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It is always fascinating when the enemy analyses you.
The NDP embarks on a new era As Thomas Mulcair assumes the leadership, several key members of Jack Layton’s team are moving onhttp://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/MacDonald+embarks/6368068/story.html
Reading that column by L. Ian MacDonald, its pretty obvious that to the extent that he has any sources in the NDP - they are all from the "ancien regime" who were heavily involved in the Topp campaign. The points are all valid, but at some point I assume that Mulacir will have his own people able to spin from the inside. My understanding is that a lot of Mulcair's "braintrust" are anglo-Montrealers who MacDonald probably knows well (he also being an anglo-Montrealer and the circle of elites and opinion leaders in that community being small enough that everyone knows everyone)
hegemonic support and optimism among an indicative sampling of the professional classes of quebec: http://www.cyberpresse.ca/debats/le-debat-du-jour/201203/26/01-4509547-t...
this sort of thing indicates again precisely the extent to which quebec is running at a completely different speed from canada, in terms of social solidarity and quality of intellectual debate. a very nice start to things.
And so they’re breaking up Layton’s circle of close advisers, one of the best teams ever assembled in Canada. This group was so tight they could finish sentences for one another, let alone Layton. McGrath and Lavigne were the leaders, but former communications director Kathleen Monk and press secretary Karl Bélanger were also important players, as were campaign strategists like Topp and wise owls like Robin Sears.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/MacDonald+embarks/6368068/story.html#ixzz1qRRvHTVY
I didn't find that MacDonald did any spin either - it's true and we should be proud that they are one of the best teams ever assembled in Canada. With this team we got to be official opposition, and perhaps as the robofraud makes its way through the course of revelation - who knows, maybe Jack would have been the PM with a minority govt. I dont' think we should throw the baby out with the bath water. Also, Tom's victory speech was not good. He did other things well but let's be honest both his opening and close speeches were not inspiring.
Jan, this is what virtually always happens anyway.
One of the things about tight knit teams is that they hang together in part because of the chemistry of the unit.
Very possibly, if Topp had won, they would have stayed more or less intact. But given that did not happen, no one needs to be 'breaking them up' for people to start going elsewhere. And it isnt necessarily a reflection of thinking they will be unwelcome. Its hard intense work. And not having the same team that they enjoy working with, thats the tipping point to moving on.
By the way- there's persistence for you. Nearly 20 years later Lorne Nystrom finally manages to get himself out of the wilderness and back in play.
Watched an interview that Tom did on CPAC yesterday. He was asked about the French citizenship and he said he will keep it for now but if he were to ever become Prime Minister he would give it up.
It makes sense that with a change in leadeship there would be a change in the leader's inner circle of advisors. Some chose to move on and I'm sure that Tom would want to bring in some new people.
But there seems to be one person mentioned in the MacDonald article, the 'exodus' article in the Globe, as well as Brian's incredible letter of thanks, that was pushed out unceremoniously by Tom: Raymond Guardia.
Brian wrote this:
"My campaign manager Raymond Guardia is the architect of our electoral victory in Quebec, a goal he has worked towards all his adult life, so much of which he has devoted, passionately, to our party and our cause."
Guardia has been given credit with orchestrating the campaign in Quebec, directing two of Tom's Outremont campaigns, directing Phil Edmonston's campaign and having been a committed and active New Democrat for over 20 years.
The Globe article (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/communicati...) claims "Mr. Guardia was told by Mr. Mulcair last September that he wouldn’t be welcomed back if Mr. Mulcair won the leadership, according to La Presse columnist Vincent Marissal."
This doesn't seem the best of moves. I'd want to keep a guy with that much record of success for the party in Quebec.
We havent heard the last word on this.
Ray said he was told by Mulcair he wasnt wanted. Mulcair said not.
Translation: they are or will talk.
I didn't see a response from Mulcair on this. What did he say?
Thanks Ken
I just remember he said when asked that he didnt say that to Ray.
On second thought, that doesnt mean that they are talking. Anyway, its not clear at this point what was siad or will happen with Ray.
Well KenS, this kind of talk isn't the NDP I came to support over the years. I use Jack as my gold standard and Jack would never have said this, and oh, he wouldn't have thought it either. He wanted the best and those who strongly supported new dem principles and practices. This sounds like "nobody should apply unless supporting T. Mulcair oh and the NDP as the afterthought - really?" I'm disgusted.
So only certain kinds of democrats are welcome. I guess my money can walk in a different direction too - thank you very much!
The Globe article (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/communicati...) claims "Mr. Guardia was told by Mr. Mulcair last September that he wouldn’t be welcomed back if Mr. Mulcair won the leadership, according to La Presse columnist Vincent Marissal."
This doesn't seem the best of moves. I'd want to keep a guy with that much record of success for the party in Quebec.
Uuh- Jack moved people out when he won the leadership and put his own people in. One of them was a long time aquaintance and used to buy lamb from us. He was rather unceremoniously shown the door apparently. Last I talked to him he was still sort of bitter. Was Jack some evil monster for doing that, or is it just the old you dance with the one who brung ya?
Jan, Jack's "inner circle" changed a ton through the years". People went in and out over that period.
Also, I don't know if this is the same person mentioned by Life, the universe, etc, but someone I met who came back to the NDP had become a Liberal because Jack had "fired his friend". People in that social circle left the party because they didnt like that Jack had fired their guy. It happens.
