Ok, I see we are two weeks into the campaign now, and a piece of common-wisdon is taking hold. That is, that the Libs are kind hearted, progressives, who represent the only viable alternative to keeping the Tories from a Majority.
So, I am wondering if this is at least due in part to the fact that the NDP is being "too-nice"; that is, the old meme of the party that we need to be postive, and communicate a message in that way so people will hear us as that and vote for us and not pay attention to the snake oil the Libs are trying to sell Canadians.
I live in a riding, Winnipeg North, where our MP, Kevin Lamoureux, has somehow duped people into thinking he is the nicest guy in the world. This is notwithstanding his past anti-union comments, and his most recent vote against a women's right to choose in the house. I have been trying to convince those who decide such things, of the need to in some way to go after that part of his record. It is working very well for him, and I honeslty think this is a serious startegic error on the part of those who make decisions here in my riding.
Let me state clearly that I am speaking for no one at all but myself; this is exculsively my personal opinion, and probably explains why I have never been seen as much more valuable then a resource with legs for dropping phamphlets, a wallet from which to take money, and a willing body to inside scurtineer on election day. I guess this is self-inflicted, to some considerable degree, and I have no one to blame but myself. However, I just can't understand why the New Dems are not making "more hay" of this.
I will admit that I listened to the "I am Rex Murphy and am much smarter then you could ever imagine to be" show again today. He had on a guest who said the problem was that the NDP platform was too much like the Libs. Listen to that framing again, "the NDP platform was too much like the Libs". That is a big problem. We have discussed the squeeze of the NDP on other threads by the Libs moving in on what is really NDP territory. Here it was again on full display. How can this still be such a problem? I say it is because the NDP is simply acting naively. The New Dems are being "too nice".
I can't for the life of me understand where the fight is on this. Why won't the New Dems take this on? I say it is because at the very basic level, New Dems, and the leadership are simply too nice; they think somehow by appealing to people's better nature, you can win them over. Ok, I accept that in a fight, you try to reason with your attacker; but in the end, if it doesn't work, you at least give them a bloody nose, even if you don't win the fight. That is how I survived my least favorite time of life, high school. I don't see how this very basic lesson of the need to stand up for yourself is any less applicable now to this very election fight we are having.
Thoughts?
Thanks.