Hey, I finally got to start one!
NDP Leadership 30
Sat, 2011-10-29 14:31
#1
NDP Leadership 30
Sat, 2011-10-29 15:20
#2
I hope Peggy will take her message on the road to Québec. It will be important to see if her message can resonate with French Canadian voters. I am not concerned with the quality of her French. She has an anglo accent, and speaks more Europeanised French, but this is the product of learning French in English Canada (and in higher education) and I think most francophones will recognise that.
Sat, 2011-10-29 15:30
#3
Boom Boom
I'm sure she'll be part of the effort to sign up Quebec members at some stage of the campaign. She's closing in on Dewar who leads that CBC poll I posted earlier today. Topp and Mulcair are still close together and near the bottom. I realize that CBC poll has no relation to how NDP members will actually choose their leader, but it does give an indication who is popular with the CBC public.
Sat, 2011-10-29 16:15
#4
"but it does give an indication who is popular with the CBC public."
Or at least whose supporters may be flooding the poll.
Sat, 2011-10-29 16:40
#5
I think what's most intriguing about Peggy Nash is how quickly she's come to be the "Toronto Star candidate"--home team advantage, of course, plus maybe a Star-ville acknowledgment that it's the NDP, not the Liberals, who have the current Ottawa advantage...
Thinking further: Topp = Globe, Nash = Star--could be pretty telling of something in the air...
Sat, 2011-10-29 17:30
#6
Meanwhile the Toronto Sun has written that if the NDP knows what's good for it - it will make Mulcair leader!
Sat, 2011-10-29 18:18
#7
The Georgia Straight on Topp and Mulcair:
Thomas Mulcair faces uphill battle in B.C. against Brian Topp, thanks to the Dix machine
Having viewed both of them up close for an extended period of time, I'm wondering if many B.C. New Democrats might be making a mistake by jumping so quickly on the Topp bandwagon. The latest was former B.C. NDP leader Carole James.
Sat, 2011-10-29 18:34
#8
Boom Boom
You can only vote once - then if you try again, you get a reminder that you have already voted and can't do so again. Meanwhile, Romeo leads that poll, then Dewar, then Nash. As for it being a CBC poll, that's a hell of a big demographic.
Sat, 2011-10-29 18:43
#9
Radio Canada report on Nash, including her answering questions in French
Sat, 2011-10-29 19:44
#10
So far.... CBC polls
Roméo Saganash 30.36% (777 votes)
Paul Dewar 24.85% (636 votes)
Peggy Nash 21.18% (542 votes)
Nathan Cullen 8.87% (227 votes)
Thomas Mulcair 7.15% (183 votes)
Brian Topp 6.57% (168 votes)
Martin Singh 1.02% (26 votes)
Sat, 2011-10-29 20:21
#11
I think what's most intriguing about Peggy Nash is how quickly she's come to be the "Toronto Star candidate"--home team advantage, of course, plus maybe a Star-ville acknowledgment that it's the NDP, not the Liberals, who have the current Ottawa advantage...
Thinking further: Topp = Globe, Nash = Star--could be pretty telling of something in the air...
It could be that the Globe really wants Brian Topp to be PM, or it could be that they think he won't sell thus helping the Tories...
It could be that the Star really wants Peggy Nash to be PM, or it could be they believe, that of the current frontrunners, she presents the best opportunity for their beloved Liberals to become re-ascendent...
It's often the case that MSM outlets sacrifice objectivity for their agendas: I don't see why that is not the case now.
If our goal is to win government, we members should be rallying around the person who is best able to convince Canadians that she/he can govern effectively, rather than the person that makes us feel warm and fuzzy about ourselves.
If our goal is to stick absolutely to principle, then we should be choosing the person who best reflects our values, regardless of endorsements, gender or linguistic concerns.
In neither case should the machinations of the Mainstream Media play a role.
Sat, 2011-10-29 21:16
#12
dacckon
It could be that Brian Topp writes for the globe and mail, so they know him better.
Just as if Andrew Cash ran, Toronto Now might support him.
