By-Elections 2014 Edition

Mon, 2014-03-17 20:45

Stockholm

If you think you'd make a better candidate why don't you run against him for the NDP nomination. In fact why doesn't the so-called Socialist Caucus take this opportunity to run one of their luminaries for the nomination and lets see how many votes they can get in a riding that ought to be a hotbed of radical socialist sentiment in the NDP - or is it?

and BTW an endorsement from a well-known Liberal is NOT so useless. A helluva lot of people in Trinity-Spadina are Liberal/NDP swing voters and in fact when Olivia Chow won by 20,000 votes in 2011 it was largely with support from a lot of people who consider themselves to be Liberals who voted NDP for Olivia Chow. If Joe Cressy wins the NDP nomination - it can only help him in the general election if swing voters and "soft Liberals" see that he is backed by "opinion leaders" in the Liberal world. What's not to like?

Mon, 2014-03-17 20:48

#53

OnTheLeft

Stockholm wrote:

If you think you'd make a better candidate why don't you run against him for the NDP nomination. In fact why doesn't the so-called Socialist Caucus take this opportunity to run one of their luminaries for the nomination and lets see how many votes they can get in a riding that ought to be a hotbed of radical socialist sentiment in the NDP - or is it?

and BTW an endorsement from a well-known Liberal is NOT so useless. A helluva lot of people in Trinity-Spadina are Liberal/NDP swing voters and in fact when Olivia Chow won by 20,000 votes in 2011 it was largely with support from a lot of people who consider themselves to be Liberals who voted NDP for Olivia Chow. If Joe Cressy wins the NDP nomination - it can only help him in the general election if swing voters and "soft Liberals" see that he is backed by "opinion leaders" in the Liberal world. What's not to like?

Why would you propose that I would make a better candidate? That is so juvenile.

And what does the Socialist Caucus have to do with this?

Kinsella is a spiteful asshole, we don't need him. What we need is to bring back the alienated working class voters, and not attract Liberals who despise socialism, a crowd and/or strategy which you seem comfortable with.

Mon, 2014-03-17 20:52

#54

Brachina

So having deep roots and a strong commitment to the riding, and progressive politics is not deserving enough, do we have to run someone big name and famous every time now?

I read what he said in response to the Liberal infighting and it was wonderful, home run.

If this about the Dewar thing, his guy was way behind, so he choose to take cleaver, but risky move because honestly Dewar had nothing left to lose at that point. At least it made Dewar's preesence relavant, which honestly before that it wasn't.

Mon, 2014-03-17 20:53

#55

Brachina

Good point stock.

Mon, 2014-03-17 20:56

#56

Stockholm

OnTheLeft wrote:

What we need is to bring back the alienated working class voters, and not attract Liberals who despise socialism, a crowd and/or strategy which you seem comfortable with.

Have you ever visited Trinity-Spadina? There are very few "alienated working class voters" left in it. In fact of the 103 ridings that went NDP in 2011 it was one of the ones with highest average incomes...Its largely condos, pricey semi-detached Victorian and Edwardian homes...you would have to be an alienated working class person with a large trust fund to be able to afford to live and vote in Trinity-Spadina!

Mon, 2014-03-17 21:05

#57

OnTheLeft

Stockholm wrote:

OnTheLeft wrote:

What we need is to bring back the alienated working class voters, and not attract Liberals who despise socialism, a crowd and/or strategy which you seem comfortable with.

Have you ever visited Trinity-Spadina? There are very few "alienated working class voters" left in it. In fact of the 103 ridings that went NDP in 2011 it was one of the ones with highest average incomes...Its largely condos, pricey semi-detached Victorian and Edwardian homes...you would have to be an alienated working class person with a large trust fund to be able to afford to live and vote in Trinity-Spadina!

That was in regards to the general policy and ideological direction of the party - piecemeal liberalism - and the fact that we can expect to lose more elections while alienating more voters, who will stay at home, while trying to replicate the Liberals, ie Darrell Dexter, Adrian Dix, Lorne Calvert, Bob Rae et al.

