This is getting pretty disturbing. It's like a reflection of the Tea Party's takeover of the GOP here just in a different party.
Kind of, but I'd the WRP is more like mainstream Republicans, while the Tories (especially under Redford) are like mainstream Democrats.
I think your Canadian bias is coming out here.
The WRP is almost a carbon copy of the latest dominant wave of movement conservatism down here in the states. It does have a distinctly western flavor and reminds me a lot of the modern Idaho GOP's rhetoric. In general, Albertan politics reminds me of Idahoan politics in style, rhetoric and even the demographic divides to an extent. The PCs are like perceived RINOs in Idaho. Some of them are simply attached to an older form of conservatism that doesn't worship market dogma and some of them are legitimate moderates. The Grits are like the old strain of moderate (DLC that control the party) and conservative Democrats (assorted legislators, Cecil Andrus). The NDP/CCF are like the up and coming progressive Democrats of Boise but who have had a long past in various populist and labor movements.
I'm probably really off base here though.
