Layton temporarily stepping down

[Foucaulf]

My god, it is cancer; horrible, because one can argue Layton is among the Canadian left's best politicians in history. Looking at some of the online reactions and there is a lot of class, apart from the absurd "If he knew he had cancer why did he continue as opposition leader" crap.

My opinion on the eventual succession: it is not that many of the RoC MPs have too many disadvantages, but that Mulcair has too many advantages. He has been in government, sold himself as a public face of the NDP and is the godfather to the Quebec MPs. Much more interesting is how the rest of the party will place to a possible NDP government; for example, Davies should never get close to cabinet, but I think she would fit as House Leader.

[Foucaulf]

The attack against Turmel rests on making three presumptions:

-That, although she is "interim leader", she is still the person through which NDP policy passes through.
-That her situation resembles, or is symbolic of the majority NDP Quebec caucus.
-That the Bloquistes joined the party for souverainisme first and foremost.

All of this makes the talking point of the NDP being the Bloc's successor so much more potent, a talking point the English media is wringing with no shame. Look at this editorial in the Globe: "Not since Lucien Bouchard and Gilles Duceppe has someone whose loyalty to federalism appeared so tepid and fair-weather [was opposition leader]"? Seriously?

I haven't been this enraged about a political issue in a long time; I think I'll stop here.