That's what is gradually dawning on me.

On the one occasion when the ONDP was accidentally in power, it had priorities too, just like Bookish Agrarian does.

Its priorities did not include keeping promises (public auto insurance), respecting workers and their freedoms, or respecting the equality of  the LGBT community. It would no doubt have been political suicide for the NDP to nationalize auto insurance (even though it came to power on that lying promise); to respect public sector collective agreements; and to ask its own caucus to not be homophobic. Never mind taking some dramatic, bold, socialist action in the face of the economic crisis.

So, the ONDP played it safe and did none of those things. And it did not commit suicide.

It was murdered.

For almost a generation now.

Because it clearly told the people of Ontario that there was no daylight between an NDP government and the ones that had come before - so why bother? And they still haven't risen from the dead.