Sat, 2011-10-29 21:22
#13
Though when it comes to "warm and fuzzy" (and forgive me if this sounds sexist), by default of gender and home base, Peggy Nash also strikes a strong Star-compatible "Doris Anderson feminist" left-Liberal/NDP crossover note. Remember: we're talking about the paper which has counted both Michele Landsberg and (NDP-era) Arlene Perly Rae as columnists over time--so if the Star is searching for *some* alibi to go with the flow and switch political teams while remaining "true to itself", it'd fit the bill to ride a Nash bandwagon...
Sat, 2011-10-29 21:25
#14
So the Twitter Oraclez seem to be saying that Niki Ashton will be entering the race too...
Sat, 2011-10-29 21:43
#15
So far.... CBC polls
Roméo Saganash 30.36% (777 votes)
As unscientific as the poll is, it's wonderful to see that. I also love that it's stood the media's conventional wisdom pretty much on its head, with Mulcair and Topp just above Singh in single digits.
I'll be glad to see Ashton join the race. Chisholm, less so. Without even rudimentary French his candidacy seems to me virtually an insult to Quebec and more than half the caucus.
Sat, 2011-10-29 21:49
#16
And the Ottawa Citizen likes Paul Dewar! And the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network likes Roméo Saganash!
I sense a trend here 
Sat, 2011-10-29 22:08
#17
Boom Boom
Sat, 2011-10-29 22:31
#18
Malcolm
Ottawa Observer pointed out that I had erred about the location of Singh's announcement, so I correct:
Candidate Announcements
- Topp - Ottawa
- Saganash - Constituency
- Cullen - Home Province
- Dewar - Constituency (which happens to be Ottawa)
- Singh - Urban area with a large concentration of his coreligionists
- Mulcair - Home City
- Nash - Home City
- Chisholm - Home City
- Ashton - ?
So, to date, Topp announced in Ottawa (which is almost a cliche for such things) and most of the rest in their home constituency or city. The two exceptions to that are Cullen (who declared in Vancouver which is the nearest media centre to his constituency) and Singh (who declared where there are lots of Sikhs).
IOW, they all declared where it made sense for them to declare. No one ventured outside the box.
Yet.
That is all.
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:11
#19
Malcolm ... I see where you're heading with this ... so I take it we're to prep ourselves for some wildly innovative announcement location by Ashton ... on the Canadarm, at the top of the CN tower, at the home of the last Coop grain elevator, the first spike, the Riel rebellion ...
Am I getting close?
ETA: More guesses -- the arches in Lloydminster, the Port of Churchill, the Forks in Winnipeg, the Tommy Douglas statue, a monument to Batoche, the Winnipeg Grain exchange, a university campus, livestreamed on the Internet ...
ETA: Oh wait ... it's going to be at the Occupy Winnipeg or Occupy Regina site I bet.
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:13
#20
...Ashton clones herself and has the clones make simultaneous announcements in every city municipality building room in Manitoba on the prairies in Canada in North America in the Western Hemisphere on Earth in the solar system in the Milky Way in the whole universe?
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:20
#21
Ashton makes her announcement while swimming with the polar bears and seals in Hudson's Bay?
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:23
#22
Ashton will announce next to a statue of Manitoba's provincial bird.
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:42
#23
And she's going to sting Stephen Harper into malaria ...
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:46
#24
Well, not only would it be way outside Ashton's turf, but no one has announced right in Toronto.
Oops, that would be where Peggy announced.
But it would still make a cool move that gets noticed.
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:50
#25
And speaking of sting....
bumble bee
[as in the dance of muhamad ali]
you could do worse for candidate imagery
Sat, 2011-10-29 23:50
#26
And speaking of sting....
bumble bee
[as in the dance of muhamad ali]
you could do worse for candidate imagery
Sun, 2011-10-30 01:06
#27
Malcolm
Ottawa Observer, your guesses were SOOOO inside the box.
Sun, 2011-10-30 01:18
#28
Well since I read recently that Ashton's first language is Greek and she recently got married in Greece, maybe at the Acropolis in Athens the "birthplace of democracy"?