Mon, 2014-03-17 21:10

#58

Stockholm

Adrian Dix was considered the candidate of the left when he won the BC NDP leadership! btw: If you actually bothered reading about what Cressy believes in you might find that he's a lot more socialist than you think.

That being said, different candidates are a good or a bad fit for different ridings. If this were a byelection in a poor inner suburban riding like York West - we might be looking at a different candidate with a different shtick...

Mon, 2014-03-17 21:16

#59

OnTheLeft

Stockholm wrote:

Adrian Dix was considered the candidate of the left when he won the BC NDP leadership! btw: If you actually bothered reading about what Cressy believes in you might find that he's a lot more socialist than you think.

Dix wasn't a candidate of the left, and Cressy is hostile to the left.

I just don't want an NDP version of Jim Coutts. If we blow it in Trinity-Spadina (insider candidate), the Liberals will gleefully have a narrative and talking point that won't cease in the lead up to 2015.

Mon, 2014-03-17 21:37

#60

addictedtomyipod

this excerpt from Gerry Caplan.....

Even as a youngster Joe Cressy was an unusually admirable figure. This is a young man who chose to spend a year of high school far from home, in Nelson Mandela's South Africa, where he lived with both black and white families. He spent an undergraduate year at the University of Ghana -- the only non-African in the entire university -- where he dared to promote gay and lesbian rights and during breaks rode a moped around West Africa so he could experience first-hand the Africa that tourists and diplomats never see.

On school breaks he worked on First Nation literacy programs in northern Canada. After graduation he returned to South Africa to work for a human rights NGO for another year. In Toronto he's been a tireless volunteer for good causes. And wherever he's been, he's been a bold political activist for progressive causes. This is not your run-of-the-mill resume. But it's the real Joe Cressy.

If he goes for the nomination, Mr. Cressy will have to quit his senior position at the Stephen Lewis Foundation, where he has worked to support women's HIV/AIDS groups in Africa. As Mr. Cressy's entire life has demonstrated, he cares passionately about those the world leaves behind. That focus is what Canada needs so urgently today, as inequality soars and the political world is in thrall to some mysterious entity called the hardworkingmiddleclass.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/gerry-caplan/2014/03/toronto-cant-lose-o...

I think JC would make a great candidate. I first knew him from being on Don Martin's Power Play on a regular basis. He was the spokesman that represented the NDP and always had insighful things to say IMO.

Mon, 2014-03-17 21:38

#61

Brachina

http://puzzledcat.blogspot.ca/2014/03/a-liberal-party-mess-in-making.htm...

Mon, 2014-03-17 23:49

#62

Brachina

http://m.thestar.com/#!/news/justin-trudeau-loses-zach-paikin-over-candi...

Mon, 2014-03-17 23:50

#63

Stockholm

OnTheLeft wrote:

I just don't want an NDP version of Jim Coutts.

Good, doesn't look like you will get one. Coutts was Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Trudeau in the late 70s and widely viewed as the power behind the Throne... he was the equivalent of Nigel Wright or Guy Giorno or Dmitri Soudas in that era...also Trudeau cynically appointed Peter Stollery to the Senate for no other reason than to trigger a byelection in Spadina so that Coutts could be elected and sit in cabinet.

If there has ever been anyone in the NDP who is in any way comparable to Jim Coutts - it sure as hell isnt a 29 year old working for ther Stephen Lewis Foundation...

Tue, 2014-03-18 00:05

#64

DLivings

addictedtomyipod wrote:

this excerpt from Gerry Caplan.....

Even as a youngster Joe Cressy was an unusually admirable figure. This is a young man who chose to spend a year of high school far from home, in Nelson Mandela's South Africa, where he lived with both black and white families. He spent an undergraduate year at the University of Ghana -- the only non-African in the entire university -- where he dared to promote gay and lesbian rights and during breaks rode a moped around West Africa so he could experience first-hand the Africa that tourists and diplomats never see.

