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
Michelle wrote:
Topp says in a scrum that Mulcair wants to move to the centre, and if there are two Liberal Parties, people will vote for the real one.
I was not going to comment on the race because of the back-and-forth negativity. However, when Topp attacked Mulcair for trying to turn the party into the Liberal2 party when the election is almost over, I could not refrain. I do not have a problem with his staying on for another ballot. This is democracy. But I suspect some of the MPs coming to Mulcair are doing so to try to avoid splitting the party. There are ways to fight for your beliefs even in defeat, but poisoning the well is not one of them.
Tom gonna win So what does Pauline Marois says? She must worry eh!
Topp will now get trounced, he is bringing it on himself, and he should know better. Anyway he is a big boy, and the ball is in his court.
Or it could just as easily mean that they don't want to be on the wrong side of the new leader. Who knows what it means? I'm saying it's basically meaningless because everyone in the room knows who's going to win.
There was a rumor Topp and Cullen were talking. It may be Cullen was telling Topp to move before the vote was announced and make it unanimous.
And Stoffer talking with Kelly, Kelly says what does this say that candidates won't endorse anyone? Are they afraind of being punished? Dam it, grab the g-d frame, and shove back. Who the hell is teaching these guys PR. This is so frustrating to watch.
Pat Martin did some really good push back right now.
ETA: I think Olivia voted for Topp based on how she has been framing things.
Funny how so many of the "strong" Mulcair supporters calling into CPAC can't pronounce his name. That aside, it's come down to the final showdown that was expected from the start. Yet, I still haven't made up my mind. Good thing I can't get through to vote (again).
I agree with jerrym and Mucker
Damn you, Brian. If you stretch this out by a whole other thread, I will never forgive you.
Cullen is going to be on after the commercial, and I highly, highly anticipate him moving with Mulcair.
Worst case scenario is he moves to Topp, and creates a huge chasm in the party, since there is absolutely ZERO chance Topp wins.
I wonder the same thing.
So they can't pronounce his name, so what? Don't worry about them Polunatic2, worry about yourself.
What? We're going to keep this going after convention aren't we?
If not, what the hell am I going to do with my time?
Anyone having trouble voting online this time? For the first time I am
Another possibility with Topp is that he is really done with being a backroom person, no matter how important.
And that his plan has been that if he did not win he would just sit back and wait for 2015 to run for a seat- keeping quiet about Mulcair until then. But that he wants to say his piece.
Yes, he has said all that already. But saying it now really drives it home.
Again, thats just a possibility. Dont latch onto it because you think, yah, this is Brian Topp. That's me guessing. With not a lot more to go on than knowing it isnt out of spite or the 'keeping control of the party' that people have always chalked this up to.
Make no mistake- no one with any clout is thinking this is going to be anything other than Mulcair's show now... assuming he wins.
I know! I was saying this in the other thread before it got closed! It's rather entertaining. :D
Isn't it a bit late as most people have voted now? Nathan is staying neutral or he would have moved already.
Topp's behaviour simply reinforces everything I've come to think of him over the course of this campaign. Bridge burning, self centred, destructive, anything but a party builder. I'm glad my instincts proved correct.
Grab your chair, the last round was probably at least 2 threads.
Sorry, Lou. As soon as the winner is announced, babble will cease to exist. I'm sorry you had to find out this way.
Too harsh - he is a great strategist who we still need in the back rooms helping our new leader form the next government.
Lordy, it sucks not having Newsworld right now. Everyone on babble is talking about all these great interviews and punditry happening on CBC, they're reporting all the movement of members from one camp to the next, and all CPAC is doing is mostly taking phone-in talk show calls from people who can't even pronounce "Mulcair". SIGH!
Great answer to Mansbridge "did you guys make a deal about releasing your candidates?" Cullen "no, welcome to the new democrati party". Way to go Nathan!
Maybe I'll take a little time to summarize my thoughts on the leadership election.
I'm not a huge fan of Mulcair. He only just left of centre, he's divisive, he doesn't really seem to practice politics in the same mould that Jack Layton did. He's not the best choice for the party. I'm a little worried he's going to bully and marginalize the Libby Davies's and Svend Robinsons straight out of the party. I'm closer to the centre than they are but I don't want to see them marginalized. He is, however, GOING to be the next leader, and an NDP government under Mulcair is far prefereable to a Conservative government under Harper or Liberal government under Rae.
I'm not really a huge fan of Topp either. He's proven himself a very capable strategist, but nobody really sees him as the next PM of Canada.
What's interesting is that this leadership convention has shown quite clearly that the majority of NDP grassroots seem a lot more willing to work with the centre to defeat Harper than it's leadership does, whether through Cullen's electoral coalition strategy or Mulcair's Liberal-style big tent approach. Cullen recieved very few endosements and placed 3rd. Mulcair was seen as (way) too centrist and only placed 3rd in endorsements outside Quebec. Nash and Dewar underperformed.
Topp ran an awful campaign. He's not a skilled politician, and his fate is his own making. The negativity against Mulcair really turned me off.
Nathan Cullen is a funny man. And he's talking to Mansbridge just like he was talking to me during his babble interview. What a pleasant fellow.
Too bad about his whole separatist boogeyman thing.
If Mulcair were to win and reach out to Brian after this, that would be the top of magnaminous.
You are right, the MSM just doesn't get the fact New Dems AREN'T Libs or Tories, PERIOD!
Right on Ken, and he had better do that big time.