To be fair, Unionist, I think Sid wasn't speaking for the OFL when he endorsed Nash. I'm sure he realizes that the OFL affiliates are all supporting different candidates. I thought he was always involved in the NDP, as a candidate and as a member. There's no reason why he shouldn't get involved.
NDP Leadership # 140
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:11
#52
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:12
#53
I don't think these glitches should be blamed on the NDP.I noted x2 earlier that if people are using Internet Explorer to try and vote they will not get through. I tried for an hour yesterday and could not so I thought i would just try another browse-Firefox- and was done in under 3 minutes!
Bill Gates must be a Conservative or Liberal!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:14
#54
JKR wrote:
I don't think these glitches should be blamed on the NDP. I think the NDP contracted out the online election process to an independent company. If memory serves me right, last year both the BC NDP and BC Liberals contracted their online elections to the same company.
The worst possible answer the party could give for the voting problems is "It's not us. It's the company we contracted to do the work". That solves nothing for the future. Instead, something along the lines of "We ask everyone who had problems to describe those problems to us and we will work on correcting them for future votes". Failure to take responsibility for mistakes alienates people, including people who paid to join the party and want their vote to count, any pr person will tell you. I acknowledge that technology does not always work the way you want it to but the party cannot leave it at that, especially after it has occurred the second time.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:14
#55
Idealistic Prag...
I hope that if Mulcair is going to win, that it won't take round after round to get him there.
Is 4 rounds too many?
It is virtually guaranteed to go for at least 3.
I think its a toss up between 3 and 4 rounds.
Let's just say that if he wins, I hope it's three rather than four.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:14
#56
He "bombed" is not scorched earth policy. No way. Of course not. 
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:15
#57
I don't think these glitches should be blamed on the NDP.I noted x2 earlier that if people are using Internet Explorer to try and vote they will not get through. I tried for an hour yesterday and could not so I thought i would just try another browse-Firefox- and was done in under 3 minutes!
Bill Gates must be a Conservative or Liberal!
It should have been known in advance which browsers would work best.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:15
#58
Looks like its shaping up pretty much as many had predicted, but if goes more than another round there could be some surprises.
As already noted, second round is highly unlikely to be the last.
But it could still be pretty much plodding towards a Mulcair victory. Or not.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:15
#59
Congrats!
got voting closed message. restarted borowser, cleared cookies, got through and voted successfully.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:16
#60
He "bombed" is not scorched earth policy. No way. Of course not.
Doesn't leave a lot of room for party unity at the end of things, unless Mulcair is extremely gracious, which he'd better be.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:18
#61
They will come out united regardless of the bad news Topp/Broadbent duet.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:18
#62
Interested Observer
I'd like for her to explain how his policies are more to the left.Naomi Klein @NaomiAKlein
I support @nathancullen b/c he is as serious about beating Harper as Mulcair, but policies r more left. Not about personality #ndpldr
Well, his position on taxes are. I assume his position on the middle east might be another thing?
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:20
#63
Having backed Dewar, even though he couldn't pronounce her name, Hélène Laverdière declines to now endorse anyone else or disclose how she will vote.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:25
#64
JKR wrote:
I don't think these glitches should be blamed on the NDP. I think the NDP contracted out the online election process to an independent company. If memory serves me right, last year both the BC NDP and BC Liberals contracted their online elections to the same company.
The worst possible answer the party could give for the voting problems is "It's not us. It's the company we contracted to do the work". That solves nothing for the future. Instead, something along the lines of "We ask everyone who had problems to describe those problems to us and we will work on correcting them for future votes". Failure to take responsibility for mistakes alienates people, including people who paid to join the party and want their vote to count, any pr person will tell you. I acknowledge that technology does not always work the way you want it to but the party cannot leave it at that, especially after it has occurred the second time.
The party may be at fault for picking a company not up to the task of managing a vote of this magnitude. These companies must have track records that can be verified beforehand.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:25
#65
I don't think the number of ballots means anything about grudging support-- it is about number of candidates and how close they are-- the more ballots the more confidence in the front bench of the party.
