Opinion

George Abbott, Crazy Like a Fox

Attacking Christy Clark is his best chance to win, even if it makes him look mean.

By Bill Tieleman, 15 Feb 2011, TheTyee.ca

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Abbott: Ruthless logic to his approach.

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"I don't have any personal animosity at all towards Christy Clark." --B.C. Liberal leadership candidate George Abbott

B.C. Liberal Party leadership candidate George Abbott has gone crazy -- crazy like a fox -- in the endgame to become the province's next premier.

He may not be able to beat likely winner Kevin Falcon but you have to admire his moxie -- because Abbott knows he has to muscle opponent Christy Clark out of second place to have any chance at all.

And that's why Abbott's negative attacks on Clark as "only visiting" the B.C. Liberals so long as she has a chance to be leader and calling her a lightweight on policy are bound to continue till the Feb. 26 vote.

It's not that George isn't a gentleman, but taking Clark down a big notch is really the only possible way for Abbott to win.

And now with B.C. Liberal Party special convention delegates this weekend overwhelmingly approving a weighted vote leadership ballot that was essential for Abbott's chances, the Shuswap MLA is going all in to beat the favoured Falcon.

If that makes Clark an unfortunate road bump on Abbott's fast route to the premier's office, too bad.

'A good friend in my life'

In a convention interview, Abbott told me he actually likes Clark.

"Christy Clark has been a good friend in my life and I want to keep her as a good friend in my life, but that won't stop me criticizing her ideas," he said.

And Abbott has done that in spades, saying in a statement Thursday that: "This is not about Ms. Clark as an individual, but about the highly controversial and contradictory positions that she has presented over the past three months."

In a heated debate on CKNW radio Friday, Clark complained about Abbott's antagonism, saying it would only benefit the New Democrats.

"I think the kind of personal attacks that we've seen from you, George, are writing the NDP's script for them in the election," Clark complained. "I don't say those kinds of things about you or about any of the other candidates."

But Abbott would have none of it and pumped up the volume.

"There's been no personal attacks from me, you're making that up, I'm sorry," Abbott replied.

"This is a campaign, we should be debating the issues and when we have a vigorous debate of the issues, I think that's not negative, it is constructive. It's important that we have that debate."

'Such a plethora of issues'

The day before that, Abbott was again on the offensive.

"Ms. Clark has given me such a plethora of issues to work with. If anybody thinks I should give a free ticket to Christy for whatever reason, they're wrong. Whatever Christy says is fair game for debate, and that's what I intend to do," Abbott said.

"She walked away from government seven years ago, leaving the party to rebuild on its own, and only returned when there was an opportunity to be in charge," Abbott continued, referring to Clark's sudden departure from the B.C. Liberal government in 2004.

On Saturday Abbott told me that it was Clark's campaign that had fired on him first.

"Of course, it wasn't Christy who attacked me -- it was Pamela Martin," Abbott said with a slight twinkle in his eye, referring to the ex-CTV news anchor turned Clark campaign official and enforcer.

Pamela the enforcer

And indeed it was Martin who signed an open letter to supporters denouncing Abbott. 
Martin wrote: "George Abbott keeps sending out more negative attacks against Christy. Sadly, it's a pattern. It seems like every day brings more negative campaigning... These negative attacks are misguided and misleading... Come on, George -- let's not turn people off with mud-slinging."


Clark's team knows exactly what Abbott is doing. That's why they aren't shying away from counterattacking the former health and aboriginal relations minister.

But the reason why Abbott is taking on Clark is simple. The math on weighted voting and the knowledge that Kevin Falcon likely has more first-ballot support than him or Clark.

As one delegate wryly said Saturday at the Vancouver Convention Centre gathering, it's like George Orwell's book Animal Farm -- "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."

The B.C. Liberals have made all ridings equal, but not all voters. Rural voters are far more equal than others -- maybe 10 times more equal.

