NDP: preparing for the 2015 election campaign

Wed, 2014-10-29 14:16

sherpa-finn

Some musings from Eric Grenier on what the NDP will have to do to 'break out' in 2015:

Tom Mulcair needs to break out of his Quebec base in 2015NDP leader popular in Quebec, but party support lags in rest of the country

Although the NDP remains competitive in Quebec, the scene of its historic breakthrough in 2011, the party will need to make significant gains in the rest of the country if leader Tom Mulcair is to become prime minister in 2015....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/tom-mulcair-needs-to-break-out-of-his-quebec-base-in-2015-1.2815823

Wed, 2014-10-29 15:25

#103

Unionist

sherpa-finn wrote:

Some musings from Eric Grenier on what the NDP will have to do to 'break out' in 2015:

I broke my vow and read the article. About 99% of it is merely poll numbers subjected to some addition and subtraction. On the question, "what the NDP will have to do to 'break out' in 2015", I didn't see one single statement of substance (other than, get more votes outside Québec).

Are they all like this? Or did I miss something?

Wed, 2014-10-29 15:29

#104

NorthReport

Bingo!

Unionist wrote:

sherpa-finn wrote:

Some musings from Eric Grenier on what the NDP will have to do to 'break out' in 2015:

I broke my vow and read the article. About 99% of it is merely poll numbers subjected to some addition and subtraction. On the question, "what the NDP will have to do to 'break out' in 2015", I didn't see one single statement of substance (other than, get more votes outside Québec).

Are they all like this? Or did I miss something?

Wed, 2014-10-29 22:19

#105

mark_alfred

So let us be angry, fearful, and despairing. And we'll not change the world. Oh well.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/29/the_ndps_problems_are_pili...

Wed, 2014-10-29 22:46

#106

Aristotleded24

I do have to say that Hebert is wrong on one count in Winnipeg. Part of the reason that Bowman won is that former supporters of Wasylycia-Leis went over to his camp, and in many areas he out-Judyed Judy. For example, Bowman called for eliminating homelessness, while Judy made vague promises on more affordable housing.

Thu, 2014-10-30 11:45

#107

Adam T

sherpa-finn wrote:

For those Babblers on twitter, Lauren Dobson-Hughes (‏@ldobsonhughes) today tweeted a summary analysis of how the Conservatives in the UK succsessfully won over working class support from Labour - which is now drifting even further to the right towards UKIP. Its rooted in the assessment that a large portion of working class voters are very much 'small-c conservative' in nature - and that Margaret Thatcher was able to speak to their aspirations and identity and capture' a significant portion of their electoral support.

According to Dobson-Hughes, a key element of that political process was to successfully drive a wedge between working class identity and union loyalty.

While the analysis is rooted in the UK of the '80s and '90s, it has some interesting parallels (IMHO) with the prevailing Canadian context - if we can reasonably equate Canada's "Tim Hortons crowd" with UK's working class. As per this thread: how should the NDP most effectively respond to the anticipated attacks on unions (most particularly public service unions) in the year ahead, as the Harper Gov't positions itself for the 2015 campaign?

FWIW, Dobson-Hughes is currently president of Planned Parenthood in Ottawa, and a forner NDP staffer on the Hill.

This goes back before Thatcher in the U.K. I was reading the wiki page on Saul Alinsky and he said in 1971: "Alinsky described his plans for 1972 to begin to organize the white middle class across America, and the necessity of that project. He believed that what President Richard Nixon and Vice-President Spiro Agnew then called "The Silent Majority" was living in frustration and despair, worried about their future, and ripe for a turn to radical social change, to become politically active citizens. He feared the middle class could be driven to a right-wing viewpoint, "making them ripe for the plucking by some guy on horseback promising a return to the vanished verities of yesterday."[4] His stated motive: "I love this goddamn country, and we're going to take it back."[4]

It's a stunningly precisient comment because Ronald Reagan was exactly that guy on a horseback and I don't believe he was even in the conversation for a presidential run in 1971.

