I’ve run through a high-level analysis of the NDP’s leadership candidates this week knowing that paper ballots are being mailed out, that online voting starts today, and that the leadership candidates will soon be racing to lock in as many votes as possible (with little focus on the down-ballot impacts
Continue readingTag: leadership 2012
Accidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Niki Ashton
Let’s finish my series of relatively brief NDP leadership candidate evaluations with a look at Niki Ashton. 1. What direction will she set for the NDP? There’s plenty to like about Ashton’s central themes of pursuing equality, engaging younger Canadians and non-voters and mounting a direct challenge to the Cons
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Nathan Cullen
Nathan Cullen has managed to put together than some observers (myself included) expected when he first raised the idea of joint nominations as a campaign centrepiece – and all while emphasizing that controversial proposal. But has he overcome the initial concerns? 1. What direction will he set for the NDP?
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Paul Dewar
Paul Dewar has been the quintessential middle-of-the-pack candidate thus far in the NDP’s leadership race, combining one obvious weakness with a strong organization and personal appeal to place himself within the second tier of contenders. So where will he place as the campaign draws to a close? 1. What direction
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Thomas Mulcair
Thomas Mulcair has held the pole position from day one of the NDP’s leadership campaign, and only looks to have entrenched that status as the candidates behind him have focused largely on trying to make the final ballot. 1. What direction will he set for the NDP?And that’s much to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Peggy Nash
From the start of the NDP’s leadership campaign, I’ve been just one of many commentators anticipating a final ballot of Thomas Mulcair vs. Peggy Nash. But while Mulcair still looks like a safe bet, Nash is looking less so – and the factors at play in that assessment match my
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Martin Singh
Let’s turn to the second candidate to be reviewed as a contender for the NDP’s leadership. Martin Singh still looks to trail most of his competitors in the leadership campaign, but has undoubtedly raised his profile both inside and outside the party. So what would we expect if he were
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Analysis – Brian Topp
As promised, let’s take a look at each of the NDP’s leadership candidates through the lens of my three basic considerations – starting in reverse alphabetical order with Brian Topp. 1. What direction will he set for the NDP? Topp has been more clear than any other candidate in the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Candidate Rankings – February 26, 2012
Today’s debate didn’t do much to resolve the continued uncertainty surrounding the NDP’s leadership campaign, particularly among the candidates I’ve had ranked between 2nd and 5th for the bulk of the race. But let’s see if the last week has changed any of the rankings… 1. Thomas Mulcair (1) Mulcair
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Three questions
Plenty of others have already discussed the factors they’ll be taking into account in evaluating the NDP’s leadership candidates as the campaign progresses. But as we approach the point where members will be casting ballots which will ultimately determine the outcome of the race, I’ll set out my three basic
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
Assorted news from the past few days in the NDP leadership race. – While Niki Ashton had already introduced her justice plan, she re-emphasized her commitment to decriminalizing marijuana and treating addictions as illnesses rather than prosecutable offences in the wake of support for the principle from provincial Attorneys General
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the open questions as to whether Nathan Cullen’s plan for pre-electoral cooperation would serve any useful purpose. For further reading expanding on the points in the column:– I’ve previously posted on some of the practical considerations involved in Cullen’s proposal, while also questioning whether we should write off
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
A quick survey of what’s happened in the NDP leadership campaign over the past couple of days… – Niki Ashton has rightly criticized other candidates’ operatives who seem to be working to push her out of the race. But the behind-the-scenes maneuvering may only backfire it if gives Ashton and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On universal growth
Alice has weighed in on the final membership numbers for the NDP’s leadership campaign, pointing out that B.C. and Ontario between them will go into next month with a combined majority of the party’s membership. But I’ll add one more observation as to the provincial membership numbers which speaks well
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On limited choices
Daniel Leblanc’s report on a possible detente between Thomas Mulcair and Brian Topp certainly makes for some interesting scenario-building. So let’s follow up on what Paul Wells has already written. Obviously, we wouldn’t expect locked-in supporters of any candidate to be swayed by the appeal. So the obvious first target
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
A quick look back at the last few days in the NDP’s leadership race… – In addition to his support from Leadnow and Avaaz, Nathan Cullen won cross-partisan support from the B.C. Green Liberal Caucus. But it’s an open question whether the result will be a net plus for Cullen,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: A cooperative forecast
Nathan Cullen’s plan for a pre-election accord between the NDP, Libs and Greens is certainly receiving loads of attention. Leadnow and Avaaz are encouraging members to join the NDP to support it (raising for me the question of how a large number of instant NDP members would allocate their down-ballot
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, featuring an overview of the NDP’s leadership race from a Saskatchewan perspective. For further reading:– The per capita membership numbers cited in the column are from Alice. And of course her general coverage of the leadership campaign is well worth a look.– For those who haven’t seen it yet,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2012 Roundup
Apparently there have been a few developments in the NDP’s leadership race – and indeed enough that I’ll likely need to apply a bit more a filter on what I catalogue in my roundup posts. (In particular, I’ll generally stop pointing out survey or event-based coverage which doesn’t add much
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Too close to call
Apparently it only took yesterday’s flurry of polls to create the easy narratives the media has been craving in the NDP leadership campaign. But there’s plenty of reason for caution about the messages that have been drawn from the polling. To start off with, “Thomas Mulcair on top” isn’t exactly
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