A ruthless equation

Here's how it works: each of the 85 ridings will have 100 points, with candidates getting a proportion of that 100 based on the percentage of member votes they receive on Feb. 26.

But a small riding with 500 members has the same 100 points as a huge riding with 5,000.

The weighted vote takes away an enormous advantage from candidates like Falcon -- who signed up 17,500 new members, Clark, who added 20,000 or more and likely fourth-place finisher Mike de Jong, with about 12,000 signups.

Those three alone have likely added more than 50,000 new B.C. Liberal members, predominantly in urban ridings.

And an unknown but large number of new members are in the South Asian community, which is concentrated in relatively few B.C. ridings.

It will take 4,251 points to win -- 50 per cent plus one of 8,500 points in total -- meaning there will likely be several rounds of ballot counting, though only one vote.

The bottom candidate will be dropped off after the first count and their second choices added in, and so on until a winner is declared.

The critical ballot will likely be the one where the fourth- or possibly third-place candidate is forced out.

That's why Abbott is pounding on Clark's credibility -- and is being diplomatically but clearly supported by Falcon and de Jong, who also want Clark's numbers to drop by questioning her legitimacy.

Falcon, for example, says he's "sticking around regardless of the outcome" of the leadership contest and that he's "ready to govern" immediately -- because unlike Clark, he's already an MLA.

Abbott knows that if he can edge past Clark on one of the ballot counts, he can stay in a two-person race against Falcon. And if Clark somehow gets ahead of Falcon, Abbott may still have a shot at Clark in the final ballot.

But if Abbott gets seriously behind both Falcon and Clark, he's through.

No Mr. Nice Guy

So Abbott's strategy is simple and -- to Clark -- brutally negative.

Abbott doesn't care much about Clark supporters' second choice or third choice picks. He is willing to risk alienating Clark's core base in order to win second and third round support from Falcon, de Jong and also-ran candidates MLA Moira Stilwell and business owner Ed Mayne.

Some observers presume Abbott is crazy for repeatedly criticizing Clark.

But the old adage "nice guys finish last" exists for a reason. And it's hardly crazy that Abbott is determined to finish first. [Tyee]

Bill Tieleman is a regular Tyee contributor who writes a column on B.C. politics every Tuesday in 24 Hours newspaper. E-mail him at weststar@telus.net or visit his blog.

39 Comments:

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  • bgreen

    1 year ago

    weighted voting

    with the weighted voting system will we see supporters of leading candidates select also rans as their second and third choices

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    bgreen

    Why would that be? Weighted voting is simply that every riding is worth the same number of votes regardless of how many party members are in it.

  • Skywalker

    1 year ago

    Cry me a river.

    It is almost like Christy has become the corporate media darling. Why? Maybe because they think she is/was one of them. The media gets royally peed when you don't show them proper undeserved respect. Chiristy hasn't had her opinions challenged for years since she had her finger on the mute button. Poor Chiristy.

  • gsarahs

    1 year ago

    Weighted voting & Pamela Martin

    While I have no intention of voting Liberal, the weighted voting system at least gives a voice to those around the province. I really have a problem with this continual focus on the Asian population for party memberships, no matter which party is doing it. I also have great difficulty with Pamela Martin. I may be old fashioned, but news anchors should be non-political, and to retire and then immediately jump into the partisan political arena is in my opinion just wrong. If Christy hopefully doesn't win, is Pamela then just going to get back into the media, just like Christy will? In regards to George Abbott, good for him. I have absolutely no love for Christy Clark, and am completely baffled as to why so may people do!?

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    Christy fights back

    Abbott takes his kicks at Christie but I hear with her spiked heels she really knows how to kick back. Is Christie tough enough for the job? Something tells me where words fall short Christie will find herself back on top.
    Christie is the most interesting of the lot where Abbott is not, boring.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    This doesn't surprise me...

