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
I don't know why NorthReport has become such an anti-Topp partisan. It's interesting to recall NorthReport's posts from the NDP Leadership 16 thread:
It's worth noting that at that point, "Topp's campaign so far" largely consisted of being endorsed by Ed Broadbent.
I was, in those days, something of a critic of Topp, while NorthReport was something of a fan. It's a funny old world, isn't it?
Dear NorthReport, here is my ballot:
1. Peggy Nash
2. Niki Ashton
3. Nathan Cullen
4. Paul Dewar
Notice something? Look who it's missing. The Mulcair supporters have outed themselves to be as vicious as the Topp ones but have only come out when they have been cornered instead of going on the offensive like Topp did. If the party remains divided both the Mulcair and Topp camps are going to be responsible. Like I said I was willing to put Mulcair fairly high on my ballot but people like you have blown it for him, and you still haven't responded to my original points.
NS you are not fooling anyone but yourself. Read Unionist's comments.
35 + 6 (Jack Layton & the leadership candidates) = 41
I think I may have made a counting error and there were indeed 42.
If you count Mulcair as his own endorser, he has the same number of caucus supporters from 2007-2011, as Brian "Blitzkrieg" Topp.
I don't think Topp will be on the final ballot. And throwing support behind him won't work anywhere near as well as it would in a delegated leadership convention, even if they were so inclined.
While I continue to have respect for Ed Broadbent in his ongoing fight for social equality, I have strong reservations about his judgement even though his decency and evident concern for people helped the NDP become very popular in 1988. In what I consider the single most influential issue affecting Canada's economic and social environment in the last 100 years, the 1988 Free Trade deal, he was so cautious in his criticism of it during the 1988 election that he allowed the arguably most right-wing corporate lawyer Liberal leader ever, Turner, to appear to be the more fervent defender of Canada's interests, thereby blowing the NDP's lead in polls over the Liberals and its chance to become the Official Opposition, as well as helping Mulroney to win the election and introduce free trade. While I concede that Mulcair has some flaws, as do all the candidates, I therefore do not place much stock in Broadbent's criticism of Mulcair.
And if it persists after the race is over.
My apologies - I didn't realize there was a new thread - I just refreshed this one and saw it wasn't closed yet. I'll post in the new thread!
Can we reach 200 posts?
No we're the opposition, and we're just getting warmed up, you watch.
Ed was spanking the bad Liberal puppy publicly for his centrism, so that he doesn't go out and hump Tory legs like bad puppy Liberals of the past. He's reassuring lefties like me, letting us know that Mulcair is not going to swing to the centre and leave us dry. None of the candidates will be able to do that - the base is left. It was an intelligent message.
Suggestions towards centrism are unfortunate, probably accidental ejaculations that can make people lose respect for us and forget who we are - or perhaps the centrism notion was someone dipping their toes in the water to see how it felt - maybe it was a comment Mulcair didn't want to be committed to publicly - so it remains a mere 'suggestion', battled over democratically and publicly, that can be dismissed in the future (even if 'some' centrist behaviours still exist in his repertoire - see it allows a smidge of centrism for the leader, whoever, but always in the minds of voters, we're social democrats, not Liberals).
The NDP has gotta have guys there with Ph.D's in communications and poli sci behind the scenes suggesting approaches and the big guns adjusting the dialog as the public reacts. I would if I were them. These guys aren't bumping around in the dark you know.
The convention is where the healing happens, I would presume. Just an FYI - When Ed ran the Shwa, it was the tightest, most involved community around, sorta like this one. He thinks ahead, these gals/guys learn from their mistakes and I think they want to win, so if you are betting types, you can bet there aren't a lot of undiscussed communications. They bounce things off each other for the team, but keep the friendly competition alive for the main event, without loss of people. You can't have a leadership battle without rules of engagement.
Is that 200?
Why Mulcair Should Be the Next NDP Leader - by Gerald Caplan
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/gerald-capla...
"...Thomas Mulcair has that indefinable royal jelly in a way that none of the others do."
Ok Gerald Caplan gets +1 for the royal jelly comment. He will beat the tories if he's up against them. So would Topp.
I'm not sure we want to bring the monarchy into our discussions but what a great expression.
Might as well nudge this towards 200 posts while the mods are not watching.
196
Ditto!
Nudging along ...
Now I'm really confused (not about two parallel threads but about the Broadbent criticism).
Glad to be reminded, though, of Ed's very tepid performance in '88. At the time I thought of Turner as the spoiler, but Ed did his share through timidity and reluctance to go for the jugular with that corporate brat Mulroney and Bay Street JohnT.
Some Mulcair folks are overeacting (on an anonymous internet forum) but that's what happens when your opponents major spokesman attacks him in three press interviews on one day. The actual Mulcair campaign isn't missing a beat though, staying positive and on message is the right reaction.
How to get voters out to the polls. I think we'll take it if we can do like in the US and connect with people and get into disadvantaged communities and their church parking lots driving people to the polls, making sure working people can get to vote, really driving up the numbers, we can win. But we need enough of a majority to do what needs to be done.
200 yay!
201 we go.
I never doubted Mulcair's campaign would ignore this.
This zoo on the other hand...
Has 203 animals on display.
CFL