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Surrounded by his own supporters for much of the evening, there was a noticeable physical gap between Kenney’s crowd and the rest of the Red Tories. In a room filled with cowboy hats and jangly earrings, potstickers and beer, Kenney — an apparently legendary retail politician — managed to alienate or ignore several key PC executives, organizers and volunteers.

“I introduced myself, told him what my political role was in the community and said I’d like to meet my opposition face-to-face but I wished him well on the campaign trail,” said Debra Janzen, an attendee and long time volunteer and supporter with both the federal Conservatives and provincial PCs. “He turned and walked away.”

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Janzen said she was surprised Kenney made no attempt to talk to her or win her support instead.

She was also one of the Conservatives who was disappointed by Harper’s endorsement of Kenney at his Stampede BBQ the over the weekend. “I thought the event was a very well deserved thank you to Mr. Harper,” she said. “But rather than celebrating that, he chose to bring up the Alberta situation. It’s not federal, it’s political, and he chose to promote Jason Kenney as the next premier of Alberta even though the leaders of both the (Wildrose and PCs) were in that crowd.”

Granted, the disaffection of a few Calgary Red Tories may not be able to stop a well-funded, well-organized Kenney campaign; but rumours continue that at least six potential PC leadership candidates are hoping to stymie his plan to unite the right. Further, old foes from across conservative party lines may be uniting to ensure that an anybody-but-Kenney candidate wins.