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Another day, another drive-by
June 4, 2011 - 10:30am
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Nice to see the Toronto Star reverting to type. If you can't big up the Liberals, attack the NDP.
I have trouble deciding if this sort of stuff is trying to take the NDP down directly, or whether it's like ack-ack and meant to spoil our view of the target (become an effective opposition).
I say let them attack all they want. If there is anyone in Canada who is capable of rising to this challenge it's Jack and the Quebec caucus. The Star does't get it. Bring ti on!
The Star is of course on the wrong side of the Quebec question, but the article does serve to illustrate the contradictions and inconsistencies inherent in the NDP's trying to appeal to both Quebec nationalism and English-Canadian chauvinism.
The Party is going to have to get used to this kind of attack until it comes up with a clear and consistent position on Quebec that doesn't involve straddling the fence. It's going to be a long, painful process, and as I have predicted elsewhere, it will tear the party apart.
@M Spector:
I don't believe your assertions. I think the NDP is a different party from the others, and I think people will be surprised.
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
I don't see the party's position as particularly fence-straddling, and I don't believe the internal tensions are that great.
There's been no equivocation about the NDP being a federalist party. The Sherbrooke Declaration wasn't cooked up overnight, though that's about as long as pundits have been paying attention to it. There's just something rattling to this country's English Language chattering class about "Defending Quebec's interest." MPs can talk all they like about defending Newfoundland's interests, or Alberta's, or BC's, and they won't be accused of pandering or playing with fire.
I'm optimistic that Canadians are ahead of their media on this.