08.31.2011 05:29 PM

Ontario NDP leader loses her way, film at eleven

Or, a picture is worth thousands of lost NDP votes.

25 Comments

  1. DL says:

    I’m sure we could do a whole photo essay of McGuinty meeting with Ford multiple times and going along with his crazy plan to axe Transit City…

    • Pat says:

      Yes… but McGuinty is the Premier… he has no choice but to deal with Ford. Horwath appears to have chosen to be in his company…

  2. Brian says:

    We are unable to confirm at this time that Ms. Horwath is indeed laughing “with” him. More to come….

  3. Liam says:

    I dunno, reading the Star story that this picture goes with is pretty entertaining. I’m sure Horwath was happy to take any photo op she can, and the actual quotes coming out of that meeting – her completely pulling the rug out from under Ford by revealing that he’s flat out asking for money for a ‘gap’ in private funding for the Sheppard subway (the implication being that it’s wildly understating matters) – seem anything but friendly.

  4. Cam Prymak says:

    rightie tightie leftie loosie

  5. Terraderma says:

    ‘……..and your enemies even closer’

  6. Warren says:

    I have to say, Dippers continue to be lousy at counter-response. They’re also humourless.

    At least Cons know how to recognize a hopelessly unstrategic move when they see one. And, moreover, you’re unlikely to see Harper chumming with Fidel Castro while a photog is around.

  7. James says:

    I think this is quite the stretch Warren. All three leaders met with Toronto’s mayor and why wouldn’t they? I’m not a fan of Rob but I would have been unhappy if any leader had chosen not to meet with him.

  8. Andrew says:

    So Dalton meeting with Rob Ford – good, Hudak and Horwath meeting with Rob Ford – bad?

    I call it spin.

  9. DL says:

    I have to say that this recent very novel Ontario Liberal strategy of trying to portray the NDP as being too rightwing and similar to the PCs under Hudak – is never going to work. Forget about how absurd it is from a substance point of view – it just won’t work. In fact it will backfire. Whether you like it or not the NDP has a very powerful brand image across Canada as being a leftwing, environmentalist party that promotes social justice – and a few juvenile talking points trying to compare Andrea Horwath to Mike Harris are not going to change that – esp. not after a 10 day long saturation NDP informercial around the passing of Jack Layton. If anything if the Ontario Liberals of all people try to position themselves as being to the left of the NDP – it only send a message to swing voters that the ONDP is a centrist middle of the road party that is a safer alternative to the Liberals than the PCs are.

    • Warren says:

      Uh-huh.

      We’re trying to paint the picture that the NDP has lost its way under her leadership.

      And she’s offered to pose for the picture. Nice of her, wouldn’t you say?

      • frmr disgruntled Con, now Happy Liberal says:

        “A bountiful providence fashioned us holler, so that we could our principles swaller”-J.S. Woodsworth

  10. DL says:

    A lot of people who voted for Ford for mayor last year, turned around and voted NDP in the May federal election (a couple may have even voted Liberal in May)…if those people want to maintain that pattern – the watch for the ONDP to pick up ridings like Scarborough Southwest and Scarborough Rouge River, York South-Westin and Davenport – all which went for Ford municipally and NDP federally. Its all good. Meanwhile in the downtown ridings – NDP = Layton – so we have the best of both worlds!

    • ed says:

      I don’t want to sound cruel or cold so I am just going to try and state this as flatly and factually as possible. The provincial NDP are not the federal NDP. Andrea Horwath is their leader, not Jack Layton. Jack Layton died last week (RIP Jack).

      By your recollection of the facts, it seems that those people in scarborough who changed their votes did so because they voted along something other than party lines. Was it policy decisions? was it the charisma of the leader? That’s a hard question to answer. I think I can say though that if it’s on policy, I feel comfortable as a Liberal up against the NDP, especially what they’re offering on energy. If it’s about the leader, well, Andrea Horwath is no Jack Layton.

      Lastly, It’s kind of offensive to me as a Torontonian and a voter that you think such simple messages as NDP=Jack Layton will swing the electorate. At the same time, I pray you’re an ONDP strategist, because it’s that type of slack-ass appeal to voters that will keep your party out of contention come Oct 6th.

  11. Art says:

    The real reason WK is trying to make an issue out of nothing here:

    PC: 35
    Lib: 30
    NDP: 26 (and climbing)

    Yea, the NDP is losing votes, sure.

  12. Danforthist says:

    Uh, Warren – did you even look at this picture? The expression on Ms. Horvath’s face is not so much “jolly” as a jaw-clench. As in G_d, please help me get through this without kicking this dweeb in the n_ts.

    • Attack! says:

      I dunno: they sound pretty chummy, here, in this Nat’l Post account of the scrum… flirty, even:

      “I said, ‘If I’m in the premier’s chair and you determine what the gap [in funding for the Sheppard subway extension] is, we’ll have a conversation,’ ” Ms. Horwath told reporters after emerging from her meeting.

      …”There is no secret that I have voted Conservative before, and I did support Flaherty in the last election, but what I’m doing is listening to all the leaders, I’m meeting with all of them, and whoever is going to benefit the City of Toronto the most, I’ll be supporting,” said Mayor Ford. “I don’t know if I’m going to endorse anyone right now, it’s too early in the race to say.”

      He would not comment on the NDP platform, which includes a pledge to subsidize the operating costs of the TTC, or whether or not he could be a “king-maker” in the election. “King or Queen,” piped up Ms. Horwath.

      http://natpo.st/q2OWRJ

  13. Danforthist says:

    Perhaps you’ve not been following Toronto politics, but Andrea Horwath’s comment was clearly a shot at Ford. Ford had been denying in public there is any funding gap for the Sheppard subway. She’s making it clear that there is one. The NDP’s position is based on people moved / $. An NDP government would leave it up to Ford to demonstrate – if he can – that his subways the same number of people as TransitCity for the same or fewer dollars. It’s almost certainly impossible, but if by some fluke he can pull it off, why should we object?

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