As or grudging I think some of ALL the candidates first round supporters are grudging but have made a choice based on the field and advantages and disadvantages they see in each candidate.
My first choice was wildly enthusiastic and it was for Saganash. My second choice is counted as my first because Saganash dropped out. Yes, that is grudging with a lot of concerns. However while grudging I feel I have put enough thought in to my decision and I feel fine with it. People have had an opportunity to run through the scenarios and if the end is polarized between Topp and Mulcair-- the one who attacked and the one who was attacked, I hardly think people have not long considered what they would do when it came to those two.
The most critical thing after the choice of leader will not be the number of ballots cast but the number of voters. If you want to help the NDP keep trying to cast a ballot that is what will help. Don't worry about the process of ballot rounds or leader as in the end the party will accept the leader. Just worry about getting your personal vote in for your personal favorite of the remaining field.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:28
#66
I predict that if Mulcair wins Broadbent will go on stage to congratulate him. As a former leader he should do this.
Broadbent will have to publicly endorse the winner or wind up his remaining influence in the party.
That said I think he will do that and my opinion about his endorsement efforts for Topp notwithstanding I expect he will do the right thing no matter who wins.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:28
#67
So Joliette MP Francine Raynault has gone from Niki Ashton to Brian Topp. Fascinating.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:28
#68
Looks like its shaping up pretty much as many had predicted, but if goes more than another round there could be some surprises.
As already noted, second round is highly unlikely to be the last.
But it could still be pretty much plodding towards a Mulcair victory. Or not.
Too early to tell, but I don't see any monolithic blocks falling behind or against any candidate. But hey, this is the NDP, anything can happen. :)
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:31
#69
I don't think these glitches should be blamed on the NDP.I noted x2 earlier that if people are using Internet Explorer to try and vote they will not get through. I tried for an hour yesterday and could not so I thought i would just try another browse-Firefox- and was done in under 3 minutes!
Bill Gates must be a Conservative or Liberal!
It should have been known in advance which browsers would work best.
Unfortunately, some people only have one browser on their computer - Internet Explorer.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:35
#70
I would think that it would be much harder to get those monolithic blocs moving from one camp to another in a OMOV system, as opposed to a delegate system.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:35
#71
Here's my 'prediction'.
I think it will be quite difficult for Mulcair to do any better than 42%, so gauge the result against that.
But whether he is under or over 42%, I'm still not sure what to predict after that.
I think that if he doesnt get 40%, he's in quite a bit of trouble. Unless Cullen is the one who drops off, but that seems unlikely.
But somewhere well south of 45%, it is pretty well sewn up.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:36
#72
Boom Boom
I think Broadbent will swallow his dislike of Mulcair and try to be gracious if Tom wins this. I'll be looking at Broadbent's body language.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:38
#73
2pm eastern time now ???
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:39
#74
Boom Boom
Second round results delayed to 1:50pm.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:39
#75
that's the last guess i heard for results
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:41
#76
I WANT RESULTS! :)
And here I was hoping to go out for brunch today. Oh well!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:42
#77
infracaninophile
Oddly enough, I tried Firefox, Chrome and Safari, and finally (in desperation) tried Internet Explorer, which I rarely use. That's when I got in successfully. Go figure.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:42
#78
Random thoughts while waiting for results ...
I don't really get why people are quite so passionate for or against any candidate in this race. None is so obviously better or worse than any other, so far as I can see. Lots I could say for and against each candidate, but will refrain.
So much of the commentary on this race has fixated on a right-left (let's call it Blue-Red) divide, with Mulcair, Cullen, Singh as the "Blue" team, Topp, Nash, Dewar, Ashton as the "Red" team. This so misrepresents the race, in my view. What's most notably shared by Mulcair and Cullen is their association with the environment as an issue. In that sense, they represent the Green wing of the party, not the Blue. The Green wing is not opposed to the Red wing, not "more centrist". It is differently left.
At least as important, especially in light of the first round results, is what Mulcair and Topp share, against the rest of the field: they are the Quebec wing of the party. Neither "right" nor "left" has anything to do that distinction.
