babble is rabble.ca's discussion board but it's much more than that: it's an online community for folks who just won't shut up. It's a place to tell each other — and the world — what's up with our work and campaigns.
Support rabble | Advertise with us | Contact our staff | About rabble | Log-in or Register for a new account | Corrections | Privacy policy | Newsfeeds | Mailing lists
rabble: Features | Columnists | In Cahoots | Blogs | Books | Photos | What's Up | Polls
babble: Forum Topics | Active Topics
The rpn: About the RPN | Become a podcaster
rabbleTV: Program Guide | Features | Indie Inside | Best of the net
Copyright © 2001-2013 the authors
Syndicate
It seems the theme of the day is to not rush the leadership race. I am open to having my mind changed on this, but I'm feeling a bit contrairian about the issue.
The current leadership vaccum makes me nervous. There are all kinds of pitfalls we can get trapped into without a strong sense of direction. The recent media mischef over a possible merger is just one such issue that becomes harder to manage without a permanent leader.
I think a leadership vote in early February gives the NDP a five month campaign. We settle federal elections in five weeks, surely we can decide our leadership in five months and not longer?
I too want to see campaigns sign up members, especially in Quebec. But I think five months gives plenty of time for some of that to happen.
And speaking as someone who may end up supporting Mulcair - he is going to have to prove he can get votes in the rest of Canada to get my vote. So I think it's not entirely bad that he starts with a disadvantage in his home province.
I think it is good for the cause of democracy in general to encourage NPD membership sales in Quebec. The NDP needs more members in Quebec so they can put up a decent showing in a leadership contest. Being able to pick a leader is a compelling reason to buy a Party membership.
I really don't understand this idea that a long drawn out affiar somehow translates into more membership sales. Speaking from a marketing stance, a limited time offer, with a deadline fast approaching is far more likely to get people to sign up than some longish affair. It will also mean that serious contenders will have to work very hard, which could/should translate into a sense of excitment and building. I think the latest date should be March/April, sooner being much better. I totally fail to see how tighter timelines puts Quebec membership sales at a disadvantage. To me it suggests better get signed up now, rather than putting it off and forgetting about it.
What leadership vaccum would that be? Let's not forget that the NDP currently has a leader, her name is Nycole Turmel, and she will do just fine in that role while we plan for the future.
I think I am inclined to support Olivia, if she chooses to run.
We have an Interm Leader, which is a very different thing than a Leader.
A permanent Leader has authority and respect that comes from having run and won a nation-wide leadership contest. A permanent Leader has powers that come from the fact he/she will be in place for awhile, not just a few months - and therefore has the ability to influence what MPs say to the public. And he/she has the ability to be something of a 'final word' on an issue, and not just say something that can be reviewed in a few months when someone else is in the chair.
Nicole Turmel can claim to speak for the NDP, but whatever she says can be reversed by the new leader. In the eyes of the caucus, the media, and perhaps even the public, this amounts to a lack of gravitas that would be helpful as our opponents throw things at us.
I don't think there's much likelihood of Turmel creating division in the caucus, but I do think the media will promote whatever angle it thinks will best depress support for the NDP. There's not much to be done about that, until we get a better media.
Whenever the convention, we'll undoubtedly have a new leader before the Liberals. Let's not forget that.
CAW head cries for merger.
Unions will probably get a lesser % for this in the leadership race.
I renewed my membership - does that mean I get a vote?
It helps if there is a more developed organization in order to solicit these memberships, and it is to some extent a chicken and egg thing I think. I was stuck by Caplan's interpretation of similar timelines to the 2003 Leadership race; I hadn't thought of it that way. If there is to be a Leadership Convention/gathering to coincide with the Leadership election, April is not the best time for University students. Maybe March would be a good compromise, but when might the Conservatives bring down a budget?
By which, of course, you mean "dead set against".
God forbid the NDP should tolerate a leader who supports a provincial socialist party in Quebec, like that nasty traitor Turmel!
I vote and belong to the QS, so I'm not about to criticise Turmel for it in any way.
But because the QS supports independence (in some form, and not as the top priority of the party), I understand the reasons that membership is problematic for a federal party leader. And while most of the members and activists of QS are socialists, the party's declaration of principles does not specifically endorse socialism.
