09.20.2011 06:22 AM

In today’s Sun: why Topps is at the top

You may not know it yet, but what NDP leadership candidate Brian Topp thinks matters. It’s true.

A Leger poll released Monday explains why. Topp’s main rival, NDP MP Thomas Mulcair, is heartily disliked by pretty much everyone — including members of his own party. Outside of Quebec, Leger found, only 3% of self-identified Dippers favoured the ambitious Mulcair. In the race to replace Jack Layton, party president Topp seems to be the acknowledged favourite.

That’s not all. To the chagrin of federal Conservatives and Liberals, the NDP brand remains impressively popular, Leger found. Nationally, the Cons are pegged at 39% — but the NDP remain highly competitive, at 33%. That strongly suggests the so-called Orange Crush was no mere blip. Nationally, the NDP remain a factor, and need to be taken seriously.

In Quebec — the province that propelled the New Democrats to a historically high showing in the House of Commons — the federal party still enjoys an astonishing 43% support. The Tories and the Grits are far behind, at 19% and 11% respectively. Topp was born and raised in Quebec, and knows well the crucial importance the province plays in both the House of Commons and in New Democrat backrooms.

Another finding in the Leger poll presents the well-liked Topp with a dilemma, however.

 

2 Comments

  1. Finn says:

    The problem, and it’s a big one, is that Quebec is responsible for putting the NDP where they are.

    And Quebec voted for Jack, had an emotional connection with the little guy from here. Brian Topp isn’t that guy and doesn’t connect the same way.

    Quebecers do like Mulcair even if the NDP in the ROC don’t.

    Quebec could walk away from the NDP next time out very easily. I doubt Harper is too worried.

  2. DL says:

    They will stick with the NDP because there is no where else for Quebecers to go. The BQ is dead and the sovereignist movement is in total disarray. The Tories are wayyy too rightwing for about 85% of Quebecers and their biggest claim to fame these days is wanting to put portraits of the Queen all over the place. The Liberals are stigmatized as the party of inflexible Trudeauite federalism and the sponsorship scandal and Jean Charest.

    Who else would Quebecers vote for at the federal level but the NDP. Thanks to Jack the toothpaste is out of the toothpaste tube for the NDP in Quebec. Good luck to the BQ, CPC and Libs if they think they can stuff that orange toothpaste back into the tube.

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