I have been very disappointed by Nash in this race. She was, from the moment she entered, the one at the top of my list. But her performances have been so thoroughly uninspiring. I ended up placing Cullen above her (after an Ashton #1), because he has been so much better a performer. (John Doyle's suggestion that Nash was most prime ministerial on TV weighed against that, but I wasn't convinced.)
My biggest concern with the prospect of a Mulcair victory is that he could end up as the NDP Ignatieff. The unambiguous favourite of the media, but unable to connect to voters -- too arrogant, too ... reminiscent of their boss. Note that that has nothing to do with his policy stances and everything to do with winning. I realize the polls are suggesting otherwise, and I absolutely hope that the polls are right given the likelihood that Mulcair will prevail, but I couldn't get past my concerns about his style. TV-driven politics is all about style: performance counts.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:42
#79
Here is my prediction for the second ballot:
Mulclair 24,500
Topp 15,250
Cullen 13,000
Nash 12,700
I think more than half of Nash's vote will go to Topp so I think Cullen will be third on the third ballot. Most of his suport will go to Mulclair so I think Mulclair will only be in trouble if Cullen should be in second place after this next ballot.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:43
#80
Dewar, Singh, & Ashton's supporters second choices will now come into play, most of which have been already been locked in from the advance voting, so what is playing out in front of us will have little effect.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:45
#81
Interested Observer
5-7 mins now
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:46
#82
Alexandre Boulerice (Topp supporter) confirms they're working hard on the Nash camp. He says she may stay neutral if she drops out, or come over to Topp, but that her supporters should tend more toward Topp. Also says that Cullen and Mulcair are close to each other ideologically.
Gee, I wish I was really as good as they are at making fine distinctions.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:47
#83
Nash 10,519
Cullen 12,449
Topp 15,624
Mulcair 23,903
Second ballot results
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:48
#84
Okay, let's see what Peggy does!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:49
#85
I'm not one of those folks who thinks you have to speak French like you're 4th generation from Quebec in order to lead the party, just as I don't think you have to sound like you've been speaking English for four generations to lead it. Otherwise we would never have an immigrant from a non-French or English speaking country leading the party ever.
You should listen to the French and English of Hoang Mai and Anne Quach (it isn't just on babble that her wide appeal has been noted), both of whom I can see as future leaders. And Laurin Liu. Not to mention Paulina Ayala, Tarik Brahmi, Dr. Djaouida Sellah, and Sadia Groguhé, who I haven't heard speak in English, but I guarantee their French is perfect.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:50
#86
Nathan picked up more than Topp from the first round, but still not enough
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:51
#87
Amazingly good call, Northern-54!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:52
#88
Nash is releasing her delegates.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:52
#89
Hard to see Topp winning it with those numbers.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:52
#90
Nash is refusing to tell who she voted for.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:52
#91
Nash releases delegates and will not reveal her own choice.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:52
#92
Nash releases delegates.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:53
#93
Nash is a class act.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:53
#94
Mulcair looks very happy. and Peggy will be releasing her delegates and she is remaining neutral - very smart move on her part. She wants unity good for her!!!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:53
#95
Peggy does the right thing. More like Georgetti than Sid Ryan. Good for her - it's her trade union training. At the end of the day, unity above all!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:54
#96
When does the next round of voting start?
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:55
#97
Congrats to Peggy!
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:56
#98
Lard Tunderin Jeezus
Peggy's gone. Too soon, so I'm saddened.
Good for her for respecting the intelligence and independence of her supporters.
Personally, I'll move to Topp, because he represents the current status quo. Not quite as committed to principle as I'd like, but I'll live with it.
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:56
#99
Seems like best case scenario for Mulcair (aside from winning on that ballot, of course).
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:57
#100
Close to 3,000 fewer votes for the 2nd ballot.
So Mulcair increased his lead over Topp.
Could Nathan come in 2nd?
Sat, 2012-03-24 13:58
#101
Nathan would have to do a little better than 2to1 against Topp for Nash's votes to stay in. That seems REALLY unlikely, especially for the vast majority of ballots that were cast before.