On school breaks he worked on First Nation literacy programs in northern Canada. After graduation he returned to South Africa to work for a human rights NGO for another year. In Toronto he's been a tireless volunteer for good causes. And wherever he's been, he's been a bold political activist for progressive causes. This is not your run-of-the-mill resume. But it's the real Joe Cressy.

If he goes for the nomination, Mr. Cressy will have to quit his senior position at the Stephen Lewis Foundation, where he has worked to support women's HIV/AIDS groups in Africa. As Mr. Cressy's entire life has demonstrated, he cares passionately about those the world leaves behind. That focus is what Canada needs so urgently today, as inequality soars and the political world is in thrall to some mysterious entity called the hardworkingmiddleclass.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/gerry-caplan/2014/03/toronto-cant-lose-o...

I think JC would make a great candidate. I first knew him from being on Don Martin's Power Play on a regular basis. He was the spokesman that represented the NDP and always had insighful things to say IMO.

That's the bio I needed to read to feel comfortable wtih Joe Cressy. Not that I'm from Toronto-Spadina, but it's encouraging to hear that people like this are willing to step up and offer their services.

While I can be a bit of ideologue myself, I recognize that those left governments that have had sustained success have had enough pragmatism in their approach to consider timing, priorities, and how much "message room" there is.

Thanks for this bio.

Tue, 2014-03-18 00:24

#65

Brachina

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/news/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com/...

This disaster for the libs makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It could happen to a nicer guy read sarcasm.

Tue, 2014-03-18 00:29

#66

Arthur Cramer Arthur Cramer's picture

Brachina wrote:

http://www.nationalpost.com/m/wp/news/blog.html?b=news.nationalpost.com/...

This disaster for the libs makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It could happen to a nicer guy read sarcasm.

Hence the Mulcair stealing from the Taxpayers story

Sat, 2021-11-20 21:13

#67

jfb

.

Sat, 2021-11-20 21:13

#68

jfb

.

Tue, 2014-03-18 01:46

#69

Hunky_Monkey

Cressy's intro vid...

http://youtu.be/fcqMAMi0Qv8

Tue, 2014-03-18 01:48

#70

Policywonk

OnTheLeft wrote:

Stockholm wrote:

Adrian Dix was considered the candidate of the left when he won the BC NDP leadership! btw: If you actually bothered reading about what Cressy believes in you might find that he's a lot more socialist than you think.

Dix wasn't a candidate of the left, and Cressy is hostile to the left.

I just don't want an NDP version of Jim Coutts. If we blow it in Trinity-Spadina (insider candidate), the Liberals will gleefully have a narrative and talking point that won't cease in the lead up to 2015.

Dix was to the left of Farnworth and Horgan, in my view, and that didn't make him the candidate of the left. I think "left" should be defined before saying someone is hostile to it.

Tue, 2014-03-18 08:12

#71

adma

Stockholm wrote:
If there has ever been anyone in the NDP who is in any way comparable to Jim Coutts - it sure as hell isnt a 29 year old working for ther Stephen Lewis Foundation...

Brian Topp? (Only *very* roughly speaking, of course.)

Tue, 2014-03-18 08:58

#72

nicky

I have read all the links about Joe but still think that we should (and must) pick a better candidate for the by-election.

It is significant that Joe has never really done much outside the "NDP family" - "campaign organizer, soical activist, backroom boy, community organizer, etc". I don't think this impresses most people. He doesn't have any knid of presence or name recognition outside the party itself.

We should pick a condidate with some substance who projects the image that we are serious about forming governmanret. I don't know who that may be but I would hope we can attract such a candidate for a very winnable riding.

Joe looks too much like a smug backroom operator, inexperienced in the ways of the world. There is an obvious reason why the Liberals knifed Christine Innes and that is to clear the way for a heavyweight candidate. They knows that the stakes are very great in Trinity-Spadina and if they wrest the seat away from us they will be better able to present themselves as the only alternative to Harper. The old red door - blue door stuff that has bedeviled the NDP throughout its history..

