continued from here.
looks like the EI issue has woken the right side of journalism up. Lawrence Martin compliments the NDP in today's Globe:
"On many vital issues, the NDP have been on the mark
...what party is getting it right? Not on the political scoreboard, which is the journalistic obsession, but on the criteria that really count – policies that affect the country...
...No credit came their way. Nothing new here. In big media precincts, the knees started jerking, as they often do when the left rears its unshapely head, and the NDP move was denounced as a politically motivated act of desperation. Out came the machine guns. Bang! Bang! Down went the guys in orange ties.
But be that as it may. It's well known that the Dippers have no media proprietors in their philosophical corner. It's well known that counterculture journalism is a bygone thing. There was obviously political calculation in what the party did. But on what matters, the EI issue, a policy advance was made....
...Politically, the New Democrats are not getting much traction. It's tough when you have no control of the airwaves. They are still stereotyped by an image tethered to decades past. But they can take comfort in knowing that on many of the vital issues, they've been on the mark. Never mind the political score. On what really matters, vindication has come their way....
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i've just quoted the parts that are framing the current debate on EI (though general NDP perception also). He mentions being vindicated on Afghanistan, missile defense, the recession, financial regulation, pension protection (which parts of became law on friday), foreign takeovers, environment, and the residential schools apology. of course, he throws in a gratuitous diss on NDP economic thinking, but he couldn't in good concience not to if only to maintain a bit of "credibility" (pfft)
speaking of "crumbs", while this may be just that from Martin, they sure do taste good!