Ontario NDP Leadership Race

[madmax]

Ok, should be an interesting week in Ontario Politics. Ok, Ontario Politics isn't interesting. But This week John Tory could be sitting in the legislature or locked up in an Outhouse in the kawarthas for life.

And the NDP will be replacing Howard Hampton. One of the best unheard of politicians to lead the Ontario NDP.

Really good guy, and after 13 years Millions of Ontarians had no idea who he was. Well, he was a nice guy, and a good hockey player.

Now how do you follow in those shoes?

[madmax]

I forgot the last name of the 5th candidate.

CARES!

[madmax]

Wow, I am surprised. 2 votes and its a tie......

between Tabuns and Who

[M.Dancer]

The Party that Excitement Forgot.

[madmax]

The Party that Excitement Forgot.

Excitement comes close to another word. My eyesights not all that good, so sometimes, I guess at the word with my first thought. Say excitement real fast..

Hey, 4 votes.

[M.Dancer]

Excitement comes close to another word. My eyesights not all that good, so sometimes, I guess at the word with my first thought. Say excitement real fast..

Hey, 4 votes.

I'll bite...which?

[Realist]

I voted.

I caution you against assuming that means I give a damn.

[madmax]

I'll bite...which?

Oh, you don't want to bite this... It smells bad and sounds close to excitement.

Got any toilet paper?

[madmax]

I voted.

I caution you against assuming that means I give a damn.

You can go to the isheinorisheout poll and not give a damn there too. Seems to be alot of apathy, but that by election is almost like a referendum on John Tories leadership. Edited March 3, 2009 by madmax

[capricorn]

I'm too lazy and uninterested in the NDP to research the candidates' positions are on the issues. So I voted for Horwath because she's the only woman in the running. It would be fun to watch how Dalton acts with a woman lobbing grenades at him across the floor of the Legislature.

[aka mycroft]

Rabble.ca has feature interviews with each of the candidates see:

Michael Prue http://www.rabble.ca/news/who-should-lead-...o-new-democrats

Peter Tabuns http://rabble.ca/news/peter-tabuns-green-j...ontarios-future

Andrea Horwath http://rabble.ca/news/andrea-horwath-can-f...-ondps-fortunes

Gilles Bisson http://rabble.ca/news/gilles-bisson-good-b...vitalizing-ondp

[M.Dancer]

Rabble: The Website Excitement Forgot

[madmax]

Rabble: The Website Excitement Forgot

What is scary, is that this ONDP leadership race which has been a sleep driven affair, has garnered more interest then the John Tory By Election, which if Jason Taylor (independent) is hinting, John Tory could lose.

There is only one vote difference between both the By Election and this leadership race on MLW. That's how little interest their is for John Tory, because this By Election is about him.

I understand that the NDP don't have alot of followers, but I would have thought that their is enough interest from Ontario Liberals and Conservatives to put their two cents in on the By election.

Oh and Andrea has pulled into the lead over WHO....Cares.

Edited March 4, 2009 by madmax

[M.Dancer]

I will promise to be interested in Tory when he loses....

[madmax]

I will promise to be interested in Tory when he loses....

I will hold you to your Promise. If you break your promise, I will call you M.DALTON for a week.

[madmax]

Oh,

Andrea Horwath Won. As was predicted by the politicaly intune guesses of MLW. Who Cares of course represents the General Public, of which apathy is around 50% so, again hats off to MLW for getting that right.

2nd was Peter Tabuns also as predicted by MLW poll. See 1 vote can make the difference. Don't we seem smart.

Seriously, I think, that Andrea Horwath is going to be able to put a few chinks in the Armor of the McGuinty government. She seems incredibly likeable and is very photogenic. Also, it appears that she is incredibly organized and can handle alot of real issues. I would say, from the brief stuff I have seen, she appears far stronger then McGuinty when he first became Liberal Leader. She is heads and tails above Dion when he was chosen as Federal Liberal Leader. And I think that she has more common sense then John Tory had when he was chosen as Progressive Conservative leader. Well, she has a seat, which is more then he ever had.

Now that the NDP have chosen their leader, the Progressive Conservatives are next.. oh boy new poll coming in 2weeks when JT steps down. Who will be the next leader of the PCs.

The NDP and PCs need to get their acts together in order to challenge the Ontario Liberalsho have had free reign to do or not do as they pleased.

Oh yeah, the Ontario Liberals have ONE more seat, thanks to the PC strategy.

The next two years, will be interesting for Ontario Politics.

I predict that Andrea will put the NDP into the 18 to 20% bracket.

I predict that the PCs will be looking for a Hard Right ALteranative compared to the Last two PC Leaders. Ernie Eves and John Tory.

[capricorn]

Ths PCs should also elect a woman leader. Man, would that ever put MGuinty off kilter. Two possibilities come to mind, Christine Elliott (spouse of Jim Flaherty) and Elizabeth Witmer. The question is whether they would be connected to Harris' cabinet in voters' minds thereby hindering their electability with a majority of the voters.

[Oleg Bach]

Once the NDP start calling them selves the Democratic party - and the liberal call themselves Republicans - and the conservatives are called what they are - bankers...all will be well.

[Michael Hardner]

madmax,

I disagree. Right out of the gate, the new NDP leader is talking about big labour initiatives that don't matter to the majority of the province, and probably won't work for the ones that do.

My first impression is that we have a new young leader with not much innovation to offer.

[Wild Bill]

madmax,

I disagree. Right out of the gate, the new NDP leader is talking about big labour initiatives that don't matter to the majority of the province, and probably won't work for the ones that do.

My first impression is that we have a new young leader with not much innovation to offer.

Quite right, Michael! I live by Hamilton and followed Andrea's dialogue. Sounded like she would have fit right in...in 1972!

Same old, same old from the NDP. Lots of ideas on how to spread the wealth and zip all about how to generate it in the first place, all the while blaming any and all problems on "evil, greedy companies".

I guess this all fits the new definition of 'progressive' thought.

[Michael Hardner]

I usually support the NDP but it's baffling to me why they regularly ignore the 70%+ of workers that aren't unionized.

[Oleg Bach]

I usually support the NDP but it's baffling to me why they regularly ignore the 70%+ of workers that aren't unionized.

NDPers are now offically mini-corporate capitalists - and those that are non-union are not in the corporate fold. The term union is changing...unions evolve and become big buisness eventually - the original dream of the NDPer 30 years ago was not to create a benevolent class of socialist messiahs. It was to become what they fought - the rich guys in Rosedale...NDP is not some spiritual fairness committee. The are a materialist orgainization hoping for more and more of the pie. Workers that are not on line or part of the team are now irrelevant - Just like the old feminsts who are now successful - they no longer care about fighting for the rights of woman..They have what they need and to hell with the have nots - NDP will evolve to the status of Ameican style Democrats - a rich socialist high archy.