    First since tomorrow's birthday BCLibabe got a sortie on CKNW thanks to Bill, I'll go easy.

    But Bill, I really find your cheerleading for George Abbott equivalent to mine for Dana Larsen - it's to get the most preferred candidate out of the process. I also think you don't want pollstar Christy to win because she'll defeat socialism or Kevin THE Falcon to win because you'd see a lot of Alise Mills on CBC and of course, YouTube taking the BCNDP to the cleaners!

    [UNPROVEN ALLEGATION REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

    No wonder Bill Tielman wants him to win, golf for Bill would be a driving range w/ BCLiberal logos on the golf balls while he's in resplendent socialist orange!

    Oh and speaking of George Abbott's people... there was a live video feed anybody w/ Replay Media Catcher could have got... and only the #1 ChristyClarkFan helped himself: http://youtu.be/2Q_Ab_BQN_o - yet one of Abbott's people tweeted a request for video. But Abbott's team wants to run BC? Give me a break!

    I agree w/ Christy Clark: "I think the kind of personal attacks that we've seen from you, George, are writing the NDP's script for them in the election." Literally. Time for George Abbott to apologize and push forward with his own plans to make BC better not to make political golf easy for Bill THE Tielman :-).

    Off hot.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    To clarify

    a) Abbott could have reported the cat signup to Christy Clark but did not.

    b) By live video feed, I meant last Saturday's All Star Game of a Debate.

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    ChristyFan

    Do you really think anyone cares if you post anti-NDP videos on Youtube?

    Who would you possibly sway?

    Seriously.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Frank

    I do this for balanced & fair commenting to show the BCLib side. We never seem to be heard here and on other blogs.

    Also one of my videos is about to hit 1,000 views! Enuf said.

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    ChristyFan

    Your 1,000 views would be by people who are already on your side.

    As for balanced and fair commentary, you already have corporate-owned radio, tv and the newspapers on your side so now you want the blogs to be pro-Liberal too?

    Sorry, but since blogs aren't corporate-owned there's no one to force your message on them.

  • gsarahs

    1 year ago

    Christy Fan

    The one who the NDP should be afraid of is George Abbott, since he comes across as the most moderate and in my view is the most non-polarizing of the "have-a-chance" candidates. Christy and de Jong come across as the most polarizing, and the ones I can't stand. As Education Minister, all she was good at was antagonizing the teachers and doing everything but answer questions. What else did she accomplish, other than being good at deleting callers she didn't agree with on CKNW. And do you really think that "she'll defeat socialism"? Sorry but I find that kind of funny!

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    Abbott and Falcon take out the Care

    out of BC's sick health system and replace it with Scare.
    With many British Columbians wondering if family members would have gotten to live if correct diagnosis was given.
    I like Christie because she is not part of Campbell's team.
    I like Christie because she is determined.
    I like Christie because she said no way to the HST.
    I like Christie because she isn't being backed by big business.
    I like Christie because she isn't part of the old boys team.
    I know Christie left politics for her reasons and some say it was because she couldn't handle Campbell's politics but who can in BC? Abbott, Falcon, etc all part of the Cambpell team, not Christie thought and its a good thing.

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    BC Ministers

    Don't make decisions Campbell does, Bennett said it himself and he should know he still his washing the spit off his face.

  • morechatter

    1 year ago

    Did I mention

    How many British Columbians are walking around with cancer who could have gotten help? How many will die because they where misdiagnosed is yet to fully realized and I find it surprising people of BC would want more of that kinda of treatment.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Frank, then gsarahs and finally morechatter

    Frank, I watch my stats. Many of those hits on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fif0HHHIrhE - Christy Clark On What New BCLib Leader Must Be - come from a BCNDP copier toner smear. My stats are open so people see I don't cheat. Also I find some of the corporate media milque toast and this website very anti-free market. I'm not asking to force my message, but let the BCLib messaging be heard in balance against the ranting of the 1-idea opposition of Dawn Black's BCNDP (read her Reply to the Throne and you'll see what I mean).

