Monday, January 24, 2011

Christy Clark hit by V for Vendettas - Tunisian coup, coup de grace from Pat Bell & Shirley Bond

Who launched the Vendetta against Christy Clark?
Christy Clark's campaign for the BC Liberal leadership appears to be the subject of several vendettas - from a hacker taking over part of her website Sunday to former cabinet colleagues Pat Bell and Shirley Bond endorsing arch-rival Kevin Falcon today.

CKNW exclusively reported that Clark's website was altered by someone describing themselves as "Ali the Tunisian hacker" - who posted a Guy Fawkes mask like the one from the movie V for Vendetta and music in place of Clark's membership signup page. 

CKNW says one of the Tunisian hacker's messages was: "Until you learn how to make your website secure, let me tell you that the party is over."

But it was this morning when two of the remaining cabinet political heavyweights - Prince George's Bell and Bond - gave their considerable support to Falcon that the party for Clark seemed to be over.

Clark remains deadlocked with just one minor BC Liberal MLA backbencher - Harry Bloy - on her side more than 6 weeks after launching her campaign amidst much hoopla and speculation from polling that she was the frontrunner.

But frontrunners always get - and must have - support from their party's caucus members.  Clark still doesn't and the pickings are getting very slim.

And while Clark got the headlines and support from ex-news anchor Pamela Martin and several former MLAs, it's George Abbott and Falcon who have sewn up most of the current caucus members.

Falcon now has 15 MLAs on his side, while Abbott boasts 17 MLAs, including ousted from the caucus BC Liberal Bill Bennett and controversial Kash Heed.

Meanwhile "Open Mike" de Jong pulled a large crowd of 700 mostly from the South Asian community in Surrey on Sunday, his caucus support so far is an empty phone booth - no one.

Moira Stillwell is also blanco in the MLA support tally.

When will de Jong and Stillwell pull the plug on their campaigns and fall in with one of the frontrunners?  Because that looks like the best option for both.

And will Christy Clark consider doing the same?

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17 comments:

Anonymous said...

So where's the news about the NDP leadership? Seems to be more fitting for an NDP member owned blog.

Bill Tieleman said...

Gee - a little nervous in CC-land? Don't worry - watch this space on Tuesday for NDP news.

Tom Richardson said...

Bill, if Vander Zalm followed your advice (having virtually no MLA support in 1986), then he should have stepped down from the 1986 leadership race as well??

Bill Tieleman said...

Tom - Bill Vander Zalm had Jack Davis, Rita Johnston and Bill Reid at the start of his campaign in 1986 and, of course, it was a delegated convention - he swept many ridings, even in areas where his competitors held their seats.

If Christy Clark got Mike de Jong to back her it would be a huge boost.

Anonymous said...

At least Christy has most if not all the support from the BC Rail gang. Who knows, after she loses, she may be offered a free ride on the Rocky Mountaineer.

Guy in Victoria

Kyle Harms said...

Bill - Usually you and I cannot agree on anything... Seems as though we may finally have common ground afterwards. Appreciated this post and the suggestion of having some Candidates step down to support the "frontrunners."
Same should happen on the NDP side once that race gets straightened out a little bit...who knows when that will be.

Anonymous said...

I await your news on the NDP leadership race Bill. Thanks for keeping us all updated.

Anonymous said...

I hope Christy's campaign crashes and burns in a spectacular wreck.

And I would like to see DeJong disappear from the race, he's my mla, but he doesn't even respond to concerns of his own constituents.

I can not wait for this party to come to it's knees. It's time they stop screwing over BC.

Solange said...

I laughed when I read this. I dont feel one iota sorry for Christy. It is obvious she didnt do her homework and I hope she gets smacked in the press.

Anonymous said...

I think the people in Ontario would be a good deal more receptive to the likes of Christy. She should go there.

The Ghost of Dave Stupich said...

So if caucus endorsements should decide these things, as you suggest, why bother with a leadership selection allowing input from party members? Let's just have the College of Cardinals meet in the locked Sistine Chapel to give their holy blessing while everyone else just sits around and waits for white smoke to appear.

The fact that the bozos who rubber-stamped the HST are falling in line behind Campbell-appproved cronies is entirely predictable. Christy is a breath of fresh air.

Gisele said...

Christy is a "breath of fresh air"?! Tinged with what??

http://alexgtsakumis.com/2011/01/25/exclusivebreaking-news-erik-bornmann-jamie-elmhirst-and-brian-kieran-2003-reports-to-omnitrax-with-christy-clark-prominently-featured/

Anonymous said...

Frankly I'm extremely underwhelmded by the BC Liberal candidates and the same goes for the NDP candidates.

A) As an outsider, I'm more inclined to believe that endorsements from the caucus lot that supported Campbell is not a feather in your cap - especially when it comes time for the public to have their say.

As a "strategist" you know very well about this will play out Bill. Endorsements may sound really good within the party, but on the street, the average person would probably see that as a negative not a positive.

If those who vote for leader agree with that position, she'll win without endorsements. Your buddy AGT amongst others can pound her and her BC Rail connections all you want, the reality is that the majority of the public have already moved on. Whether you like to admit this or not, thats reality.

B) The NDP has woeful candidates and has shown the electorate that the bums they voted out in 2001 are still there, just 10 years older. The party hasn't changed, it hasn't renewed, it's still the same old NDP.

When election time comes, whenever that is, based on the lack of improvement in the party from 2001, you can bet that "the same old NDP" will be the theme song that will lose you another election.

You had 10 years to do some work and renew the party and that wasn't done. The reasons why this wasn't done, can't be changed now, and will be the party's downfall.

Crow on all you want about the Liberals, with the next loss you only have yourselves to blame.

Anonymous said...

"Nothing so conclusively proves a man's ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself."

- Thomas J. Watson, 1874-1956, president of IBM

Read that again Bill. That describes Dix & his phony memo trick & bags of cash stunts. Are you really that blinded by starlight? sheesh.

Anonymous said...

Multiple MLA endorsements for a BC Liberal leadership candidate may seem like a good thing to the MSM and many party members voting for a leader. However, to the average voter they will likely be viewed similar to a character reference from the Mafia.

Anonymous said...

Bill - you're the guy with the "Vendetta" against Christy. It almost borders on pathological, and it's been going on for almost a decade.

The reason why? Because she isn't the normal right-wing Socred that New Democrats like to campaign against. She is a populist centrist, exactly the kind of person the NDP is afraid of.

Bill Tieleman said...

Yikes - had a busy day Cheryl and others - sorry for not posting till tonight - don't worry - you have to be really nasty here to not get posted!

Nice to see the boo-birds are already active here and at The Tyee - no one shoots at a dead duck.

As for Christy Clark - I have had concerns about her for a long time - totally true. Look at her non-answers on Basi-Virk for one good reason why but there's more than that.

Sorry to the Greens here who are as sour as ever.