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NDP Picking-Up Steam in Montreal?

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Sun, 2011-01-30 20:39

#1

Elvi

NDP Picking-Up Steam in Montreal?

I just got home from an NDP nomination. It was the second such ievent I'd been at in a few months where the candidates seemed impressive and there was some magic. Although I'm not really a political junkie, I have some interest in progressive agendas and intriguing candidates.

I just came from Tyrone Benskin's event in the southwest Montreal riding of Jeanne LeBer. He is an actor and, I believe , executive from ACTRA. He's fairly charismatic and spoke a lot about Can-content and cultural issues. He seems to be a natural. These issues could resonate well in urban Quebec.

The other nomination I was at was Jeff Itcush's from the Mont-Royal riding. I live a couple blocks from Mont-Royal and there seems to be a buzz about Itcush in the riding. People are wondering how far he could go if incumbent Irwin Cotler doesn't run. I have friends who will help him who would normally not vote or would vote Liberal.

Itcush and Benskin might be friends because Benskin was at the former's nomination and they seemed to be conferring.

Who knows? Some of my friends are looking closer at the NDP. Like I said, I'm not really a politico, but I feel more interest in this party.

Issues Pages:

Sun, 2011-01-30 21:31

#2

David Young

Do you live in Jeanne Le Ber, or another riding (if I may ask!)?

The NDP has been making huge gains in support on the island of Montreal since Jack Layton became leader.

Compare the results of the 2000 election to the 2008 election:

2 0 0 0 2 0 0 8

VOTES MP'S % VOTES MP'S %

LIBERAL 580,523 17 56.2 389,552 12 36.3

CONSERVATIVE 53,696 0 5.2 161,111 0 15.0

NDP 25,651 0 2.5 139,867 1 13.1

B.Q. 288,076 5 27.9 329,577 10 30.8

CAN. ALLIANCE 47,949 0 4.7 - - -

OTHER 36,514 0 3.5 51,098 0 4.8

TOTAL 1,032,682 22 1,072,015 23

The Liberal vote has declined sharply, by almost 200,000 votes; the Conservates and B.Q. are up about 5% each, while support for the NDP has increased by over 110,000 votes since Layton became leader.

It's the NDP who've managed to elect a non-Liberal or B.Q. member on the island, not the Conservatives.

One can wonder how much support the Liberals might lose now that their leader is no longer from Montreal as well.

The future for the NDP is looking brighter and brighter on the island, don't you think?

Mon, 2011-02-07 18:59

#3

David Young

Elvi, check out the NDP candidates thread, or go to The Pundit's Guide web-site for an up-to-date list of Montreal area NDP candidates.

Sat, 2011-02-12 14:22

#4

j8487

He's on Twitter. Click here and spread the word.

Sat, 2011-02-12 20:34

#5

Elvi

Itcush is quoted at length in LeDevoir. He must resonate if Quebec's "most intellectual" Francophone paper interviews him. http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/287574/communaute-... Has anyone ever heard him speak?

Sun, 2011-02-13 14:07

#6

genstrike

Keep in mind, this is babble, so we need to remember the #1 rule of babble electoral predictions: they are always wildly optimistic towards the NDP

Sun, 2011-02-13 15:41

#7

David Young

genstrike wrote:

Keep in mind, this is babble, so we need to remember the #1 rule of babble electoral predictions: they are always wildly optimistic towards the NDP

Admittedly, I am an NDP supporter, genstrike.

However, the facts, as I showed them in the second post on this thread, clearly shows that the NDP has been gaining steadily in terms of voter support on the island of Montreal.

Do you deny this?

Sun, 2011-02-13 16:13

#8

genstrike

Admittedly, I am no longer an NDP supporter.

No, I'm not denying anything. I'm just saying, look at the predictions for NDP pickups in Quebec in the last federal election. Instead of winning 2-10 seats like was predicted by some on babble, they barely held Mulcair's. Hell, we have a thread titled "Layton-led NDP will become the Official Opposition" over in Canadian Politics.

In my time on babble, I have seen so many wildly optimistic predictions for the NDP fail to materialize.

Therefore, any prediction for big NDP gains anywhere on babble needs to be taken with an incredibly massive grain of salt.

Sun, 2011-02-13 16:38

#9

Malcolm

Malcolm's picture

And periodic suggestions that progressives should vote for the "progressive" Liberals (not that there has been any such silliness on this threrad yet) should be taken with an entire ocean's worth of salt.