FORSETH – Tyee is never going to have much good to say about Conservatives
John Rustad.
FRIDAY MORNING the Tyee had a news story headlined, “Expect Things to Get Even Worse for the BC Conservatives. Rustad’s gone. Next a divisive, unpredictable leader race.”
Now let’s be serious … the Tyee is never going to have much positive to say about ANY conservative party … whether the federal Conservatives, or the provincial Conservative Party of BC — which is why I believe this story simply panders to the left side of the political spectrum that they tend to target with their stories.
Do I believe there will be candidates, letting their names stand, that will be divisive? I’d be a fool not to. That said, I believe there will be a range of candidates who will in fact be able to resonate with members and supporters that make up the membership of the BC Conservatives.
I also believe that in the mix of candidates will be individuals who will be able to rise above petty, narrow, and conflict-ridden politics that can at times completely derail doing what actually most important … appealing to the majority of B.C. residents necessary to WIN an election!
It has been a long time since the party actually had a leadership race with multiple candidates, and so there will be bound to be a few hick-ups along the way. Regardless, I look forward to the weeks ahead and the opportunity see who will let their name stand, and hopefully even find a candidate I can not only support, but work on their campaign.
So, to The Tyee, I’ll just say my fingers are crossed that you are wrong … and let the leadership race begin.
Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident. For 40 years he has been active, in a number of capacities, in local, provincial and federal politics, including running as a candidate for the BC Reform Party in the 1996 provincial election. He is secretary of the Conservative Party of B.C. He blogs at Thoughts on BC Politics and More.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
It is amazing how the passage of time makes some past leaders look really good compared to the present gang… we must remember that they were not really good but some of their ideas were.
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The Tyee is spot on in their assessment. The Tyee article presents a factual account of the BC Conservative Party’s internal chaos, highlighting the opportunistic backroom deal with BC United that allowed candidates to switch sides, often prioritizing electoral viability over ideological consistency. These are “carpetbaggers” abandoning principles for personal or political gain, as evidenced by the mix of former moderates and extremists in their ranks, leading to factional infighting and expulsions.
The article isn’t particularly “kind” portraying the party as dysfunctional and unlikely to unify effectively for future elections. Conservative supporters like Forseth dismiss it as biased left-wing pandering, but he does not refute the core facts, instead he emotionally is expressing optimism about the leadership race resolving divisions which is typical of Forseth. He has written many articles none supported by the chaos described.
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So what you’re saying is that the BC Liberal/United/Social Credit Party will complete the coup and the interior Conservatives will once again be out on their asses as soon as the convention rolls around, ok. I’m sure everything will run smoothly with the coast running the party.
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