Was it actually Thomas Mulcair that was responsible for the Orange Wave in 2011?

 It was a team effort, and Jack was key, but the truth is Jack couldn't have done it without Mulcair, Mulcair got people paying attention to Jack in Quebec, he was in the commercials in Quebec, he got the NDP a toe hold in Quebec, he was the face of the NDP in Quebec as deputy leader, and Mulcair is the single most trusted politician in Quebec. So yes while he wasn't the only key player, the Orange Wave would not have happened without Mulcair and without Mulcair the NDP would be luck to have 15% in the polls. The day Mulcair ran in Quebec and won a seat for the NDP is the day the future of the  country changed and as well as the NDP.

NorthReport wrote:

Possible political scenario that you will not see discussed in the mainstream press:

As far as the mainstream press is concerned there are only 2 teams in the league - the right-wing Liberals and the right-wing Conservatives and they don't really care which of these two right-wing teams win, as long as one of them does. So ever chance the MSP gets to bash the peskly Official Opposition NDP (notice that the msp rarely even calls the NDP Canada's Official Oppostion), and/or promote their constant absurd, it is a an extremely close race between the two right-wing parties propaganda, the average Canadian, who is presently not really paying much attention to politics, believes the bullshit. As a result, most of what Canadians have been fed in the press since the 2011 election is utter nonsense, and regularly portrays Mulcair and the NDP in a very negative light.

Once the writ is actually dropped however, the falsehoods of the mainstream press will begin to unwind, as Thomas Mulcair will, for the very first time in his career, have an extended period to directly address Canadian voters, and as Pierre Trudeau aptly put it, the universe will start unfolding as it should.

Because of this Canadian political reality, Thomas Mulcair, in spite of all the obstacles he has to encouter on a daily basis, and whose leadership is presently keeping the NDP at mid-twenties support, stands an excellent chance of repeating, and then some, of the 2011 election results.

But make to mistake about it, the NDP needs to form a majority government if they ever are to effect fundamental change to our over-riding issue, Canada's staggering inequality between the rich and the poor, and Canada's almost extinct middle class.

NorthReport wrote:

Last I heard prior to entering federal politics, Thomas Mulcair was Minister of the Environment, resigned for reasons of principle, and obviously took a serious pay cut.

Has Trudeau or Harper ever resigned on reason of principle or taken a pay cut for anything?

With the NDP holding above 20%, it makes it impossible for the Liberals and Conservative to form a majority without climbing into bed with each other.

It is important to remember there is no possibility of an NDP coalition with the Liberals. As in the Martin, Dion, Ignatieff, Rae, and current Trudeau days, the Liberals will always vote with the Conservatives.

We have to keep this mindset from the social democratic angle. A social democratic government can occur. But it will not do so with the assistance of the Liberal Party or the Conservative Party.

It is either going to be opposition or majority government for the NDP. There may be a situation where the NDP will be able to bargain otherwise, however unless the NDP gets a majority there will be no coalition. Liberals just can't be trusted.

What a pointless topic of discussion. That was then, this is now.

Right now all the polls are showing the Cons and the Liberals running about even around 33%. There are enough Conseratives who hate Trudeau (a 40-year-old sentiment) and there are enough Liberals who hate Harper (a 15-year-old sentiment) to make a perfect balance of hatred, which is a true driving force of Canadian political sentiment.

As far as the Liberals not getting enough seats to prevent the Conservatives from getting a majority, that is hardly the NDP's fault. The NDP made their best efforts yet to deliver non-Conservative seats. The Liberals did not put in a good effort. All the Liberals had to do was win 10-15 more seats. Major fail.

Although much is made about the NDP losing vote share since the last election, the fact remains that the NDP has restored its 20% base, which is what it always had when I was a young man and in the days of my parents. The NDP has also opened up a market for itself in Quebec which it never had before.

To me, the Quebec connection could be big. Progressives from across Canada could see what it is like in a society with fascist fear and austerity oppression. Despite a nationalist context, these are issues which affect the left across the world.

In the end, the question will be if the NDP can take the radical pressure which may be needed to kick things over and start again. Already here we see people who do not believe they could ever go far enough.