Sun, 2011-10-30 01:59
#29
Ottawa Observer, your guesses were SOOOO inside the box.
Oh well, I guess it'll just have to be Lake Okanagan then, on a Jet Ski in a wetsuit. link
Sun, 2011-10-30 04:07
#30
Ottawa Observer, your guesses were SOOOO inside the box.
Sorry, the Canadarm is not inside the box. But you have already made the cardinal mistake of raising expectations, sir, so I better be impressed!
Sun, 2011-10-30 05:09
#31
Brian Topp's French-language Twitter account started following me today :P
Sun, 2011-10-30 07:15
#32
Ashton makes her announcement while swimming with the polar bears and seals in Hudson's Bay?
Speaking of Hudson's Bay, is the Paddlewheel still open?
Sun, 2011-10-30 07:57
#33
And the Ottawa Citizen likes Paul Dewar! And the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network likes Roméo Saganash!
I sense a trend here
Since the aboriginal people depend very heavily on "news from the outside" as the days grow very, very short, and are perhaps responding disproportionately to the CBC poll (that's the public corporation that Harper will have decimated if not completely destroyed by 2015), and who could blame them given the tenor of events since 1534 and the possibility of redress - verbal, at least - we can only hope that this display of hope is understood for the loooong years of hopelessness that it reflects.
Sun, 2011-10-30 10:02
#34
Speaking of Hudson's Bay, is the Paddlewheel still open?
Friends tell me yes, it definitely is. I haven't been there since I was a kid. That was a while back... Coming from my economic demographic, it was considered a rare treat where well-off relatives would take you on occasion.
Sun, 2011-10-30 11:36
#35
dacckon
Looks like Robert Chisholm has announced, try not to abuse the idea page ok? I don't want to view more conspiracy theories on the internetz. And of course the pundits guide has another good review of the race.
Sun, 2011-10-30 11:41
#36
Any word on his endorsements? I read that Dexter and "several politicians" were present.
Sun, 2011-10-30 13:12
#37
dacckon
Nope, nothing official yet on who(which prov. cabinet members) is exactly endorsing him.
Anyways... Leadership candidates' relationships and parlimententary experience factor
Sun, 2011-10-30 13:55
#38
Would any Nova Scotian babblers (KenS, David Young) care to give us some background on Robert Chisholm's entry into the race? What does it mean for the NDP in Nova Scotia? What are his strengths? What might we look forward to from his campaign? Thanks in advance.
Sun, 2011-10-30 14:47
#39
Would any Nova Scotian babblers (KenS, David Young) care to give us some background on Robert Chisholm's entry into the race? What does it mean for the NDP in Nova Scotia? What are his strengths? What might we look forward to from his campaign? Thanks in advance.
I worked on Robert's first run. It was a by-election in 1991 to fill former Premier John Buchanan's seat. He won. And was re-elected afterward (though if I recall, the first general election was REALLY close). This was back in the day when the NDP wasn't really a factor in NS. It had it's strengths in Halifax though. In Atlantic, I think the previous candidate in 1988 got 17% of the vote.
He's charming and charismatic. And while I agree with Ken that Alexa deserves some credit for the NDP breakthrough provincially, I doubt it would have been as great if the leader was someone other than Robert. He brought the NDP from 3 seats to 19 and with almost 35% of the vote.
He would make a good leader and I can see him bringing the NDP to victory. BUT... he doesn't speak French so that's a deal killer for me.
The next election was a disappointment. The voters decided to go with the friendly country doctor of John Hamm instead of Robert though we maintained official opposition status. We lost some seats in that campaign as well. It was a year or so after the breakthrough and many MLAs didn't have the time to really establish themselves as well. May have been a blessing though since I doubt the party was ready to actually govern.
It was also revealed during the election that Chisholm had a DUI in his early years. Something he didn't want his daughter to know about which is why he tried to keep it under wrap. Personally, I think the NDP thought it was going to win and Robert was far too scripted and there wasn't any meat to the platform. A play it safe approach which didn't work.
Sun, 2011-10-30 14:58
#40
Re Niki Ashton.
