The last and definitive NDP Leadership thread

saganash actually worked his way up to 2nd choice on my ballot at one point, but that dissipated when i realized how poorly he communicated in english.  i really really like him and i hope to see him as foreign minister or maybe health minister in a mulcair government.

In theory, isn't this what policy conventions are supposed to do?

Sure, but we would still be left with the problem of the parliamentary leadership picking and choosing which policies to emphasize or more often developing policies contrary to those developed by the membership. All parliamentary parties have this problem.

You're right. But facilitating the expression of people's ideas and wishes may be a necessary if not sufficient part of changing the culture of elitism and dictatorship.

Why not establish a tradition - and an effective forum - whereby members (and everyone else who cares) can speak directly as well as through representatives on the vital questions of the day and on the direction of the party? Then we'll see which "leaders" will be guided by that consultation and which will defy it.

I've attended conventions and seen the manipulation at first hand, as well as the occasions when the will of the people was so strong that it overcame the manipulation. I've also seen the aftermath, where the direction set by convention is deformed or ignored. I couldn't change that culture, so I chose to leave the party and maintain my autonomy of thought and action.

But as Doug says, there are ways today to have real community-wide and country-wide conversations, all the time, besides the more difficult and necessarily infrequent face to face meetings. A progressive organization must make use of those tools. But first of all, it must see members and supporters as more than vote-getters - it must see them as the leaders. And when I scan these horse-race threads, and "what would Jack have wanted", and even the "socialists" saying "Niki is the best, the rest are crap" - I see no current in the party that has time to discuss taking that direction. They're too busy getting ready to win some election. Always. And then worry about what to do later.

Socialist Worker

Perfect!!!  LOL!!!

Will this poor little thread be needed soon?

I need the math problem would eventually catch up with people. Probably should have progressed in binary rather than base ten.

You could start one titled  NDP Leadership Race 10000111.

Pick me, pick me!!! You still have 50+ plus posts available in this thread to wrap up the leadership discussions. With a little thoughtfulness that should be more than enough.

So who won?

Great! I didn't even realize she was in the race.

[This is to a post in the other leadership thread]

I once went to school at a place where most students were right wing, aristotleded24, does that make me right wing? I think its wrong to judge Topp on that aspect.

I agree that Mulcair could have easily reassured the base, but I assume he needs better speechwriters. (I mean look at some of his supporters on the boards, they make no logical sense and they made me avoid rabble because they made Mulcair look incredibly bad. Not to name names(which I won't), but some of these people were super "special": Hecubus, Manservant of Mulcair; Nucklehead, and Dooficus) And we shouldn't say that the others. Another thing, the blairite wing should be dead by now. Third way failed in the UK, labour is no longer in government. It would be so stupid to return to such failed policies. It would be foolish to not look at our best progressive counterparts in Europe who avoided the Blairite temptation and with positive reward.

All Mulcair has to do for me is have a solid plan to reduce inequality and say that he is a proud social democrat/evolutionary socialist. Easy as that for me.

Good grief a thread with binary jokes and I missed it!  It isn't a binary joke, but here is an old favourite

Survey's show that 3 out of 4 people make up 75% of the population.