I know you were supporting Topp, but instead of reactionary recriminations to things we don't have any idea about, including interpersonal relationships of people we dont know personally, lets give the leader a chance to assemble his own team without stomping off in a reactionary huff.
jftb
The leadership race is over. I'm sorry your guy didn't make it. But it's time for all of us, win, lose, or indifferent, to get over it. You are talking through your hat suggesting Jack would never have done this or Jack would never have done that. Jack is dead and Tom is the NDP leader now, and Tom will now make these difficult decisions that Jack made. Some will work out and others won't. Don't you think it is time to foucus your attacks on the Cons?
You know something, I was involved in the party long ago and funny I didn't hear these stories at all - funny about that. I don't have a problem with him assembling his own team but he should do it in a way that is fair. I don't want to see an NDP leader talk out of both sides of us mouth - say nice things to interviewer and being something completely different behind the scenes but that gets out. That's the trust factor.
There seems to be a rationalization going on here for crappy behaviour of others - what happen to all that caring NDP stuff? out with the old and in the new?
I'm not attacking anyone but I don't have to blindly support callus behaviour towards others whoever they may be. And you are right the election is over, so the goon show is over.
I don't consider this "stomping off in a reactionary huff." I'm not going anywhere. The chances that I'm not going to vote for a Mulcair-led NDP is slim to none. However, I find this an interesting insight into our new leader's way of thinking.
We're not talking about some run of the mill advisors. Of course, Mulcair needs to bring in his own team and move out some that he doesn't want, or that underperform, etc. In this case, we're talking about the person that Tom himself chose to run his campaigns. Twice. The same person chosen by Jack to run the campaign in Quebec.
If the MacDonald, Globe and Marissal articles are correct, Mulcair threatened a key player in the remarkable success of last May. The threat was not based on whether or not he was good at his job. It was based on the fact that he supported Topp over Mulcair.
If KenS is correct that Mulcair denied threatening Guardia, then one of those two men lied.
I have to agree with NorthReport. Yeah time to focus attack and defeat Harper+Cons.
Guys, If Mulcair not wins, then Quebec would completely lose 58 NPD. Do you want it?
Move on...
Of course it's time to focus on defeating Harper. Especially with the budget we're about to receive.
But that doesn't mean we can't express concerns about other things. Threatening and firing the guy who engineered the Orange Wave and possibly lying about it concerns me. If he's as good as Jack, Brian (and previously Tom) believed, then he seems to be someone we need to help in that defeating of Harper.
When NDPers are complaining more than the Cons about the new NDP leader, it is is overdoing it.
But complain all you want about the new leader - please just restrict it to a complaint thread so those of us that want the NDP to win the next election can get down to business. Thanks.
In conversation with Thomas Mulcair
http://montreal.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120328/mtl_mulcair_120...
One can want the NDP to win, want Mulcair to succeed (even if we voted for someone else), and at the same time question and criticise things we find disagreeable. We're not taking out attack ads or criticising more than the Conservatives. I don't think Tom is an opportunist. I do think he's fallable and we have the right to question his decisions.
Good night, brothers and sisters. And best of luck fighting the insanity we will undoubtedly find in tomorrow's budget.
Agreed, but let's follow the role model of Jack's family.
Layton's family gives orange victory tie to Mulcair
http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120328/jack-layton-ora...
There are always two sides to every story. Obviously the very fact that Guardia became Topp's campaign manager back in September makes it obvious that there was some sort of falling out between him and Mulcair back then. These things happen. While I would NEVER want to see any wholesale purges in the OLO, I also can see that the new leader of the opposition might not want to give a key position to the campaign manager for him main opponent after a bitter campaign that featured a fair bit of innuendo being passed around. For all we know Guardia might have refused to work in Mulcair's office even if Mulcair begged him to stay. Mulcair has more than enough people around him with expertise on Quebec...what he really needs are top notch people in key positions from outside Quebec who really know the party
Thomas Mulcair kicks off NDP leadership with a warning New leader targets prime minister with his advice
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Thomas+Mulcair+kicks+leadership+with+wa...
What Stochholm said.
Thisis my first post since the convention.
I think Stockholm is right about the so-called "purge". The departures are very limited. Mulcair hs announced he wants to keep "98%" of the party machine intact. He has demonstrated his conciliation with Ann McGrath and Libby Davies.
There were many below-the-belt accusations hurled at Mulcair during the campaign. It is obvious that some of these came from opposing camps. The nastiest of these, and from which most others sprang, were back in August, long before he entered the race. These were things we never heard before in public. Mulcair could not control his temper. He would decimate the party apparatchik. He alienated people. He could not work with others. Etc, etc. These were bitter personal attacks and anonymous ones for the most part. They continued through the campaign and escalated with his growing lead. They culminated in the TrueMulcair and Broadbent fulminations.They may wound Mulcair in the years to come.
They were childish, inaccurate and irresponsible. They were originally aimed at blackening his CHARACTER to the extent that he would not even dare to enter the race. Thank god Tom prevailed over them. But they were dirty politics and utterly unworthy of a New Democart in an intramural contest.
I am not saying that Raymond Guardia or Brad "The Architect' were behind them. But assuming they came from someone in the upper echelons of the party machine, that person has made his position quite untenble. If I am right about this, it may well be that such a person may simply have decided to depart on his own initiative. Even if Mulcair gave him a push I really don't see how he can be faulted for doing so under the circumstances.
An interesting perspective on the Topp campaign:
http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/03/28/towards-stornoway-the-topp-campaign/
Because someone supports someone else does not mean "there was a falling out". We just know the facts at hand. This staffer was key to our win in Quebecer and appears to not be included in moving forward with the shiny new modern team. Maybe he's not modern enough.
It's too bad we are so far away from the next election as these national polls are showing the NDP tied for 1st place
Don't judge NDP's new leader by his campaignhttp://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/judge+leader+campaign/6377613/story....