Ontario 2014 (June 12th)

[Hatman 🍁]

Am I seeing correctly that Mississauga South doesn't even have an NDP candidate?

There is one: http://wemakevotingeasy.ca/en/electoral-districts/050-mississauga-south.aspx

[Hatman 🍁]

Elections Ontario changed the closing time for nominations to 8:45 last night, and will publish the final list at 5pm today. So, there's still a chance for the NDP to run a candidate in Durham.

[RogueBeaver]

Grenier on pollmaggedon.

Media isn't impressed with the NDP's platform, or anyone else's.

[RogueBeaver]

New EKOS out: OLP 36 (-1), PC 30 (-), NDP 20 (-1), Green 12 (+5).

Interesting take from Bruce Anderson: unpredictability's the word.

[DC Al Fine]

New EKOS out: OLP 36 (-1), PC 30 (-), NDP 20 (-1), Green 12 (+5).

Interesting take from Bruce Anderson: unpredictability's the word.

Man EKOS & their Green #'s

[RogueBeaver]

Were it not for Hatman, I'd poke some fun at EKOS.

Ivison's right again: Hudak needs to convince swing voters to trust him, otherwise a rerun of last time.

[RogueBeaver]

Some NDP veterans aren't happy with Horwath's campaign. Gerry Caplan had a similar Globe column. Needless to say, I doubt this makes a splash.

[RogueBeaver]

What a fycking joke: Regg-Cohn hits Peak Hackery by calling Horwath's NDP "obstructionist" and "reactionary."

[DC Al Fine]

What a fycking joke: Regg-Cohn hits Peak Hackery by calling Horwath's NDP "obstructionist" and "reactionary."

I kind of wish there was an NDP paper in Toronto to counter this horse sh**t. Would make for some interesting columns.

[RogueBeaver]

Admittedly I'm an ON novice, but only name I recognize on that letter is Rebick. Wonder if Dippers here know any of the others.

Bricker notes that the Grit strategy is clever if blatantly transparent.

[Linus Van Pelt]

Admittedly I'm an ON novice, but only name I recognize on that letter is Rebick. Wonder if Dippers here know any of the others.

Michele Landsberg was a Star columnist for many years, and perhaps a bit ironically, was a rare pro-NDP voice at that otherwise Liberal paper. She's also Stephen Lewis's wife. Of course they're separate individuals, but it makes you wonder a bit whether Lewis is thinking the same thing but doesn't want to make a bigger stir by criticizing his successor.

Cathy Crowe is active in homelessness/housing issues in Toronto and is moderately well known locally.

Winnie Ng I recognize as the 1993 federal candidate in Trinity-Spadina, but that's only because I can remember this as a kid in this riding. I don't think she's particularly well-known, and I don't know what she's been up to since. I don't recognize the others.

I am not a great fan of Horwath, and some of my criticisms could plausibly be described as from the left, since they relate in part to her aversion to personal taxes to raise revenue. The line in the party's platform where they claim they can save hundreds of millions of dollars a year by appointing a new cabinet post called "Minister of Savings and Accountability", without telling us where this money will come from, is one of the biggest lame-gimmick joke excuses for a policy I have seen in a while. But still, she has been on the receiving end of some pretty weird criticism. An incrementalist approach and some populist rhetoric doesn't make one "right-wing".

[RogueBeaver]

As Kinsella's been saying for a while, criticism from that crowd can help her with swing voters. Gilles Bisson had it right: called it a Grit trick to distract from their record. Which I'm sure Horwath will say if that comes up in the debate.

Labour still undecided.

[Krago]

Because I had nothing better to do tonight, and apparently neither did Elections Ontario, here is my list of all nominated Ontario provincial candidates.

Political Affiliation	Candidates
Green Party of Ontario	107
Ontario Liberal Party	107
Ontario NDP/NPD	107
PC Party of Ontario	107
Libertarian	74
Freedom Party of Ontario	42
Communist	11
None of the Above Party (NOTA)	8
Family Coalition Party of Ontario	6
The People	5
Vegan Environmental Party	5
CCP (Canadians' Choice Party)	4
Northern Ontario Heritage Party	3
Party for People with Special Needs	3
Paupers	3
E.P.P. (Equal Parenting Party)	2
Ontario Moderate Party	2
Ontario Provincial Confederation of Regions Party	2
Socialist Party of Ontario	2
Trillium Party TPO	2
Independent	14
Grand Total	616

[Holmes]

Speaking of Bisson (kind of), Liberal signs have actually started to appear here in Timmins. A small amount, mind you, but there's some sort of presence now. Apparently the candidate is from Thunder Bay.

[trebor204]

John Turmel will running again for Paupers Party in Brant. This will be his 81th election.

[Krago]

For the record, there are running in this election:
 
- two Kathleens, one for the None of the Above Party (don't know which one)
- five Tims and two Timothys
- three Andreas (one of whom is a socialist!)
- but no Daltons

[RogueBeaver]

Bisson said some folks who signed that letter aren't real Dippers while also calling it a Grit plot. Wonder how Horwath responds. What do resident Dippers make of this?

[Krago]

It's a Man-Bites-Dog story that will last as long as the Toronto Star keeps flogging it.

[RogueBeaver]

She basically brushed it off by saying everyone's entitled to their opinion and intraparty debate is always welcome. Right move IMO.

[RogueBeaver]

LOL Grits. Tried to crash a Horwath event as True Leftists.

Grit platform out.

[Marokai Backbeat]

LOL Grits. Tried to crash a Horwath event as True Leftists.

This is just sad.

[Citizen Hats]

LOL Grits. Tried to crash a Horwath event as True Leftists.

This is just sad.

Come on folks. They were wearing red shirts and Liberal buttons and lanyards.  'posed' my posterior

[RogueBeaver]

Grit platform includes enabling municipalities to use ranked ballots.

[Hatman 🍁]

Me thinks the Liberal tactics will back fire. Voters will be more likely to vote NDP if they think it's more moderate. Keep it coming, Toronto Star.

BTW, I got a free copy of the Star on Saturday from the hotel I was staying at in North Bay- and I counted FOUR anti-NDP columns.

[RogueBeaver]

Me thinks the Liberal tactics will back fire. Voters will be more likely to vote NDP if they think it's more moderate. Keep it coming, Toronto Star.

BTW, I got a free copy of the Star on Saturday from the hotel I was staying at in North Bay- and I counted FOUR anti-NDP columns.

A point Kinsella and MacDonald among others have made and I wholeheartedly agree with.

Right now I'm still very skeptical about Hudak's tactical judgment and agility. Though I felt the same way about Couillard...