2012 NDP leadership convention

[Hatman 🍁]

Might as well ask it here. I finally got my NDP card in the mail, and Horwath is on it. So I'm assuming other provinces have their provincial leader on the card as well. So what's on Quebec's card?

Last time I got a card, there was no one on it. I think each province decides on what to do, or even to have a card in the first place.

[Hatman 🍁]

A lot of members in the territories. Almost as many as all of New Brunswick!

[Hatman 🍁]

MPs do have a lot of say when it comes to their ridings. Minna and Mills prevented an east west divide that the boundary proposal had for their ridings. However, the commission normally rejects the MPs.

[Hatman 🍁]

I think I'm going to vote for Mulcair. I'm undecided about my other preferences. I guess I'll keep Paul in 2nd... or maybe Singh? or Ashton? hmmm....

Dewar's new haircut is rather dorky. I prefer him with more hair. His new look isn't very Prime Ministerial, which is a problem. Also, Peggy Nash's look I think is Prime Ministerial, for a woman.

These are tough choices, my friends.

[Hatman 🍁]

While I'm nowhere near the centre ideologically, I know the NDP must move to the centre to get elected, and I am perfectly comfortable with that, as long as the goal will always be a social democratic country. We need to move to the centre, and then move back to the left, taking Canadians with us in the process.

[Hatman 🍁]

If Mulcair tried to emulate Blair, there would be an inquisition, and he'd be toast in the party.

[Hatman 🍁]

Have fun guys: Dumont will moderate your Sunday debate.

http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2012/03/20120301-060651.html

What?

[Hatman 🍁]

This race would be a lot like the Republican Primaries if it had the same format. I can see Mulcair being the Romney type - the moderate frontrunner, while the others jockey around as flavours of the month, as negative ads keep attacking the last one. Perhaps first with Topp, and then Dewar, and perhaps Nash?

[Hatman 🍁]

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Geez. It's not often that I can understand every single word of a paragraph in French. That can't be good for Paul, can it?

If it wasn't for his lack of French, Paul would be a great candidate. I'm tempted to keep him in my #2 spot.

[Hatman 🍁]

That's the French equivalent of Dion's English. Harper's is the baseline.

I can usually understand most of what Harper says in French. That's why I know it's bad.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm still planning on going to the convention. I consider myself underemployed, which means it will only cost $100, and I heard their may be a free shuttle from Ottawa.

Haven't checked the mail yet, so I don't know if I got my ballot yet.

[Hatman 🍁]

Not going to watch those hacks. TV pundits are too used to the Liberals and Conservatives, and know the inner workings of those parties really well, but they don't know anything about the NDP.

[Hatman 🍁]

Does anyone outside the NDP, apart from Alice Funke, know anything about the NDP?

This is true. I wont watch At Issue until Funke is on the panel.

[Hatman 🍁]

..... I've finally got the chance to work on updating my endorsement map. A lot to catch up on. I'm going to need to make some insets for Victoria and Halifax...

Some interesting endorsements I've stumbled upon,

Topp got an endorsement from a former Liberal MNA in Quebec. (only former MNA to make an endorsement, unless you count Mulcair lol). Bonus points if you know who it was.

No endorsements from Ashton... in fact Topp got an endorsement from Churchill's former MP!

Cullen finally got some endorsements from outside of BC (MP Brian Masse and former MP Lynn MacDonald)

Nash got a bunch of municipal councillor endorsements which are pretty cool.

Saskatchewan is Topp land, lots of little orange triangles as a bunch of MLAs of yesteryear endorsed him.

Only one more endorsement from Alberta, as an MLA went for Topp.

The Territories finally got an endorser, as MP Dennis Bevington endorsed Dewar.

[Hatman 🍁]

I don't know if you noted it, but Phil Edmunston endorsed Mulcair.

That was a long time ago, I think.

[Hatman 🍁]

Before I post the NDP endorsement map, I wrote up a post about the membership (with maps!) http://canadianelectionatlas.blogspot.com/2012/03/ndp-membership-maps.html

[Hatman 🍁]

Endorsement map is more or less updated:



Let me know if I missed any. Note, I added a Victoria inset, but decided against a Halifax inset (choosing instead to make a box indicating support from the Dartmouth-Cole Harbour MP, Robert Chisholm). Smid doesn't appear to have a provincial map of N.S., so I couldn't make a quick inset for now.

[Hatman 🍁]

I also got my ballot, but I'll be voting at the convention. Anyone else going?

[Hatman 🍁]

Bruce Hyer, the MP I intern for also listed his preferences in his endorsement for Cullen:

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[Hatman 🍁]

Ed Broadbent getting senile? Angy old man syndrome?

It's sad to see such a great man go down this path.

[Hatman 🍁]

Good to see Mulcair's first priority is caucus solidarity. It is relieving some of my worries about supporting him.

[Hatman 🍁]

BTW, I'm looking for a place to crash next weekend for the convention. If there's any takers, please PM me.  Right now I'm trying my luck through couchsurfing, the most left wing way to travel.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'd say Peter Julian would be a better choice for deputy. Israel isn't a hot-button issue in our daily politic, BTW.

Blairism: Not happening. Mulcair will be on probation- even his supporters on this very forum are very clear on this point vis-a-vis explicit Third Way politics. Among other reasons, because then you're treading on Liberal social policy.

I know, but it would be nice to have a pro-Palestinian Canadian government, to help balance out the influence of the seemingly perpetually and disgustingly pro-Israel superpower next door.  Plus, making her foreign affairs critic would mainly be a much deserved apology to Libby for how he treated her before.  She should at least stay on as leader.

And if Blairism will ruin an NDP leader, why didn't it ruin Gary Doer, Roy Romanow, etc?

Romanow might be considered 3rd way, but Doer? He's just a moderate. But Romanow has to be the most right wing NDP premier in Canadian history. And look who he endorsed. Wasn't Mulcair!

[Hatman 🍁]

When did McCurdy leave the party?

ETA: did a google search, and I couldnt find out why he left the party, I did find this that proves he did: http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=90b9e179-b05d-48ac-9194-e751dfb71674

This is pretty disappointing, I used to like him.

[Hatman 🍁]

My final post before the election: http://canadianelectionatlas.blogspot.ca/2012/03/ndp-leadership-endorsement-map-final.html

I leave for Toronto tomorrow at noon. I guess none of you will be there? I can PM anyone my cell# if they're interested in meeting up.