It is a reflection of the complications of left wing politics in Quebec, where the intersection of the national question and socialism/social democracy means that people have to deal with the contradictions - many left federalists have voted for separatist parties (QS, BQ, PQ, UFP, PDS, RAP, etc...) and many sovereignists have voted for federalist parties (especially the NDP in 2011, but also smaller socialist parties and the Greens).
Unfortunately, these nuances really don't translate well outside Quebec, and as a result, belonging to a sovereignist party is probably a disqualifier for a federal leader.
I'm sure you meant "...having once belonged to a sovereignist party" since once in the NDP you can not belong to another political party - the form I signed at my renewal said so.
The latest from Mulcair:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/business/Delay%2Bleadership%2Brace%2Brunning%2BMulcair/5346401/story.html
I understand that. Indeed, that is why I was offended by your seeking to make a virtue out of being "dead set" against voting for QS in a Quebec provincial election.
It seems only the QS and the PQ get this "untouchable" treatment from the NDP. When it comes to members who were former cabinet ministers in the provincial Liberal government, there seems to be no such concern to rule them out as potential party leaders. I find that offensive and hypocritical.
I'm not sure what you mean by "untouchable", the current interim leader of the federal NDP was once a member of the BQ and QS and that didn't stop her from being named interim leader - what exactly do you mean?
Romeo Saganash declares his interest, says he'll make a final decision after the party decides on the rules:
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20110902/romeo-saganash-ndp-leadership-...
Saganash is a super guy - I wonder how well known he is outside this riding? Mulcair has the advantage - he's appeared nation-wide on P&P many times.
My understanding of that rule is that you can't belong to another federal party, or to another provincial party that competes against the NDP. But since there is no provincial NDP in Quebec (or in Nunavit or the NWT), there is no conflict in joining QS. (I hope that's the case, since I belong to both the NDP and QS.)
That's why the NDP didn't create a Quebec section a few years ago. Most of the NDP voters federally would vote for QS provincially, and with a provincial section of the NDP, the rules about supporting other parties come into play, and most would have chosen QS.
I think the issue here is not what is "legal" or not in terms of memberships in other parties. I think the issue is that having a permanent leader who was very recently a member of a pro-Quebec sovereignty party would be like shooting fish in a barrel for the Tories! Can you imagine the attack ads???
vermonster is right. The NDP Member Declaration specifically says "I hereby state that I am not a member nor supporter of any other federal political party, nor a member or supporter of any other provincial or territorial party where there is a provincial or territorial NDP."
Okay, that settles it. I can join QS without compromising my NDP federal membership.
Karl Belanger's name is being floated.
Glen McGregor at the Ottawa Citizen is citing unnamed party sources (of course) saying that he is being urged to run.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Layton%2Bformer%2Bpress%2Bsecretary%2B...
A young bilingual Francophone from Quebec who has been around the political track for a while is an intriguing twist (as opposed to the Anglophone Quebecers Mulcair and Topp being pushed).
While I have been impressed with the work he did with Jack, I really don't know what I think of him as a potential leadership candidate. His entire political identity is wrapped up in his role with Layton, so I have no idea what his political beliefs or capabilities on his own really are. (I've run into him over the years at party events, but don't know him in the least, at least not enough to have an opinion.)
Would he bring anything to the race? Is he leadership material?
Is it just me, or is it solely the ridiculous self-centred Ottawa media "Hill" culture which is promoting people like Belanger and Topp as the next NDP leader?
If the Ottawa Citizen is right about an article saying Karl Bélanger is being encouraged to run, then all I have to say is Go Canadiens go!
No, it's not just you.
The media forces that are absolutely scared of the possibility of an NDP victory in the next federal election are throwing every name they can out to the public, along with the constant bombardment of Liberal-NDP merger talk, to hopefully get Canadians to think twice next time about voting NDP (Stay with the Devils you know, people...don't go with the Devils you don't know!!!).
You need only read the Chronicle Herald here in Nova Scotia to see how one-sided their perspective is.
Get used to it, because there's going to be much more between now and Election Day 2015!