They will pore everything they have into this by-election and will present Joe as a mere apparatchik with no real life accomplishments. and they will beat him. There is too much at stake here than for us to give them that narrative.

Tue, 2014-03-18 09:14

#73

Brachina

Helping First Nations in Northern Ontario isn't real world experience or an acomplishment.

And it wasn't TS that the Libs didn't want Innes to run in, it was the future riding that Justin's choosen one, Freeland wanted to run in that they didn't like, and we know who they're so called star Candiate is, I'm not impressed.

I so no evidence that Joe is unqualified, clearly everyone who knows him believes in him.

Do you have anything against Joe?

Tue, 2014-03-18 09:31

#74

nicky

Brachina, I have nothing against Joe. I have only met him a couple times. I just think he will be a weak candidate for the reasons I have expressed, and others.

And I don't think that you shd take at face value the Liberal claim that they only wanted to prevent Innes running against Freeland in 2015. They have someone in mind for the T-S by-election who is not the rather inconspicuous candidate who has already announced.

Tue, 2014-03-18 10:21

#75

Stockholm

We shall see if anyone else runs for the NDP nomination, but if the candidate is Joe Cressy I actually think he is a perfect fit for the riding. Trinity-Spadina is a very young riding and also a highly educated riding and also a riding where the vast majority of people would consider themselves "progressive" I suspect. Here we have someone who is an attractive, well-spoken 29 year old who has lived in the riding all his life and who knows the riding like the back of his hand. FWIW, his family is well-known and FWIW he is HIGHLY ientified with Chow's mayoralty campaign - which helps since she will likely get something like 75% of the vote in Trinity-Spadina in the mayoral race.Trinity-Spadina is actually quite a wealthy riding and whoever runs for the NDP there has to be someone who can appeal to radical chic academics and well as hip condo dwellers etc...

This byelection will get a lot of attention and there will likely be a lot of televised debates etc... Cressy has been on enough panels and roundtables and is well versed enough on the issue that I have total confidence that he can hit the ground running and will have little (if any) learning curve as a candidate. The Liberals will probably try to attack the NDP for "wanting to destroy the country over 50%+1" (sic.) and we need a candidate who can respond to that crap without a moment's hesitation.

Sure, it would have been nice if someone like George Stromboulopoulos decided that being an MP was a better gig than being the new host of Hockey Night in Canada...but such is not the case and in the absense of a "celebrity candidate" supernova of that order, Cressy is as good a candidate as I can think of.

Tue, 2014-03-18 11:25

#76

Brachina

All good points stock.

Tue, 2014-03-18 13:18

#77

OnTheLeft

nicky wrote:

I have read all the links about Joe but still think that we should (and must) pick a better candidate for the by-election.

It is significant that Joe has never really done much outside the "NDP family" - "campaign organizer, soical activist, backroom boy, community organizer, etc". I don't think this impresses most people. He doesn't have any knid of presence or name recognition outside the party itself.

We should pick a condidate with some substance who projects the image that we are serious about forming governmanret. I don't know who that may be but I would hope we can attract such a candidate for a very winnable riding.

Joe looks too much like a smug backroom operator, inexperienced in the ways of the world. There is an obvious reason why the Liberals knifed Christine Innes and that is to clear the way for a heavyweight candidate. They knows that the stakes are very great in Trinity-Spadina and if they wrest the seat away from us they will be better able to present themselves as the only alternative to Harper. The old red door - blue door stuff that has bedeviled the NDP throughout its history..

They will pore everything they have into this by-election and will present Joe as a mere apparatchik with no real life accomplishments. and they will beat him. There is too much at stake here than for us to give them that narrative.

[img]http://media2.giphy.com/media/b9aScKLxdv0Y0/giphy.gif[/img]

Tue, 2014-03-18 13:23

#78

OnTheLeft

Stockholm wrote:

Sure, it would have been nice if someone like George Stromboulopoulos decided that being an MP was a better gig than being the new host of Hockey Night in Canada..