There are actually two statues of Louis Riel, a hero and the founding father of Manitoba. The one with clothes on is at the back of the Legislative buildings. Occupy Manitoba is in the park at the frount of the Legislative buildings. Someone should suggest it to her.
I am sure that daddy will make a few suggestions as to what issues Niki should promote if she does throw her hat in the ring - besides the Wheat Board ...
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:08
#41
For what it is worth, it is not just the left of the NDP in the rest of the country, or cranks like me, who have long been dis-enamoured with the NS NDP. There are even no small number of people in 'the establishment' who do not see it as something we want to be emulating.
There IS a great deal to be learned from the NS NDP. Even us malcontents have much to be proud of, and to look forward to. But for us, the NS NDP is no example of the road from nowhere to power, to be taken holus bolus.
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:10
#42
Would any Nova Scotian babblers (KenS, David Young) care to give us some background on Robert Chisholm's entry into the race? What does it mean for the NDP in Nova Scotia? What are his strengths? What might we look forward to from his campaign? Thanks in advance.
Robert, if I had to descibe him, is a populist. He's very amiable, can work a crowd (shmooz?), and is not afraid of taking on a big challenge.
When he first ran in the 1991 by-election, Halifax-Atlantic was a riding that had faithfully voted for (recently-appointed Mulroney Senator) John Buchannan since 1967, electing him 7 consecutive times. At that time, the provincial NDP only had 2 seats, and Robert's victory foreshadowed the growth of NDP strength around the Metro Halifax area. He retired from provincial politics in 2003 to spend more time with his family, but returned to public life after his daughter left for college (empty nester?) by winning Dartmouth-Cole Harbour away from Michael Savage, the son of a former Liberal premier.
While his lack of French may be seen by some as a liability, I have no doubt that should he win, by the time of the 2015 election comes about, he'll be able to converse comfortably in both official languages.
An excellent addition to the NDP leadership race, and makes my choice of going with the heart (local candidate Chisholm), or with someone who really strikes fear in the governing Conservatives (Mulcair?).
Difficult choices, indeed!
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:10
#43
knownothing
For what it is worth, it is not just the left of the NDP in the rest of the country, or cranks like me, who have long been dis-enamoured with the NS NDP. There are even no small number of people in 'the establishment' who do not see it as something we want to be emulating.
There IS a great deal to be learned from the NS NDP. Even us malcontents have much to be proud of, and to look forward to. But for us, the NS NDP is no example of the road from nowhere to power, to be taken holus bolus.
Sounds like the people in Sask and Man.
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:13
#44
Which Robert never argued with.
And defended it and the people who 'inspired' it, as he was leaving himself.
And I dont buy taking the personal blame for avoiding bringing out the DUI. It really doesnt matter what notions Robert had about it- this IS what you have staff for. It is their role to think through the costs and benefits of bringing out or not something like that.
The whole of Nova Scotia is a small world, and Robert comes from small town Nova Scotia- when and where that DUI happened. Robert told staff about it from the beginning, as he is supposed to. It was bound to come out. The rest should have been obvious. What a surprise the story came out near the end of the campaign. Bad luck, eh.
He made the choice to stand by them for everything. If he's satisfied with their performance, then I in turn had to and have to judge him as a leader on that basis.
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:20
#45
It goes with the territory that NDP provincial governments dissapoint and even rile a big chunk of their base. So I'm inclined to applay a heavy 'discount' to that turbulence- even what I am part of.
But from what I know of SK and MB, the base here was disenchanted earlier. Whatever the reasons, and relative 'obective' bases to the various discontents, I find more comparability to the BC NDP and NS NDP 'levels of satisfaction' when not in power. Except that the BCNDP is just plain 'wilder' and takes everything more seriously than we do here.
Sun, 2011-10-30 15:50
#46
Would any Nova Scotian babblers (KenS, David Young) care to give us some background on Robert Chisholm's entry into the race? What does it mean for the NDP in Nova Scotia? What are his strengths? What might we look forward to from his campaign? Thanks in advance.
