatives in the west planned to help Helena's campaign and raise funds for her. Given their former closeness with Harper, this might be seen as a less-than-friendly 'shot across the bow' of the Prime Minister's campaign ship. And it could seriously rattle some cages among Tories to see these deep blue supporters taking clearly partisan sides over the issue at election time when such a public display of disaffection could hurt the Conservatives in more than just this one riding.
Stay tuned, details still to come. If it plays out as I described, it will certainly add a lot of colour to the campaign.
