Who are you choosing for mayor this election?

[Big Sky]

Who are you choosing for mayor in this election?

[Northern]

I would have chosen anybody but Nenshi, but I suppose that's what's Bill Smith is for.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Big Sky

Who are you choosing for mayor in this election?

I'm really disappointed in the quality of candidates running and our joke 30 day campaign cycle doesn't help. I'm definitely not voting for Nenshi for a number of reasons. I'm also definitely not voting for Bill Smith which I'm sure will shock the hell out of Suburbia and some others here. Do people not know this guy's background?! Why is he being held up by some as a great candidate when he couldn't even run the PC party and was in charge of it when it fell apart? I also will not vote for someone who if I don't know what they stand for or what they plan on doing. I'd rather Nenshi win than Smith especially if we can get rid of certain councilors such as Druh.

I might end up voting for Chabot but would love to know more about what his policies are.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I might end up voting for Chabot but would love to know more about what his policies are.

Good point. Only Nenshi has actually produced any policies and stances (which is what allowed outsiders such as Bettman to try and attack him).

Regarding your prior question about why the business people are propping him up, it is because he will do what they want.

[Western Spaghetti]

I'm voting for Smith, because it's the best chance to get rid of Spendshi. But yeah, his credentials are thin. Chabot is probably the best choice given his experience, and he seems a level headed guy. It's too bad it isn't a race between Chabot and Nenshi, it'd be an easy choice.

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I'm really disappointed in the quality of candidates running and our joke 30 day campaign cycle doesn't help. I'm definitely not voting for Nenshi for a number of reasons. I'm also definitely not voting for Bill Smith which I'm sure will shock the hell out of Suburbia and some others here. Do people not know this guy's background?! Why is he being held up by some as a great candidate when he couldn't even run the PC party and was in charge of it when it fell apart? I also will not vote for someone who if I don't know what they stand for or what they plan on doing. I'd rather Nenshi win than Smith especially if we can get rid of certain councilors such as Druh.

I might end up voting for Chabot but would love to know more about what his policies are.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Western Spaghetti

I'm voting for Smith [] But yeah, his credentials are thin.

Why are you voting for him exactly? While policy of his do you like?

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Western Spaghetti

I'm voting for Smith, because it's the best chance to get rid of Spendshi. But yeah, his credentials are thin. Chabot is probably the best choice given his experience, and he seems a level headed guy. It's too bad it isn't a race between Chabot and Nenshi, it'd be an easy choice.

I wish Smith wasn't running because it would make the choice easy. But a win for Smith would rejuvenate the worst aspects of the old PC party which would not be good. I want the NDP gone tomorrow but I also don't want to go from one disaster to another.

[Chinook Arch]

Originally Posted by Corndogger

I wish Smith wasn't running because it would make the choice easy. But a win for Smith would rejuvenate the worst aspects of the old PC party which would not be good. I want the NDP gone tomorrow but I also don't want to go from one disaster to another.

Agree. It;s funny so many people have chosen smith, and nobody has chosen Chabot. I think Chabot is the better candidate, but for some reason Smith is getting the attention.

[Chinook Arch]

Originally Posted by suburbia

Why are you voting for him exactly? While policy of his do you like?

Many people aren't voting for Smith, they're voting against Nenshi.

[BlaineN]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

Many people aren't voting for Smith, they're voting against Nenshi.

I've never understood this line of thinking.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

Many people aren't voting for Smith, they're voting against Nenshi.

Which could turn out very bad. Have people not learned anything over the last few years when it comes to revenge voting?

[outoftheice]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

Agree. It;s funny so many people have chosen smith, and nobody has chosen Chabot. I think Chabot is the better candidate, but for some reason Smith is getting the attention.

I would think that it's because several key players in the media have decided to make Smith the second challenger and I have no doubt this is due to his connections to the city's conservative establishment. I also think that his lack of offering anything of substance during this campaign may come back to bite him during these final two weeks as these same key media players tire of having nothing to write about and instead start to push Chabot as the conservative choice because Chabot at least has had things of substance to say.

[suburbia]

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

Many people aren't voting for Smith, they're voting against Nenshi.

I wasn't asking a generic question, rather was asking western spaghetti specifically, who out of the many candidates, selected a particular one to vote for who he him/herself stated hadn't put out any substantive policy.

Originally Posted by Chinook Arch

for some reason Smith is getting the attention.

It is because a bunch of billionaires have decided he'd be best (and easiest to manipulate). He is the Bettman/Murray candidate (IE people who do not pay Canadian taxes).

#NeoCitranHaze

[Tobyoby]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

I would think that it's because several key players in the media have decided to make Smith the second challenger and I have no doubt this is due to his connections to the city's conservative establishment. I also think that his lack of offering anything of substance during this campaign may come back to bite him during these final two weeks as these same key media players tire of having nothing to write about and instead start to push Chabot as the conservative choice because Chabot at least has had things of substance to say.