    gsarahs - Kevin Falcon is as polarizing as polarizing gets. He is witty, smart and a ladies' man. But he also is a hothead. Christy Clark is a talking head w/ two (2) functioning ears. George Abbott has let Rob Ford's mercenaries run his reputation for him w/ the smear ads.

    morechatter - I agree. Christy Clark is a true liberal, there to serve the public interest and fight valiantly for all. A valiant warrior against special interests of the left like the BCTF and the right like the Falcon 20/20. She is a maverick and as per the YouTube link before she promises real change - not HopeNChange, not just shuffling deck chairs.

  • bgreen

    1 year ago

    2nd choice vote

    as part of the weighted voting system, one must also vote for a second choice. As a suppporter of one of the 3 leading candidates should I select an also ran as my second choice. Does that make the second choice of de jong voters the deciding factor?

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    bgreen

    The weighted voting system is a completely separate issue from having to vote for a 2nd choice. In other words, having one doesn't demand the other.

    As I said earlier, the weighted voting system is simply giving all the ridings equal weight. So if there are only 30 Liberals in an interior riding their combined vote counts the same as one like Cloverdale where there's several thousand.

    I agree with you on the issue that seems to bother you, why should you have to select a 2nd choice? You should be able to say that there's only one candidate you'd be willing to vote Liberal for.

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    ChristyFan

    I understand why you'd find this website against what you believe but isn't it fair to say everyone here has already heard your side's message day after day and that's why they turned it off?

    I assure you the reason the Left exists isn't because we haven't watched enough of your youtube videos :)

    As for balance, this website is part of the balance needed. If you believe in balance then go get CKNW, CanWest Global, the Sun and the Province to hire some left-wing commentators. Those are the places that need balance.

    What I suspect is it isn't balance you want.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Frank

    I think CKNW has some moderate voices like Michael Smyth and the VanSun has Janet Staffenhagen not exactly a BCLibFan.

    PublicEyeOnline is also fair & balanced in coverage. Oh and Sean Holman is NO Roger Ailes... but the comment threads are so full of BCNDP ranting and raving, man I wish BCLibs would ask party members to comment and return fire to even the playing field in the marketplace of ideas.

  • gsarahs

    1 year ago

    Christy Fan

    In a previous entry in regards to Kevin Falcon, you would have read: "If all of the ideas coming from Kevin Falcon are as lame and unworkable as the concept of merit pay for teachers, we are in deep doo doo." I find him scary due to some of his ideas; him being on the right end of the spectrum; but he doesn't come across as being as confrontational & partisan, even if he may be!

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    gsarahs

    Well in Question Period Falcon still blurts out stuff... yeah, he IS confrontational.

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    ChristyFan

    Oh c'mon, have you ever read or listened to Michael Smythe when he talks about the NDP? Its never positive.

    As for Janet Staffenhagen, not exactly a name is she?

    So what it boils down to is you want the dominant party and its widely disseminated ideology to be stronger and the weaker party and its ideology which has already been pushed to the fringes to be weaker.

    By all means do so, just don't call it "balance".

  • gsarahs

    1 year ago

    All tarred with the same brush

    All of the Liberal candidates have stated that they are pro-HST, are all connected to Campbell; and so what if Christy hasn't been in government for awhile. All you had to do was listen to her on CKNW to realize that she was inline with Campbell's government and its ideas. I retired the day before the HST was implimented. Sorry, but while the HST maybe less cumbersome for business, why should the taxpayers all of a sudden have to shoulder 2 billion a year in a major shift of the tax burden from big business? Why hasn't there been any proposals for something that helps business as far as the red tape without screwing us, the populace? That is why I will be voting to get rid of the HST. My pension cost of living increase went up by 1/2 of a percent this year. What a joke when you look at the costs and tax increases being continually thrust on us!

