Every so often, it seems to be necessary to remind the pundit class that there isn’t a reset button that will magically restore Canadian politics to where they were three or four election cycles ago. So let’s take a look at the theory that the Bloc should be the favourite
Continue readingTag: strategy
Accidental Deliberations: On growth strategies
Plenty of commentators have piled on Ian Capstick in the wake of his musings about the number of candidates in the NDP’s leadership race. And I won’t belabour the same point others have already made in refuting speculation about particular candidates dropping out. But there’s another part of Capstick’s analysis
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on the stark contrast between an election campaign where the Saskatchewan Party went out of its way to talk about nothing and the flurry of new legislation introduced within days of the legislature reconvening. For further reading, the full list of bills introduced so far this fall is here.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Evening Links
Assorted content for your evening reading. – While I’m less than convinced about his desire to break down party loyalties, David Thompson highlights the need for progressives to fight back against decades of corporatist dominance in both political messaging and policy development: To win over the long run, progressives will
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On pertinent questions
I’ll add one additional follow-up note from yesterday’s NDP leadership debate. In principle the opportunity for candidates to ask questions of one another looks to have been an ideal chance to test one of the major roles of an opposition leader. And while most of the contenders decided to lob
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On positive outcomes
Following up on this morning’s candidate rankings, I’ll add one more general post in advance of this afternoon’s NDP leadership debate. While plenty of media commentary seems to be asking questions about whether anybody can land a knockout punch, let’s note that a party leadership debate – and particularly one
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Parliament In Review: October 28, 2011
Friday, October 28 saw another day largely dedicated to debate on the gun registry, with plenty more key points by the opposition met with the Cons’ usual wall of refusal to consider anything other than total annihilation. The Big IssueThe line of the day goes to Rosane Dore Lefebvre, questioning
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On avoidable barriers
Plenty of others have already commented on Elections Canada’s National Youth Survey Report. But I’ll take a moment to highlight a couple of the findings that look particularly significant as the NDP works to build up turnout among younger voters in the years to come. First, there’s the media breakdown
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On rare independence
Yes, there’s some good news in the revelation that some Con MPs are asking questions about their party’s insistence on supporting and subsidizing asbestos exports. But let’s not minimize the issue as a story of “internal Con rift!!!” which will only push Harper and his message control machine to clamp
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Marc Lee presents an alternative economic vision to the capital-first-and-only approach that currently serves as conventional wisdom. – Meanwhile, Andrew Jackson suggests five philosophical principles that can help the NDP to form government in 2015 on a social democratic platform: More – not
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading. – pogge rightly questions the Cons’ continued efforts to have decisions made by ministerial fiat rather than through public debate. – Glen McGregor eviscerates Brian Lilley’s thoroughly inaccurate attack on Canada’s Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand. – Murray Mandryk suggests that Saskatchewan’s New Democratic
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The upward trajectory
Alice posts the latest NDP membership numbers, showing a sharp spike in several regions of the country even before the leadership campaign has started in earnest. And the immediate growth looks to have the potential both to significantly change the calculations involved for the NDP leadership contenders, and set a
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2011-11-03 14:07:00
PERSONALWHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT PART 3As I’ve mentioned before, both here and on my Facebook page, the very fact that the movement has refused to set up a list of demands to the power elite is a source of strength not weakness. What the O…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your afternoon reading.- Jim Stanford highlights the Cons’ thoroughly imbalanced view of labour disputes by pointing out that their concern for the economy has been limited to action by workers rather than employers:When employers …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On priorities
In the absence of any evidence that the NDP’s new caucus will be anything but a strong opposition to the Harper Cons, Kady goes hunting for a story based on the fact that an NDP anti-floor-crossing bill – having been introduced for the sixth time – is …
Continue readingMolly'sBlog: Molly’sBlog 2011-10-28 21:54:00
PERSONALWHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT (PART 2):The first part of this series was published over at my Facebook page a little while ago. Yet a movement such as the ‘Occupy’ protests deserves far more than one comment. There is little doubt that …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On survival strategies
For all the talk about whether Canada’s Liberal Party is dying, let’s note that one of the most important determinants of its future is the question of how its supporters are prepared to survive.After all, there are two radically different paths availa…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Right turn, wrong way
I wouldn’t have expected to end up concurring with Rob Silver’s analysis of the NDP leadership race. But there’s an awful lot of truth to Silver’s take on Thomas Mulcair’s strategy – particularly based on some of what Mulcair had to say in the lead up …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Saskatchewan’s election campaign pits a party pushing instant gratification against one basing its policies on an appeal to voters’ altruism.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On mutual interests
As a general rule it’s fairly safe to say Gerry Nicholls’ advice to left-wing parties is based on something other than a desire to see them succeed – and his latest is no exception. But it’s worth pointing out one entirely valid observation behind his …
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