Tue, 2014-11-04 10:59

#108

Arthur Cramer Arthur Cramer's picture

I wonder what the NDP can take from Scotiabank announcing dumping 1500 jobs? It seems to me this again about the Middle Class and the worry people and their need for security.

Tue, 2014-11-04 21:16

#109

NDPP

Howard Hampton To Advise Federal NDP on Ontario's Ring of Fire

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/howard-hampton-to-advise-federal-ndp-on-...

"In a bid to try and push ahead the ill-fated development of the Ring of Fire mining project in northern Ontario, the federal NDP is bringing a well-known Ontario face on board to help.

Sources say Hampton will start working for the federal party immediately as a liason on the complicated development file..."

"complicated" indeed:

Fasken-Martineau/People/Howard Hampton

http://www.fasken.com/howard-hampton/

It's a wonder FM and its 'Global Mining Group' can spare him given the demands of defending Imperial Metals and the Mt Polley spill.

There's no conflict of interest here. That IS the interest. Who says NDP socialism is dead!

Mon, 2014-11-24 16:47

#110

sherpa-finn

Looking forward to the 2015 campaign, Andrew Cash riffs on FDR's old line about nothing to fear but fear itself.

“We’re up against our own belief in the ability to get this done”

http://blogs.canoe.ca/davidakin/politicsndp/the-ndp-looks-to-2015-were-up-against-our-own-belief-in-the-ability-to-get-this-done/

Mon, 2014-12-08 21:59

#111

sherpa-finn

I seem to recall that somewhere upthread, Sean in Ottawa was quite critical of the NDP's social media presence. But interesting to note that at least when it comes to MP websites, the NDP seems to be doing comparatively well.

New Democrats dominate list of best MP websites

If great MP websites won elections, the New Democrats would have a solid majority government and the Liberals would be in the political wilderness. New Democrats have nine of the top dozen MP websites, according to a new evaluation by Samara, a charity that works to improve political participation in Canada. Conservative MPs have three and Liberal MPs have precisely none....

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/new-democrats-dominate-list-of-best-mp-websites

Tue, 2014-12-09 00:44

#112

Pondering

sherpa-finn wrote:

I seem to recall that somewhere upthread, Sean in Ottawa was quite critical of the NDP's social media presence. But interesting to note that at least when it comes to MP websites, the NDP seems to be doing comparatively well.

New Democrats dominate list of best MP websites

If great MP websites won elections, the New Democrats would have a solid majority government and the Liberals would be in the political wilderness. New Democrats have nine of the top dozen MP websites, according to a new evaluation by Samara, a charity that works to improve political participation in Canada. Conservative MPs have three and Liberal MPs have precisely none....

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/new-democrats-dominate-list-of-best-mp-websites

I wish they had provided links to to the websites. It would seem an obvious thing to do. Content matters but they weren't rated for ease of use or style nor were any of the factors weighted in importance.

Websites are important and all MPs should have good ones but that wasn't what Sean was talking about. Social media is facebook, twitter, youtube. An old-fashioned or Mickey Mouse website could be worse than none at all. I'm guessing few people go to them. I never have. Facebook and Twitter are monitored in a way that websites aren't. The more information on the websites the better, definitely a valid way to judge the sites, it's just a different aspect than Sean was talking about (in my opinion). A good website can be part of what he was talking about, but the interface would matter.

(The NDP interfaces could be fabulous, I didn't visit the sites, they just didn't rate that aspect of them.)

Fri, 2014-12-12 21:13

#113

sherpa-finn

This is a sharp piece of work by Charlie Angus showing the extent to which the Tories have grown the number of political staff within the civil service (while services to teh public are being cut), and the extent to which these staff are obviously doing political outreach work on behalf of CPC Ministers, which is wholly inappropriate.

