NDP Leadership Thread - Part 6

no way. the guy's a total pro, and if he's mounting a full frontal public assault, it's because more quiet means haven't borne fruit. i'm very grateful for the work that this team did when jack was leader, but they need to step aside in favor of the new leadership, and i'm very glad that mulcair has the fire to take them on directly, it gives me a lot of confidence in his potential leadership.

As I have said before, my main concern about Mulcair is that I don't know if he understands anything at all about Canada outside Quebec. I'm not saying that he doesn't - i just have not seen any evidence - yet - that he does. The message he is sending out implies that he tthinks the only way he can win the leadership is by signing up vast numbers of new members in Quebec - and that is not a good message.I think a lot of New Democrats across Canada are very interested in Mulcair as a potential leader and he shouldn't write us off before the race even begins.

If I were him, I would have said something along the lines of "I think its very important to the NDP that we allow the leadership campaign to last long enough that we can take this opportunity and really grow the party in Quebec and have a serious membership drive in Quebec. Regardless of whether I choose to take part in the contest - we need to get more Quebecers who voted for our party - to become members and take part in this process. I'm confident that I could win the leadership contest no matter when the vote is held.  For the sake of consolidating our gains in Quebec - we need to to have a process that maximizes the opportunity for Quebecers to participate. This is not about me - this is important no matter who ultimately becomes the new leader."

Any speech writer would agree with you Stockholm. I'm not sure how he actually phrased it, I've only read a report.

And I must watch how I phrase my own offerings here, I see. They are liable to be treated in finest National Post fashion. Distorted all to hell. Ah well.....

Stockholm wrote:

"Thomas Mulcair didn't hit the jackpot when he chose the NDP as a party, he selected the party whose views aligned best with his own and sought to make a breakthrough for the NDP in the province."

This confirms my own view that Mulcair didn't have to change any of his own political views in order to join and run for the NDP; he selected the NDP as "the party whose views aligned best with his own" as a provincial Liberal cabinet minister.

Quite apart from demolishing any idea that there is a hair's breadth of difference between the federal NDP and the Quebec Liberals, it also confirms that Mulcair is still a Jean Charest Liberal.

Which makes him an ideal person to lead the federal NDP.

The Quebec Liberal Party is a pretty big tent, federalism binds it together and almost everything else is optional.

I have to say that the media started the Mulcair smearing before Aug 22nd and ramped it up after that. I figured that is because they are trying to paint him badly in the public view because he is very good. And it didn't fit with the meme of the NDP is dead without Jack. Jack knew that isn't true and we have great NDP members who will be able to carry the torch forward.

I also think that having the leader vote later rather than sooner provides a super opportunity to engage the public and encourage people to buy memberships so that they can be a part of choosing the next NDP leader and possible PM. I also think that with so many provincial elections coming this year and especially this fall that is wise to have the vote later. That way riding associations/members can really work at selling memberships in their ridings.