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Annoyed because he stole the limelight; alarmed because he is so ridiculously well organized.

“A number of delegates expressed concern about that,” said candidate and PC MLA Richard Starke about the busing in of delegates. “I think that politics done the old way was rejected by Albertans in 2015. Albertans expect us to do politics differently and I think some of what we saw (Saturday) reflects the old way of doing politics and it doesn’t fly with Albertans. And it doesn’t fly with most members of our party.”

Kenney was making no apologies for arriving with his own cheering section.

“I’m confident that the vast majority of Progressive Conservatives will be delighted, for example, to see hundreds of new young people joining the party to participate,” he told journalists.

There was no opportunity for candidates to challenge or question each other. It was just as mind-numbingly dull as it sounds.

If nothing else, Kenney’s show of force has set a fire under his competition.

Speaking off the record, organizers with some of the other campaigns said they were looking at ways to help each other during the four-month race.

It would appear the anybody-but-Kenney movement has already begun rather than waiting for the leadership convention on March 18.

But it wasn’t as though the non-Kenney candidates themselves were doing a group hug on stage Saturday night during the contest’s first leadership forum.

The six candidates were asked to speak for two minutes each on a series of issues including the economy, education and the environment.

There was no opportunity for candidates to challenge or question each other.