Tue, 2014-03-18 13:32

#79

Stockholm

Onthe left - why don't you wake us up when and if you ever have a better candidate to recommend, otherwise your comments are a total waste of time.

Tue, 2014-03-18 13:53

#80

OnTheLeft

Stockholm wrote:

Onthe left - why don't you wake us up when and if you ever have a better candidate to recommend, otherwise your comments are a total waste of time.

Well what do you expect. You seriously suggested George Stromboulopoulos.

Policywonk wrote:

Dix was to the left of Farnworth and Horgan, in my view, and that didn't make him the candidate of the left. I think "left" should be defined before saying someone is hostile to it.

The genuine left is socialism, when the workers control the means of production and the economy is democratically planned and accountable to the democratic will of the people. Democratically elected (and accoutable via recall) worker committees and councils, instead of private interests and oligarchs having all the power.

Tue, 2014-03-18 14:04

#81

Stockholm

OnTheLeft wrote:

The genuine left is socialism, when the workers control the means of production and the economy is democratically planned and accountable to the democratic will of the people. Democratically elected (and accoutable via recall) worker committees and councils, instead of private interests and oligarchs having all the power.

I can guarantee that an NDP candidate running in Trinity-Spadina on a platform like that would likely come in fourth behind the Green party and lose his or her deposit.

Tue, 2014-03-18 14:44

#82

Brachina

OnTheLeft wrote:

Stockholm wrote:

Sure, it would have been nice if someone like George Stromboulopoulos decided that being an MP was a better gig than being the new host of Hockey Night in Canada..

you do realize that's not George right?

Anyway you keep dodging the point, if you have aomeone else in mind, perhaps you can make a suggestion.

anx honestly I don't believe the Liberals have some huge mega candiate coming for the riding, I also think Joe seems like a hell of a guy and I think he can win the riding handily. Honest I think its more a question of don't blow it, then an up hill battle and Joe appears to have the competance to do so.

and while I disagreed with Warren Kinsella on multiple occasions, he does have some clout with many libs and as auch his endorsement of Joe is a major asset.

Tue, 2014-03-18 15:11

#83

nicky

My unease with Joe has nothing to do with whether he is left or right. I don't even know here he fits on the spectrum.

Tue, 2014-03-18 15:16

#84

theleftyinvestor

Is anyone concerned that largely men are running for the positions that female MPs vacate? It happened with Denise Savoie, and now it looks like it's going to happen with Olivia too. In fact the Conservatives and Liberals are the parties that have won by-elections with women since 2011, replacing male incumbents. Yvonne Jones in Labrador, and Joan Crockatt in Calgary Centre. Not that I'm saying that Crockatt is a good thing, but just noticing the gender balance.

Aside from that, Cressy seems like a decent candidate. But a competitive nomination race could only be a good thing, and help to raise the profile of the winning nominee. Jonah Schein (MPP for Davenport) might have some good tips for him.

Tue, 2014-03-18 16:07

#85

Brachina

http://www.punditsguide.ca/2014/03/once-again-nomination-races-take-earl...

Pundits guide agrees with me that the NDP will be able to fund all three bielections no problem.

Tue, 2014-03-18 16:29

#86

robbie_dee

Whitby-Oshawa just opened up.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/finance-minister-jim-flaherty-resigns-from-cabinet/article17549674/

Tue, 2014-03-18 16:44

#87

Brachina

That will make things interesting.

Tue, 2014-03-18 16:54

#88

terrytowel

Joe Cressy - A new champion for downtown Toronto

Joe talks about why he's running to be the next NDP MP for Trinity-Spadina.

The YouTube video released yesterday.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcqMAMi0Qv8

Tue, 2014-03-18 16:59

#89

David Young

Flaherty has resigned from cabinet, but has he resigned as an M.P.?