  • Skywalker

    1 year ago

    Just maybe..

    ...this website has a shortage of pro liberal posters as Christy Fan Josef points out is that most of the liberal policies can not be defended by anything other than ideological rhetoric. Most of that has been proven wrong by the recent budget deficits and all the sleight of hand accounting methods attempting to hide it.

  • Cool Hand

    1 year ago

    Frank

    Since ya have a certain affixation with a poster within this thread, I thought that I would provide some further entertainment value in that regard. Meh, just can't help myself. ;)

    [LINK REMOVED FOR LEGAL CONCERNS. -MODERATOR.]

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Moderator

    I think Cool Hand is once again baiting commentors...

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Wow Frank

    That's some assertion. I like it. BCNDP weak? "Pushed to the fringes"?

    Time to start anew, eh?

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    ChristyFan

    Why would that be?

    Or are you saying we should all become right-wingers so that the media is nice to us?

    If that was the goal, then sure, but that isn't the goal.

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    Luke

    ChristyFan denies he's Josef who hangs out on the PublicEyeOnline site.

    They just happen to use the same grammatical style, the same cadence and both post homemade youtube videos attacking the NDP.

  • mary jane

    1 year ago

    get done

    It will be good the see / hear the last of this nonsense then cross your fingers they clean up their act HUMMM and be gone

  • crankypants

    1 year ago

    Great article Bill

    Vaughn Palmer wrote the same basic analysis in today's Vancouver Sun. Abbott is employing the only strategy that will give him a chance to win, and if he wasn't in it to win, then why enter?

    Whether his ploy works or not will be known in less than two weeks.

    I do have an interesting question. What if Christy were to prevail and none of the sitting BC Liberal MLAs were willing to step down in order for her to run in a by-election? I know that it is an unlikely scenario, but she only has the support of one sitting MLA, Harry Bloy. That sure doesn't sound as if she would necessarily be welcomed with open arms.

    February 26 may present more questions than answers.

  • zalm

    1 year ago

    One question

    How many Punjabi votes has the Queen of Rant Radio got in her corner?

    I smell yesterday's dinner leftovers hitting the dog's dinner bowl...

  • zalm

    1 year ago

    Falcon's the one for me

    This province needs another Yosemite Sam shootin' up the town trying to "git that varmint", the mean nasty socialist wabbit who won't stay dead.

    Aw, sometimes politics in this province is such farce. I can hardly wait for the NDP cartoon to begin....

  • happy

    1 year ago

    crankypants.

    She would just run in Gordo's riding. He's gone after they pick a new leader

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    How informative

    This is how the BCNDP conducts itself. Interesting... perhaps I should Dear Moderator start investigating who's who...

  • Frank

    1 year ago

    Christy Fan

    Why would you care? Its not like any of us do.

  • Tieleman

    1 year ago

    Stilwell backs out & backs George Abbott - Christy Fan?

    Interesting developments today with Moira Stilwell backing out of the BC Liberal leadership race and backing George Abbott, while Kevin Falcon adds endorsements from Margaret MacDiarmid and Ida Chong - but none seen for Christy Clark or Mike de Jong.

    Sorry to say Christy Fan but I'm not cheerleading for George or any of the candidates - I'm trying to explain what's happening from my experienced perspective being involved in and observing many leadership contests.

    With just one lonely MLA backing her, some might say I should be Christy Fan #2, as that situation could be deadly for the BC Liberal Party's electoral chances - but one Christy Fan is more than enough ;)

    More on my blog on this at: http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/2011/02/moira-stilwell-bails-to-george-abbott.html

    Where Christy Fan is welcome to weigh in too.

  • crankypants

    1 year ago

    Happy

    Gordon Campbell has not stated that he is resigning his seat, just his position as the leader of the BC Liberal Party.

  • Christy Fan

    1 year ago

    Thanks Bill

    Thanks Bill!

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