Gutsy, but will it work?

Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark is on the warpath. His target is the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (formerly the Reform party). Originally, Reformers had hoped the CRCA would represent an alliance between Reform and the PCs, thus ensuring the right wing vote would no longer be split between two parties. However, Clark spurned their overtures. At the time, he probably felt safe in doing so, since it looked like Reform was going to self-destruct. These days, however, the CRCA is stronger than ever, and Clark has had to watch helplessly as several high profile Conservatives jump ship and join the Reformers.

Now Clark is fighting back. He launched the attack at a party fundraiser held in Ottawa. Calling the Alliance a party of extremists, he criticized their tactics, referring to them as "the politics of division." As for CRCA policies, Clark dismissed those as "homophobic, racist, anti-French." For Albertans, however, the high point of his speech came when he challenged the Alliance to run against him in a byelection in Calgary Centre.

A bit of background is in order. According to recent newspaper articles, strategists within the Alliance have been tinkering with the idea of having Calgary Centre Alliance MP Eric Lowther resign his seat. This would create a vacant seat for the winner of the race for the leadership of the Alliance Party (assuming that the victor is not Preston Manning, who already has a seat). The Alliance could then challenge Joe Clark to run against the newly-crowned leader in a by-election.

An interesting scheme, albeit one with a few flaws, not the least of which is Mr. Lowther's understandable reluctance to meekly step aside. However, it appears Clark has beaten them to the punch. While the PC leader hasn't said for certain that he will run in Calgary Centre, he has dared the Alliance to run their leader against him there in a byelection. "Bring them on," Clark challenged, sounding as if he relished the thought of going one on one against the head of Canada's other right wing party.

This is certainly a gutsy move by Clark. But is it a wise one? If the Alliance takes up the gauntlet, the PC leader will either win big, or be humiliated. There is no doubt that Clark has a very good chance of defeating one of the candidates. Tom Long, a former Tory and backroom boy who helped bring the Mike Harris government to power in Ontario, is virtually unknown in Alberta. Despite the fact that Alberta is the heartland of Reform, voters might favor Clark. On the other hand, Clark would have a much tougher time defeating Stockwell Day, a Red Deer native who is on a leave of absence from his job as Alberta Treasurer while he chases his dream of leading a federal party. (If he succeeds, the leave of absence will become permanent). Not only is Day a known quantity, like Tom Long he is seen by many as having that critical ability to win Ontario seats. If voters in Calgary Centre have deserted the ruling Liberals, they may still want to throw their weight behind the party they believe will form the Official Opposition.

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