Burning question
The Hill Times rightly notes that the Cons' strategy against the NDP has involved taking every opportunity to attack both unions in general, and any form of association between labour…
strategy
On clear preferences
At least a few pundits have theorized that the NDP might get pushed into a merger due to the desire of Quebec voters to see greater cooperation among parties opposing…
On your marks…
The basic rules for the NDP leadership campaign are making their way around Twitter, and look to reflect much of what I'd hoped for: a membership deadline relatively close to…
On advance reservations
Romeo Saganash's expression of interest in the NDP's leadership figures to give him some extra time and attention in the leadership race to make up for his late arrival within…
Leadership 2012: The Playing Field
With the NDP set to discuss the rules for its upcoming leadership campaign. So let's take a quick look at a few of the basic issues involved, along with the…
Facts not in evidence
I suppose it shouldn't come as much surprise that some Libs are now suggesting they'd prefer torching every existing progressive political structure in Canada to working with the NDP in…
Leadership 2012: Preliminary Candidate List
Having posted about the target groups and issues for the NDP's leadership campaign, let's take the next step and put some names to the possibilities. As hinted at in my…
The issue list
Following up on my post about the groups the NDP will want its candidates to reach during the upcoming leadership campaign, I'll follow up with a brief look at some…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. - Lee Berthiaume and David McGrane both discuss the team and the strategy that helped the NDP to build to its current level of…
The ground rules
Not surprisingly, a huge chunk of coverage of Jack Layton's death has already started shifting toward the inevitable narrative of "woe is the NDP!". And it's well worth taking some…
Reason for hope
In keeping with Jack Layton's message of hope and optimism - expressed in his last letter as well as so many other times throughout his political career - let's take…
On areas of agreement
Of course, one can't expect Jane Taber's coverage to note the flip side to the Cons' strategic distractions. But while Taber hands her report over to Con spinners for a…
On broken systems
Let's add one more to the list of theories as to how the other parties' pearl-clutching over interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel may actually play to the NDP's advantage -…
What might have been
Wilf Day offers up one what-might-have-been scenario based on proportional representation. But as one astute observer pointed out at the NDP's Vancouver convention, there's another alternate set of possibilities which…
On building opportunities
There's no doubt that the trumped-up story about Nycole Turmel's one-time Bloc membership reflects the inevitable first real pile-on against the NDP in its new role as Official Opposition. But…
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- Linda McQuaig notes that the same financial actors who caused the global economic meltdown that's being used as an excuse for austerity measures…
An accidental opportunity
This morning, I theorized that the political fortunes of the NDP and the Libs will make for an interesting test case on the relative importance of leadership politics and party…
On comparative advantages
Naturally, Jack Layton's leave of absence has raised plenty of speculation as to what will happen on Canada's opposition benches over the summer (and perhaps beyond). But Tim Powers hints…
On successorship strategies
Naturally, Jack Layton's announcement that he's taking a temporary leave from the NDP's leadership has led to a wide assortment of speculation as to what might come next for the…
First things first
Meanwhile, for those wondering what the NDP has been up to in its first summer as Official Opposition, the Hill Times has part of the answer:(W)ith so many new and…