How Alberta PC Leadership Candidate Rick Orman Insulted Me

August 15, 2011 10:55 pm 5 comments

Rick, if you’d like to know more about me, I’d like to refer you to this link on our website.  I mean every word of it.  Here’s what I experienced with you this evening.

True to the form I’ve witnessed from you already, you showed little respect for those with whom you were communicating with. Now the other Alberta PC leadership candidate that was involved in our discussion is probably much more aware of your abrasiveness since he’s clearly met you, and might be willing to forgive your ignorance towards him, although I certainly won’t speak for him.

However, I’m an Alberta taxpayer and voter, someone who a leadership candidate for the PC’s or any Alberta political party should consider respecting.  I also own two companies, fusedlogic and fusedlogicTV inc.  I admit, I’ve not generated the same type of tycoon status in business that you have Rick, in fact, we’re just this tiny little company out in Sherwood Park, Alberta working hard as a team to make a living.  Your status has clearly emblazoned you with an arrogance that countless millions of dollars can provide. (I’m not saying all millionaires are assholes to be sure.)

Having said that, I tried to see past your arrogance tonight on Twitter, and give you the benefit of the doubt.  I even warned you to conduct yourself as if media was watching our exchange.  Despite that, you openly insulted a voter who hasn’t made up his mind yet AND you did it in fine style by leveraging the realtime web like a complete neophyte.  You don’t think we here at fusedlogic have “any distribution?”  We do.  Do you think being ignorant towards a voter isn’t news?  To some it just might be.  That I don’t care about.

You deliberately disrespected me by not answering my questions directly.  On Twitter, and frankly anywhere else in civil society that’s a direct insult.  Rick Orman, you acted like a pompous ass.  Now we all do from time to time, Lord knows I certainly have, and I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.  However, when Albertans take a look at your twitter stream by going to search.twitter and searching #pcldr hashtag tonight, they’ll see that you intentionally ignored me when I was being respectful but firm in not allowing you to avoid my direct question about agreeing to come on fusedlogicTV along with Doug Griffiths and have a one to one debate on the issue the two of you were discussing.  Now sure, it’s your prerogative not to answer me for any number of reasons.  Especially if I was being grossly disrespectful.  I admit I was calling you out for being evasive about the invitation, and you still are.  Most recently also to Griffiths based on his last tweet regarding this issue.

So here’s the thing, I own fusedlogicTV, you want to be on it, you’ve got to respond to me publicly on Twitter with an apology.  Mr. Orman, I don’t care who you are, you don’t treat people like you did me tonight.  If you want to be leader of the Alberta PC Party, you need to learn some humility and manners.  Secondly, you sure as hell won’t be rewarded after insulting me with a special opportunity to promote your campaign free of charge on my network which will then be shared with mainstream media, bloggers and website owners.   Who the hell do you think you are?  I’ve told you who I am, I’m a honest, hard working Albertan with a family and I’m a voter, just like millions of others.  Including Stuart Thomson I suspect, who beat me to publishing a blog post about tonight’s exchange.

Rick, I already knew you clearly had a lot to learn about the social web, but I never thought I’d have to remind you of your manners as well.  Albertans will decide once reading this and the information provided whether they liked your demeanour and value it in their choice for leader of the PC Party.

  • Tim Gordon

    I am certainly not a Rick Orman fan and he almost certainly will not be receiving my vote for leader of the party. However, I don’t think Mr. Schwabe realizes that in an effort to be funny or “cute” with his tweets tonight, it actually came across as insulting and unfortunately I feel like he left me sympathizing with Mr. Orman. The cat on the keyboard crack or the stating “watch what you say because……” stuff turned me off Mr. Schwabe’s points. Really riding someone on the spot to commit to a debate to be produced by a company I’m sure Mr. Orman has no experience with (and may want to research before saying one way or the other) doesn’t seem to match the level of professionalism that is being asked for in return.

    • http://twitter.com/fusedlogic Walter Schwabe

      Tim, thanks for your thoughts.  I agree the “cat on your keyboard” was a bit sarcastic.  Having said that, my intent in offering both candidates a live debate wasn’t an attempt to be funny or cute…Also, everyone (who’s not anonymous like you are here that is) should always act as if media is paying attention.  That’s a solid warning, which I provided not once, but twice.  Also, if you believe Orman’s actions in ignoring me were justified, I understand but don’t agree.  Doug Griffiths didn’t seem to have an issue with an immediate response, but as you say Orman hasn’t had any direct experience with us.  So, if he wanted to do some homework, which is completely fair, then communicate that to person who made the offer…In fact, he could have politely asked me to provide more information which I would have done gladly.  That direct response to me would have showed me and Griffiths the respect and this issue wouldn’t have been an issue most likely.  Instead, he took the road he did throughout the entire exchange…

  • Skeptical Albertan

    Walter, I understand how and why you think you have been slighted. But get over it.

    Yes, Orman could have responded to you. But because he didn’t isn’t worthy of this soapbox rant. And bringing his success in the oilpatch as one of the reasons that Orman didn’t respond is childish. And I don’t blame Orman for being skeptical of fusedlogicTV – I’m in the media business and have never heard of you. And when I went to your website, this is one of your lead TV stories:Brazilian Waxes, Cleaning Butts, Belts and ToysDoesn’t do a lot to bolster credibility in fusedlogic TV as a serious news outlet. Frankly, your response and overreaction to the Twitter debate confirms my suspicions on the credibility of your network.

    • Lance

      You should maybe go to fusedlogic.tv, or actually do more research than reading a headline…

      • http://twitter.com/fusedlogic Walter Schwabe

        Skeptical Albertan – We’re not a “serious news outlet” so we wouldn’t have credibility as such.  We do have an audience, we do have reach and impact.  We are a live streaming network that lends airtime to stories that mainstream media most likely wouldn’t.  We’re an alternative.  And I’d have to agree with Lance, we’re definitely more than headlines…When is a blog post an “overreaction?”  I’m showing you respect here despite you not showing it to me or this audience by being anonymous, and you didn’t take a moment to really check into the company or person you were slagging much the same as Orman.  This says quite a bit about “your credibility” doesn’t it?