10.19.2010 01:50 PM

Nenshi: the purple wave

I don’t think I have ever met the man.  But I so wish my Dad, who lived in – and loved – Calgary for thirty years, had lived to see this day. It is wonderful.

11 Comments

  1. ed says:

    Rossi could have been our Nenshi if he didn’t use wedge issues to divide the electorate early on.

  2. Bruce Marcille says:

    I’m from Montreal and live in Ottawa, and I know that this won’t make one bit of difference to the people who cling to their anti-Alberta blanket and deride everything from the West as a Red-neck, Sarah Palin, NRA plot. Face it, the West isn’t Toronto (thank God) but it sure is far more cosmopolitan then Toronto (all-men, all-white, leading the mayoral race) or “What is a Quebecer roaming commission Quebec would admit to. Sad, that the rest of the country will refuse to learn from Calgary.

  3. Still Anonymous says:

    Hey, Warren, your friend, Hudak, is running TV ads. Just saw one on CBC. They must have a ton of money.

  4. RR says:

    Nenshi was at McKinsey for something like ten years and handled some rather intimidating accounts, so the “pure academic” description in this case is inaccurate.

    • Namesake says:

      and quie apart from his Harvard Law Review & academic experience, Obama worked as a community organizer, and as a legal aid, and as a director of a nonprofit organization, and for a law firm, and on the board of a foundation for a number of years before entering politics, but, hey, let’s not bother Gord with little details like that which might spoil his comic book narratives.

      • Namesake says:

        Whatchou tulkin’ about, Willis? Obama was an Executive Director of a start-up nonprofit, which, um, IS administrative experience.

        “After four years in New York City, Obama was hired in Chicago as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago’s far South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988. During his three years as the DCP’s director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from US$70,000 ($141,564 in 2010) to US$400,000 ($735,648 in 2010). He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants’ rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.”
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama

        “In 1986, DCP was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization under the leadership of its first executive director, then community organizer and now President of the United States, Barack Obama.” http://www.dcpchicago.org/site/epage/86644_868.htm

  5. RR says:

    Sorry, six years. Mea culpa. Still, six years more in the real world than most politicians have.

  6. MCBellecourt says:

    It’s too early to tell how he’ll do, but he strikes me as one helluva smart guy. When interviewed by Evan Soloman, he quickly turned the ‘first Muslim mayor’ mishmash to mush, and instead delivered a Reader’s Digest version of the vision he has for the city. Not a bad interview for the four minutes given–in fact, the man is ultra-quick on his feet.

    I’m going to be watching–partly because I lived in the area for the first 15 years of life, and partly because I want to see just how much this *young* man is capable of. It’s been awhile since I’ve wanted to follow municipal politics like this, but this is something else.

  7. Shaun says:

    I’m confused … conservative Calgary just elected someone that is Harvard educated?

    • Namesake says:

      …and brown, and progressive AND Muslim. While Toronto’s new crown, er, clown prince is a pale-skinned, red-cheeked- & -necked university dropout who makes Premier Ralph look enlightened, in comparison.

      Interesting how this turns the Cons’ “Toronto elites” narrative on its ear, eh?

      So who wants to bet that PMS will suddenly rediscover his Toronto roots during the next election (if Ford doesn’t blow too many gaskets & crash the city into the wall before then)?

  8. Crocker Jarmon says:

    Watch out, WK has shown that whilst he abhors the right, he also doesn’t like Calgary bashing – see his defence of PMSH way back when the Libs were demonizing Alberta.

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