I was Robert's communications director during his provincial leadership campaign and I think the world of him. Have since I met him in '91. Always found him unassuming and humble but with impressive natural political skills. His win in the '91 by-election, a long affair during which I practically lived in Spryfield and which was a political coming of age a generation of Young New Democrats in NS, was a huge breakthrough for the party that dug roots that would one day lead to our winning power. He's also a genuinely good guy who has a very common-guy touch. When I heard he was running federally I was beyond excited. That said, being bi-lingual is as much a pre-requisite for being federal leader to my mind as having successfully stood for office and accordingly I can't support him. It's odd not working for someone I think so highly of but I'm glad to see him in the race. He's incredibly capable and brings a lot to the table and I'm glad to see a strong candidate from this part of the country in the race. His entry is nothing but a positive.
Sun, 2011-10-30 16:09
#47
I am more critical of Robert, but I also think the world of him. How many people are going to meet any of our minimum criteria as someone we consider for leader? And I'm aware that I'd probably rule out some of the people i AM considering if I was as familiar with them as i am with Robert.
For what it's worth, my earlier comparison of the similarities between the BC and NS NDP's as far as levels of discontent with basic directions being taken before coming to power:
Dissent in the NS NDP- when there was more- did not break above the surface. You had to be fairly involved to know about it. The BC NDP's internal dissent and disicontents have always been more out in the open. Part of that is because it is bigger. And part of it is because, well, it's BC. Things are more intense. But the substance of discontent and its articulation is comparable.
Sun, 2011-10-30 16:33
#48
Robert, if I had to descibe him, is a populist. He's very amiable, can work a crowd (shmooz?), and is not afraid of taking on a big challenge.
When he first ran in the 1991 by-election, Halifax-Atlantic was a riding that had faithfully voted for (recently-appointed Mulroney Senator) John Buchannan since 1967, electing him 7 consecutive times. At that time, the provincial NDP only had 2 seats, and Robert's victory foreshadowed the growth of NDP strength around the Metro Halifax area. He retired from provincial politics in 2003 to spend more time with his family, but returned to public life after his daughter left for college (empty nester?) by winning Dartmouth-Cole Harbour away from Michael Savage, the son of a former Liberal premier.
While his lack of French may be seen by some as a liability, I have no doubt that should he win, by the time of the 2015 election comes about, he'll be able to converse comfortably in both official languages.
An excellent addition to the NDP leadership race, and makes my choice of going with the heart (local candidate Chisholm), or with someone who really strikes fear in the governing Conservatives (Mulcair?).
Difficult choices, indeed!
Had one true blue Tory from Pictou tell me that of all the federal candidates, Robert is the one that scares him the most.
I think the French issue is a big one. We elected 59 MPs from Quebec. I'm not sure if Quebec voters will tolerate a unilingual leader just learning French or in four years time having French that's not up to scratch.
Sun, 2011-10-30 16:42
#49
Boom Boom
Anyone contemplating a run for the leadership should be fluent in both languages, not promising to learn on the job.
Sun, 2011-10-30 18:09
#50
Anyone contemplating a run for the leadership should be fluent in both languages, not promising to learn on the job.
Seriously. I mean, how many members in the ROC would consider the candidacy of a unilingual francophone? A party intent on governing and in fact depending upon Quebec to get there simply cannot elect someone who can't speak French, regardless of his other qualities.
Sun, 2011-10-30 19:10
#51
Seriously. I mean, how many members in the ROC would consider the candidacy of a unilingual francophone? A party intent on governing and in fact depending upon Quebec to get there simply cannot elect someone who can't speak French, regardless of his other qualities.
Jeff:
You hit the nail on the head. Stephane Dion was (fairly, I believe) criticised for his poor English when he was Liberal leader, and in my estimation his skills in English far exceeded the fluency of some of our leadership candidates in French.
I would take it a step further: presuming to enter the race without the passable ability to communicate with a quarter of the country shows a callous disregard for francophones across Canada and is an insult to the 2 million Quebeckers who put their faith in us.
Unilingual candidates will not even score a ranking on my preferential ballot.