A lot of people want to keep talking about Harper. Rex Murphy was absolutely right — with Harper gone, these people have no idea what to do with themselves, or their lives.
I boldly predict that 4-5 years from now, during our next federal election, many Liberals and Dippers will still be constantly talking about Harper, even though Harper will have been gone for 4-5 years. Just like how the pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm constantly brought up Mr. Jones long after he was gone.
I’ve found that Canadians get more angry about misspent money then other scandals, like suppressing information or policies that keep thousands in poverty.
Luckily for the NDP everyone is too preoccupied with the Liberals and Conservatives to care about what’s happening with the dippers. And that’s probably what its going to be like for sometime still. The NDP are barely an afterthought now and a rump of a party with a has-been, failed leader.
What surprises me is the thinly veiled resentment towards the electorate and the Liberals by the NDP for their loss. I think I’ve heard them blame everyone but themselves for their loss and refer to their devastation as anything but.
But honestly, I feel nothing but empathy for a guy like Peter Stoffer; having lost his seat due to the arrogance, hubris and entitlement of Mulcair and his devotees. Its disappointing to see people like Paul Dewar and Stoffer lose their seats while people like Peter Julian get to retain theirs while refusing to recognize the mistakes that led to their loss of respected MPs.
Also, Matt: it did seem a little insta-nostalgic of Mulcair, but he has to buck up some demoralized troops heading into this new Parliament– meaning the party members, not the caucus.
Mulcair sticking around is exactly why the NDP will probably be an irrelevant party for another decade or so. The inability of the NDP to recognize that the person most responsible and culpable for their loss is Mulcair –is baffling to say the least. I know they don’t have a history of turfing their leaders post election, but in this particular situation I don’t see how they don’t boot the guy who led their party from within an inch of power to a rump of a caucus that gathers in the basement of Parliament.
Clearly this was a strategy fail that was concocted at the behest of the leader. Until the the NDP recognizes that, they’ll never move on and just become a parody of itself in the HofC.
They were never really within an inch of power. Hell, in 1993 the Bloc Quebecois became the official opposition due to the collapse of the PC Party and the inability of the Refoooorm Party to elect people east of Manitoba, but obviously the BQ was never going to form the government. The NDP’s rise was due primarily to the collapse of the Liberal Party and a very personable leader in the 2011 election.
In reality, NDP success typically only comes when the Liberal party falters –both federally and provincially. So I’d say you make a valid point.
But I was referring more to the historic polling numbers the NDP were pulling out in the lead up to the election and its earlier stages. At one point, pollsters were projecting that if Canada was to vote on that day, the NDP would attain a majority. Historically, thats the best the NDP could ever have dreamed of.
Even until the last weeks of the election, before the train went of the rails in QC, the NDP was competitive with the other two parties. That is also historically unprecedented.
While I do tend to agree, that the NDP’s popularity was largely hesitation of commitment towards the Liberals, Mulcair had all the political capital to take advantage of a hefty lead and ended up squandering it. That in itself is pretty astonishing.
Leading the party within an inch of power is much better then any leader has done before and it rump of a caucus is, I believe, the 3rd biggest ever and far bigger then last anti-Conservative Liberal sweep of 1993.
Off topic, but did anyone see Mulcair’s press conference yesterday?
The word delusional comes to mind.
Plus, he’s clearly still in campaign mode. Kept talking about Harper. It was bizarre.
A fearful, frightened failure full of bull and bravado …. flick ….
A lot of people want to keep talking about Harper. Rex Murphy was absolutely right — with Harper gone, these people have no idea what to do with themselves, or their lives.
I boldly predict that 4-5 years from now, during our next federal election, many Liberals and Dippers will still be constantly talking about Harper, even though Harper will have been gone for 4-5 years. Just like how the pigs in Orwell’s Animal Farm constantly brought up Mr. Jones long after he was gone.
How long did it take for the Conservatives to stop talking about the Sponsorship Scandal?
By the way, did the Conservatives ever pay back the money from the Pacific Scandal?
So you’re saying that Liberal supporters behave just like Conservative supporters do. Interesting.
Sponsorship was only about mis-spent and unaccounted for money …… while Harper hurt feeeeelings ….. and we know feelings trump finances!
I’ve found that Canadians get more angry about misspent money then other scandals, like suppressing information or policies that keep thousands in poverty.
And that word is an accurate description.
Luckily for the NDP everyone is too preoccupied with the Liberals and Conservatives to care about what’s happening with the dippers. And that’s probably what its going to be like for sometime still. The NDP are barely an afterthought now and a rump of a party with a has-been, failed leader.
What surprises me is the thinly veiled resentment towards the electorate and the Liberals by the NDP for their loss. I think I’ve heard them blame everyone but themselves for their loss and refer to their devastation as anything but.
But honestly, I feel nothing but empathy for a guy like Peter Stoffer; having lost his seat due to the arrogance, hubris and entitlement of Mulcair and his devotees. Its disappointing to see people like Paul Dewar and Stoffer lose their seats while people like Peter Julian get to retain theirs while refusing to recognize the mistakes that led to their loss of respected MPs.
How was the movie? Give us a review!
Also, Matt: it did seem a little insta-nostalgic of Mulcair, but he has to buck up some demoralized troops heading into this new Parliament– meaning the party members, not the caucus.
Warren,
Yeah. Am I ever worried. Mulroney was never in cabinet. Harper either. No wonder they both “lost” after a first mandate. LOL.
Did anyone see Mulcair’s press conference? I think we know the answer to that one. 😉
Thanks for watching so the rest of us didn’t have to.
Mulcair sticking around is exactly why the NDP will probably be an irrelevant party for another decade or so. The inability of the NDP to recognize that the person most responsible and culpable for their loss is Mulcair –is baffling to say the least. I know they don’t have a history of turfing their leaders post election, but in this particular situation I don’t see how they don’t boot the guy who led their party from within an inch of power to a rump of a caucus that gathers in the basement of Parliament.
Clearly this was a strategy fail that was concocted at the behest of the leader. Until the the NDP recognizes that, they’ll never move on and just become a parody of itself in the HofC.
They were never really within an inch of power. Hell, in 1993 the Bloc Quebecois became the official opposition due to the collapse of the PC Party and the inability of the Refoooorm Party to elect people east of Manitoba, but obviously the BQ was never going to form the government. The NDP’s rise was due primarily to the collapse of the Liberal Party and a very personable leader in the 2011 election.
In reality, NDP success typically only comes when the Liberal party falters –both federally and provincially. So I’d say you make a valid point.
But I was referring more to the historic polling numbers the NDP were pulling out in the lead up to the election and its earlier stages. At one point, pollsters were projecting that if Canada was to vote on that day, the NDP would attain a majority. Historically, thats the best the NDP could ever have dreamed of.
Even until the last weeks of the election, before the train went of the rails in QC, the NDP was competitive with the other two parties. That is also historically unprecedented.
While I do tend to agree, that the NDP’s popularity was largely hesitation of commitment towards the Liberals, Mulcair had all the political capital to take advantage of a hefty lead and ended up squandering it. That in itself is pretty astonishing.
Leading the party within an inch of power is much better then any leader has done before and it rump of a caucus is, I believe, the 3rd biggest ever and far bigger then last anti-Conservative Liberal sweep of 1993.
(Not that I ever liked Mulcair)
But will PM Justin hide behind his Cabinet when the going gets tough…. and dangerous?!