This is clearly an attempt to offset the negative exposure felt by the NDP over CPC and LPC criticism of the NDP's deployment of some of their own (taxpayer funded) political staff out of Ottawa. And it would seem to have done the trick: on this issue, the emperor has no clothes.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/ministers-staff-bouncing-between-departments-to-serve-political-interests-ndp

Tue, 2014-12-16 21:07

#114

sherpa-finn

Is economic inequality a viable electoral issue for the NDP in 2015?

I would like to think so, - and here is a great little video from the Broadbent Institute that lays out the nature and magnitude of the problem, - and hints at a couple of key solutions.

http://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/wealthgap

Wed, 2015-03-25 20:44

#115

Sean in Ottawa

Any thoughts from other New Democrats? I am getting over five email appeals for money a day. Are you getting these as well at this rate? Is this really productive? Would that time be better coming up with other fund-raising ideas than emailing the same people over and over at this frequency?

Wed, 2015-03-25 20:54

#116

Marco C

Yes I'm getting the same emails.

Could the time be used better maybe but then again they have proven it can be a sucess, the NDP has raised more money they anyother time in the past. I would say they need to refine the asks, take a page from the Conservative they are the masters when it comes fundraising asks.

Personal I would like them to help ridings and campiagns bring in the cash too as it is one of the biggest issues with NDP campaigns, many are cash straped and while we always get the most votes to dollar (I think my average was 4.3 votes per dollar) have a funding stratagy on the ground would help in the long run.

Wed, 2015-03-25 21:02

#117

NorthReport

What about a national pharmacare program?

I was listening to Nik Nanos today talking with Don Martin and he said Mulcair is going to have to do something to stand out from the crowd, and I agree.

What is Mulcair's vision for the betterment of all Canadians?

What is the Mulcair-led NDP going to do that is in clear contrast to the right-wing Liberals and Conservatives?

The NDP will never ever cut it unless voters see a big difference between Mulcair and Trudeau.

Wed, 2015-03-25 21:07

#118

NorthReport

What about a national pharmacare program for starters?

I was listening to Nik Nanos today talking with Don Martin and he said Mulcair is going to have to do something to stand out from the crowd, and I agree.

What is Mulcair's vision for the betterment of all Canadians?

What is the Mulcair-led NDP going to do that is in clear contrast to the right-wing Liberals and Conservatives?

The NDP will not cut it unless voters see a big difference between Mulcair and Trudeau.

What is the NDP going to give Canadians that they will not get from the Liberals?

What abour R & D?

What about a national housing program?

What about a national apprentice program?

Wed, 2015-03-25 21:19

#119

Sean in Ottawa

Marco C wrote:

Yes I'm getting the same emails.

Could the time be used better maybe but then again they have proven it can be a sucess, the NDP has raised more money they anyother time in the past. I would say they need to refine the asks, take a page from the Conservative they are the masters when it comes fundraising asks.

Personal I would like them to help ridings and campiagns bring in the cash too as it is one of the biggest issues with NDP campaigns, many are cash straped and while we always get the most votes to dollar (I think my average was 4.3 votes per dollar) have a funding stratagy on the ground would help in the long run.

I get some nagging but over 5 a day does not sound like a strategy that would get more money than say once a day. And 5 times a day feels like spamming and can be taken badly.

Thu, 2015-03-26 00:25

#120

Aristotleded24

Marco C wrote:
Directly today I think there was a finding push of some kind.

First quarter push.

Thu, 2015-03-26 00:52

#121

Marco C

It can be taken that way but like I said they have raised alot of money since being forced to fundraise.

Directly today I think there was a funding push of some kind.

It's not always 5 a day, usually its one or two at most unless there are pushing for something ie. campiagn jet, TV time during hockey night in canada, seedless grapes for the leader's pet chinchila you know stuff like that.

If it make you feel better the Liberal and Conservatives send out just as many.

NDP: preparing for the 2015 election campaign

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