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Lawrence Martin on Mulcair:
"Firebrand Mulcair is the best bet to take on Harper"
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/firebrand-mulcair-i...
Language immersion is the only real answer;
I have good scholarly but not fluent use of a couple of languages, but have never lived in the countries concerned, hence a stagnation at "book" level;
for French, by contrast, I lived with a Quebec City family and really really struggled -- first exchange summer I "failed", I like to recall -- but then came the "click" into fluency....
that only comes with immersion, unless you are truly gifted
As for a national party leader, yes, it is very very important; after all, you have to communicate with your constituents.
I remember a hilarious routine that former PQ minister Gerald Godin did about Diefenbaker speaking to a crowd of paperworkers in Trois Rivieres... about his sweeping dreams, grand proposals -- "but no one understood a godamned word he was saying"
It had to happen sooner or later: CBC has started a poll asking who should be the next NDP leader. "Other" is currently in the lead.
By comparison, other potential leadership candidates don't stack up. Olivia Chow doesn't have the force of personality and doesn't speak good French. Given Quebec's importance, anyone not highly proficient in the language should not even apply for leadership consideration. Party president Brian Topp is bilingual and is shrewd, but has no active political experience, no Commons seat and is charisma-challenged. Paul Dewar is highly intelligent, a politician of integrity, but lacks brass and would be vulnerable to Mr. Harper in the same way as a Stéphane Dion.
Wow. Only three other potential leadership candidates? One of whom is not running, and another who has never run before. Martin could not come up with any other "potential leadership candidates"?
re CBC poll
"Someone else"" and "I don't care" are mounting strong campaigns to date ...
they could finish 1-2 on the final ballot
As usual, the Globe is knee-deep trying to game the result: Topp is a front runner but serious contenders like Peter Julian and Peggy Nash et al do not warrant a mention.
Meaghan Leslie - great person - not experienced enough - yet
Paul Dewer - great person - too gentle to confront Harper
Thomas Mulcair - don't let the main stream media tell you what to think of him, they are all anti NDP
Brian Topp - who is he? That's what Canadian will think
Charlie Angus - a real fighter for what's right
I am going to ask my NDP MP - he knows them all. He was right last time.
"As usual, the Globe is knee-deep trying to game the result: Topp is a front runner but serious contenders like Peter Julian and Peggy Nash et al do not warrant a mention."
Exactly. The establishment media has made their choice. Woebegone to those who do not follow their command.
Jean Chrètien was said to be incoherent in both official languages
Other ridings to target: Edmonton Mill Woods Beaumont, Edmonton Leduc, Calgary Centre, Calgary North-East, Calgary East, Yellowhead
It's nice to see our riding of Edmonton-Leduc in a list of hopefuls, as well as Nadine Bailey's Mill Woods Beaumont and Mark Wells' Yellowhead.
We'll keep trying!
Northern Alberta sent Grant Notley to Edmonton till he died in that plane crash so it's not all fallow territory.
http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/ndp-contender...
Now Brian Topp wants a longer leadership contest too.
It says that Topp has recused himself from the decisions around the convention.
The NDP will miss a great opportunity to showcase its "front bench" if the campaign is too short or has too few candidates. An April vote would allow the last debates to be in the context of the latest budget. Other than MSM talking heads has anyone else been pushing an early leadership vote?
And it would also help to showcase many more members of the NDP Caucus to Canadians, they would get to know them and have a sense of how an NDP Cabinet would look.
Libby Davies: What's Next for the NDP?
What's not to love?
The lack of details. Otherwise, it makes for good motivational reading.
Stockwell Day just gave a strong endorsement to Mulcair on P&P.
Boy that was a lively Firing Line wasn't it?
Um, it's an Op Ed, not a campaign platform.
With friends like that …
Layton letter not intended to block Mulcair: Chow
Read more: http://www.canada.com/Layton+letter+intended+block+Mulcair+Chow/5360779/story.html#ixzz1XE1BJePT
Incidentally, what did Day say?
Layton letter not intended to block Mulcair: Chow
Read more: http://www.canada.com/Layton+letter+intended+block+Mulcair+Chow/5360779/story.html#ixzz1XE1BJePT
Incidentally, what did Day say?