Tue, 2014-03-18 17:13

#90

nicky

There is an unsettling rumour going arund legal circles that Flaherty is angling for the position of Chief Justice of Ontario.

As if Mr Justice Vic Toews isn't bad enough.

Shudder

Tue, 2014-03-18 17:16

#91

OnTheLeft

Brachina wrote:

you do realize that's not George right?

No shit.

Brachina wrote:

Anyway you keep dodging the point, if you have aomeone else in mind, perhaps you can make a suggestion.

I'm not "dodging the point". No one emphasized any particular point. The juvenile suggestion of "why don't you run" was made.

nicky wrote:

My unease with Joe has nothing to do with whether he is left or right. I don't even know here he fits on the spectrum.

Soft lefty/liberal.

Tue, 2014-03-18 17:39

#92

robbie_dee

David Young wrote:

Flaherty has resigned from cabinet, but has he resigned as an M.P.?

I was responding to the reference in the article that he would be "returning to the private sector" but so far I haven't seen any more information about when he's planning to do that - i.e. right now, soon or after the next election? I guess we will know soon enough.

Tue, 2014-03-18 17:48

#93

Stockholm

OnTheLeft wrote:

nicky wrote:

My unease with Joe has nothing to do with whether he is left or right. I don't even know here he fits on the spectrum.

Soft lefty/liberal.

Can you name a specific issue where you think he's too rightwing within the NDP universe? Or are you just projecting an ideology on him because he looks like he probably wears two socks that are the same colour?

Tue, 2014-03-18 19:16

#94

Arthur Cramer Arthur Cramer's picture

Trudeau says he canned Innes to send message, http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/03/18/trudeau-says-still-commit_n_4988957.html?utm_hp_ref=canada-politics&ir=Canada+Politics&utm_campaign=canpoli&utm_term=canpoli&utm_content=canpoli&utm_source=canpoli&utm_medium=canpoli. Seriously, who's son is this guy, Grepettos?

Tue, 2014-03-18 20:15

#95

Brachina

Banning someone without proof, based solely on the what a couple partisans loyal to Freeland, who btw feels threatened clearly, is not justice. Its unfair, its undemocractic, and Justin Trudeau lies horribly.

I read the huff post article while listening to the song flawed designed, it just felt right. Does Justin seriously believe the public is going to believe this bullshit?

Btw isn't putting out the rules after banning someone a day late and a dollar short. You're supposed to put together the rules before not after or even during a race.

Tue, 2014-03-18 20:42

#96

David Young

Since when do the words 'rules' and 'Liberal Party' belong in the same sentence?

Tue, 2014-03-18 21:07

#97

pookie

OnTheLeft wrote:

Stockholm wrote:

Sure, it would have been nice if someone like George Stromboulopoulos decided that being an MP was a better gig than being the new host of Hockey Night in Canada..

As a HUGE Supernatural fan...nicely done.

Tue, 2014-03-18 21:14

#98

pookie

Watched the video. He seems nice enough. He needs to work on sounding more natural and less rehearsed.

I do find it a bit depressing that Olivia's replacement in the House, representing frigging downtown TO, is likely to be a young white male.

Tue, 2014-03-18 22:06

#99

Stockholm

Would you prefer an OLD white man?

Tue, 2014-03-18 22:56

#100

Brachina

http://m.thestar.com/#!/canada/jim-flahertys-exit-sets-cabinet-shuffle-i...

I love that Justin Trudeau is doubling down on the stupidity and keeping this in the news.

Wed, 2014-03-19 05:20

#101

theleftyinvestor

pookie wrote:

Watched the video. He seems nice enough. He needs to work on sounding more natural and less rehearsed.

I do find it a bit depressing that Olivia's replacement in the House, representing frigging downtown TO, is likely to be a young white male.

As I was saying upthread.

Stockholm wrote:

Would you prefer an OLD white man?

See Denise Savoie's replacement. Not that I have a problem with Rankin, just noticing the trend.

By-Elections 2014 Edition

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