Not that I'm voting for Chabot, but I would far rather see him as mayor then Bill Smith.

[You Need A Thneed]

Chabot seems to not be trying very hard, he easily should have been able to stick out as the “alternative” candidate. And he absolutely would be a better candidate than Smith. At least he’s qualified to do the job, and knows what the job takes.

Chabot isn’t really a visionary though, and he’d be pretty boring.

Smith doesn’t seem to think that having policy is necessary, and the limited policy he’s talked about hasn’t been good.

Nenshi has been a fantastic mayor, who has gotten a lot done, and all the while keeping taxes low, and increases to a minimum. He is the best candidate, and it’s not even remotely close.

No one else has even the slightest chance of being in the top three, never mind winning.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by You Need A Thneed

Chabot seems to not be trying very hard, he easily should have been able to stick out as the “alternative” candidate. And he absolutely would be a better candidate than Smith. At least he’s qualified to do the job, and knows what the job takes.

Chabot isn’t really a visionary though, and he’d be pretty boring.

Smith doesn’t seem to think that having policy is necessary, and the limited policy he’s talked about hasn’t been good.

Nenshi has been a fantastic mayor, who has gotten a lot done, and all the while keeping taxes low, and increases to a minimum. He is the best candidate, and it’s not even remotely close.

No one else has even the slightest chance of being in the top three, never mind winning.

Concerning the bolded part above, I'd say only his most ardent supporters would agree with what you said. Tax increases under Nenshi have been excessive and that's not including all of the huge increases in fees and new mandatory fees which are taxes. It's debatable if he's the best candidate but this field leaves a lot to be desired.

As for Chabot, I agree that he doesn't seem to be trying. For someone who declared his candidacy six months ago he's done next to nothing to build up his brand image and doesn't appear to have done much fundraising. It's like he was expecting to win based solely on the anti-Nenshi vote. I wish he had decided to run again for council as he's been effective.

[outoftheice]

New poll shows Bill Smith in the lead in the race for mayor.

Poll shows Bill Smith ahead of Naheed Nenshi in 'two-horse race'

By Annalise Klingbeil , Postmedia
Friday, September 29, 2017

A new poll has cast the mayoral race as a two-horse contest, with lawyer Bill Smith leading over incumbent Naheed Nenshi.

Pollster Quito Maggi said the final two weeks before the Oct. 16 election won't be the cakewalk Nenshi enjoyed in 2013, when he soared to victory with 74 per cent of the vote to win his second term in office.

"It’s a big uphill battle for the mayor," said Maggi. "It's going to be an interesting closing two weeks."

The Mainstreet Research/Postmedia poll for the Calgary Herald/Calgary Sun shows Smith with 42 per cent backing in the survey of 1,000 Calgarians, and Nenshi nine points behind with 33 per cent support.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/09/29...two-horse-race

I agree with the following quote from the article.

"Nenshi's supporters vote," Bratt said. "Do critics of Nenshi vote? We'll find out on Oct. 16." 

It's looking increasingly more likely that the race for mayor will be decided by which side can convince their voters to actually show up at the polls. Will it be conservative voters who will use the mayoral election to vent their frustration at a province run by the NDP and a city run by Nenshi or will it be progressive Calgarians who are worried that without Nenshi the city will return to a place of low taxes, building interchanges and not much more. It will be interesting to see what happens but if I were Nenshi I'd be worried.

[jc_yyc_ca]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

It's looking increasingly more likely that the race for mayor will be decided by which side can convince their voters to actually show up at the polls. Will it be conservative voters who will use the mayoral election to vent their frustration at a province run by the NDP and a city run by Nenshi or will it be progressive Calgarians who are worried that without Nenshi the city will return to a place of low taxes, building interchanges and not much more. It will be interesting to see what happens but if I were Nenshi I'd be worried.

That and even these numbers here are bad. He's in the lead here, barely..but this is not a conservative site, and that large number of undecided are voters probably not voting for Nenshi. They're waiting to decide between Smith and Chabot.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by jc_yyc_ca

That and even these numbers here are bad. He's in the lead here, barely..but this is not a conservative site, and that large number of undecided are voters probably not voting for Nenshi. They're waiting to decide between Smith and Chabot.

Vote splitting might be the only thing to save Nenshi but a lot can happen in the last weeks. I expect this to get very nasty with the media/press doing whatever they can to destroy Smith.

[Corndogger]

Originally Posted by outoftheice

New poll shows Bill Smith in the lead in the race for mayor.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2017/09/29...two-horse-race

Poor Chabot:

"Chabot, who currently represents Ward 10, is thought of favourably by just 20 per cent of respondents, while nearly one in five respondents weren't familiar with who he is, and 32 per cent of people think unfavourably of him."