>So the much anticipated election piece that Maclean Kay and I wrote together about those running for Alderman of Ward 8 here in Calgary finally showed up on the website today. You can check it out here, or keep reading.
I’m going to post it on my blog as well because I really don’t like the formatting the Calgary Herald did and I want to make it a little easier to read. So I am going to split it up.
Thanks again to the Purple Perk!
LINDSAY LUHNAU
Her website
Maclean Kay: No entourage for Lindsay, but no posh accent either. I’m torn. Lindsay is relentlessly positive, despite repeated attempts to get her to dish some dirt on her opponents, or anyone else. I’m sure in private Lindsay has harsh words for, say, the late General Pinochet, but we sure weren’t going to hear them tonight. The closest we came to criticism was of her own YouTube campaign video, in which she’s apparently being interviewed by Andre the Giant. This was filmed in a back room surrounded by mulch, which you can’t see, but would have made for some wonderful ambiance.
Michael Morrison: I couldn’t agree more Maclean, as hard as we tried she wouldn’t spill the beans about anyone. So, instead we’ll have to base this piece on integrity and goodwill … boring. My favorite thing about Lindsay was her passion. If you asked her anything about the important issues she would put down her hot chocolate, sit up straight, get a big ol’ smile on her face and tell you all about her exciting ideas. In particular, she is passionate about curbside recycling for which she thinks that the city has let fallen by (excuse the pun) the curb.
Maclean Kay: You are excused. This time. She was also the first to make a serious attempt to buy the drinks, which was kind of cute. Lindsay also gave me an answer I’ve long suspected but never been able to confirm:
Maclean: So, as one political science grad to another, has any of it been useful now that you’re running for office?
Lindsay (instantly): No.
In your face, Carleton University! You’ll be hearing from me about a refund. The other thing that sticks out was her complete inability to disguise her disgust for people floating down the Elbow. We asked whether life-jackets should be mandated; she figures kneepads and hazmat suits would be more practical. Apparently it’s shallow, dirty, and not nearly as hardcore and extreme as the Bow. She is officially the first candidate to shame me into “going hard or going home.”
Michael Morrison: On a normal first date, I would be put off by some telling me to “go hard or go home.” But with Lindsay it was different. It was impossible not to like her, I mean sure she doesn’t own a TV or an iPod but, as we’ve learned from Badass, an alderman wouldn’t have the time for such luxuries anyway. Lindsay is charming and sincere. Okay, I’ll admit I’m crushing. I was also able to take a lot away from our short time together. Apparently there is a book called Secret Calgary that is a must have. There is also a Green Market on 17th Avenue on Sundays that I will have to check out.
Maclean Kay: Far be it from me to interrupt Mike’s journey of discovery or his burgeoning crush, but I don’t think he has much of a shot with Lindsay, who is not only happily married, but decided against running for federal office because it would keep her away from her hubby. That, and it’s environmentally irresponsible to fly so often. Somewhere, probably sipping champagne midair over Manitoba, Lee Richardson just exhaled in relief. Mike, if you really want to get serious about wooing her away, you’d better invest in some Ian Tyson CDs (she likes him “a lot, a lot, a lot”) and the latest version of Civilization, because she’s an RPG nut. For older readers, that’s role-playing game, not rocket-propelled grenade. Lindsay feels strongly about curbside recycling, but not that strongly.
Michael Morrison: As for Lindsay not wanting to run for federal politics, I think she might surprise herself. After all she is the one who started her campaign solely on giving the voters more choice but now, after knocking on doors all around Ward 8, honestly feels like she has an honest-to-goodness shot. I think Lindsay is ready to get things moving down there at City Hall, the first thing on her agenda? Shake hands with ol’ Bronco and get down to the business of urban sprawl. She feels that the way Calgary is growing it is not sustainable, and I couldn’t agree more. I have good friends who live in Calgary that would take me an hour to go and visit. If I lived on P.E.I., that would be like driving the entire length of Anne of Green Gables home and native land.
Maclean Kay: Yes, and part of her proposed solution was to evict the poor lawn bowlers from the Beltline lawn bowling club! Well, not evict, but “convince” them to bowl between rows of organic carrots, if they won’t just accept that a communal garden is the moral thing to do. You’d think she’d target mega-houses in Mount Royal or a golf course (do we have any in Ward 8?), but maybe she figures lawn bowlers can be to Calgary what Alberta is to Ottawa: convenient villains. She does concede that we’d have to fence our new communal garden to keep it from becoming a semi-permanent homeless camp.
Michael Morrison: I think Lindsay’s strategy of playing the “fair and nice” card is smart but she has to be careful to get rid of that attitude as soon as she steps into City Hall. As of this morning there are some other candidates that have some illegal signs scattered along Elbow Drive and Bow Trail? I honestly think Lindsay could handle it, just as long as you don’t bring up her grandmother. When I asked Lindsay about what she had given up the most of since she started campaigning, she took a deep breath and nearly whispered “time with her grandmother.” With that her cheeks turned red and her eyes gleamed with emotional tears. But don’t let that fool you, Lindsay said that while she’d never yell or get angry with a constituent, when it comes to other alderman it is a whole other story. Maybe they’ll duke it out on the rarely used lawn bowling courses. Oh, and did I mention she is pretty?