This is correct. French can be learned, but not by an NDP leader with the majority of its causcus from Québec.
Which, in a sense is too bad, because as someone else posted, Charlie Angus would have been one hell of a candidate. Word was he was considering running for the provincial leadership but wasn't willing to give up the national scope of arts issues or trample on his buddy Bisson's bid.
Thanks. I'd forgotten about Woodsworth-Irvine. I made the point in another thread that the only thing preventing some non-labour organizations from becoming affiliates is is a real (charitable status perhaps) or perceived need to remain non-partisan. Similarly some labour unions.
Brad Lavigne got him right worked up in a frenzy and then Day said, " the NDP will never hold Quebec and unless they elect Mulcair leader they will be in big trouble!"
So because I find Libby somewhat indecisive I'm the misogynist (while recommending another women for leadership),
but what it's ok for Mulcair to call Yves Duhaime a Péquiste slut?
This is foolishness. I thought it was widely recognized that Mulclair was to the right of the party, hence him and Libby as co-deputy leaders to appease both ends of the spectrum.
He vehemently defends Israeli apartheid and has attacked Libby over it. He server in Jean Charest's cabinet for christ sakes. Sure he got the boot, and some say it's over the fact he was too green for them, but it's not so simple as that. He was a minister in the government that really brought neo-liberalism to Quebec. Granted the PQ were going down that road before 03, but Charest's government was a whole new push.
You know who else was a Québec Liberal and went to McGill around the same time as Mulcair: Jack Layton.
What's worse, Jack Layton's father was a Mulroneyite, he comes from a family of Duplessistes, and he is from the plutocratic anglo suburbs of Montréal where he grew up at an anglo-only yacht club. We must stop this monster from becoming leader of the NDP...oh wait.
Not to stifle people's airings of legitimate concerns, but let's give every potential candidate a listen, they deserve an opportunity to speak for themselves.
Mulcair grew up in a humble family, he worked with many Federal NDPers in provincial Liberal roles in the National Assembly. He is a fan of Claude Ryan and a descendent of Honoré Mercier. Most of Québec believes he quit cabinet (was Environment Minister) over a shady deal to privatise and commercially exploit a provincial park. He toughed it out as an anglophone in the almost francophone-only Québec public service, and this as a person with a clear-as-day anglo accent. He has successfully put forward many nationalist proposals to defend the French language and he has fought fiercely against separation. He was born in Ontario to bicultural family.
Libby Davies is the most famous leftist in the NDP caucus. She is widely respected. She is a champion of unpopular but important causes and has a big heart, just like Jack Layton. If she had taken the time to learn French, she would be a leading contender, no doubt. Just look at how popular Svend Robinson was in Québec. Svend and Libby have/had very similar views, but Svend was bilingual and could take his message on the road in a way Libby can't.
You know who else was a Québec Liberal and went to McGill around the same time as Mulcair: Jack Layton.
What's worse, Jack Layton's father was a Mulroneyite, he comes from a family of Duplessistes, and he is from the plutocratic anglo suburbs of Montréal where he grew up at an anglo-only yacht club. We must stop this monster from becoming leader of the NDP...oh wait.
Not to stifle people's airings of legitimate concerns, but let's give every potential candidate a listen, they deserve an opportunity to speak for themselves.
Mulcair grew up in a humble family, he worked with many Federal NDPers in provincial Liberal roles in the National Assembly. He is a fan of Claude Ryan and a descendent of Honoré Mercier. Most of Québec believes he quit cabinet (was Environment Minister) over a shady deal to privatise and commercially exploit a provincial park. He toughed it out as an anglophone in the almost francophone-only Québec public service, and this as a person with a clear-as-day anglo accent. He has successfully put forward many nationalist proposals to defend the French language and he has fought fiercely against separation. He was born in Ontario to bicultural family.
Libby Davies is the most famous leftist in the NDP caucus. She is widely respected. She is a champion of unpopular but important causes and has a big heart, just like Jack Layton. If she had taken the time to learn French, she would be a leading contender, no doubt. Just look at how popular Svend Robinson was in Québec. Svend and Libby have/had very similar views, but Svend was bilingual and could take his message on the road in a way Libby can't.