Should Jack Layton Resign?

[Hjalmar]

Jack Laytons is yesterdays man and his proposed policies would take our country 40 years backward. He is yesterdays man. Then again, he did manage to gain 5 [imagine that] seats for the NDP!!!

[Michael Hardner]

Are you kidding ?

With an increase in the popular vote and more power and visibility coming his way ?

Not on your life.

[Black Dog]

Jack Laytons is yesterdays man and his proposed policies would take our country 40 years backward. He is yesterdays man. Then again, he did manage to gain 5 [imagine that] seats for the NDP!!!

And for some 40 years isn't far enough! Back! Back! They say, into the Stone Age where life was nasty, brutish and short and only the strongest beasts survived.

Jack Layton boosted the ND's support from 8.5 per cent in 2000 to 15.69 per cent and holds the balance of power in the minority government. Not a bad place to be (sure beats the view from across the floor).

[The Terrible Sweal]

Actually, Jack did an overall very good job. He worked effectively without a seat, he won seats, won more popular vote, and sees proportional representation within his grasp. He gets to stay.

[noelandmero]

Jack Layton boosted the ND's support from 8.5 per cent in 2000 to 15.69 per cent and holds the balance of power in the minority government. Not a bad place to be (sure beats the view from across the floor).

I would rather have 99 seats and 30% of the vote any day of the week thankyou. The NDP will eventually get marginalized anyway so who cares who there leader is. The conservative party is becoming center right, the libs will become center left, leaving the hard left for the ndp and just like the super right parties the hard left parties will never form government because canadians are not socialists.

[August1991]

Federal NDP Seats (%)

2004 .. 19 .. (15.7)

2000 .. 13 .. (8.5)

1997 .. 21 .. (11.0)

1993 .. 9 .. (6.9)

1988 .. 43 .. (20.4)

1984 .. 30 .. (18.8)

1980 .. 32 .. (19.8)

1979 .. 26 .. (17.9)

1974 .. 16 .. (15.4)

1972 .. 31 .. (17.7)

1968 .. 22 .. (17.0)

If you can see anything impressive there, you've got better eyes than I. All I see is that the NDP is back to where it was in 1974.

In fairness though, the Liberal attack ads at the end of the campaign probably moved the NDP down 2% or 3% and cost them perhaps 5 seats or so.

[maplesyrup]

Federal NDP Seats (%)

2004 .. 19 .. (15.7)

2000 .. 13 .. (8.5)

1997 .. 21 .. (11.0)

1993 ..  9 .. (6.9)

1988 .. 43 .. (20.4)

1984 .. 30 .. (18.8)

1980 .. 32 .. (19.8)

1979 .. 26 .. (17.9)

1974 .. 16 .. (15.4)

1972 .. 31 .. (17.7)

1968 .. 22 .. (17.0)

If you can see anything impressive there, you've got better eyes than I.  All I see is that the NDP is back to where it was in 1974.

In fairness though, the Liberal attack ads at the end of the campaign probably moved the NDP down 2% or 3% and cost them perhaps 5 seats or so.

Let's contrast the recent performance of the New Democrats and the Conservatives:

Canada-----------New Democrats-----Conservatives

Popular Vote

2000--------------8.5%-------------------37.7%

2004--------------15.7%------------------29.6%

Change-----------up 7.2%---------------down 8.1%

% change------up 84.7%-----------down 21.5%

Seats

2000--------------13seats----------------78 seats

2004--------------19 seats---------------99 seats

Change-----------up 6 seats-------------up 21 seats

% change-------up 46.2%----------up 26.9%

People can make up their own minds about Jack Layton's performance compared to one produced by Stephen Harper.

[Goldie]

If ones goals are to become a slightly bigger rump ya Jacks done it!

He did nothing for the NDP Party except give them more tax payers money via the Cretien Election Law.

That was the goal of the Green Party too.

Ah, success.

Harper at least admitted disappoinment and just confirms how deluded the NDP is when they celebrate this election. No record number of seats, not even the balance of power. Has any dipper expressed disappointment?

[Black Dog]

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If ones goals are to become a slightly bigger rump ya Jacks done it!

He did nothing for the NDP Party except give them more tax payers money via the Cretien Election Law.

That was the goal of the Green Party too.

Ah, success.

Harper at least admitted disappoinment and just confirms how deluded the NDP is when they celebrate this election. No record number of seats, not even the balance of power. Has any dipper expressed disappointment?

There's a lot of ND's let down by the results. The ND got ganked royally, by the horrible electoral system (15 per cent of the vote gets 6 per cent of the seats? WTF?), by the Green's (who split the social democrat vote) and by Martin's hatchet job on the Cons, which drove many swing voters to the Liberals. But, unlike, say the Cons, we like to focus on the positives (increased share of the vote, increased visibility) instead of whining about separation.

[Bro]

If he intends to side with the liberals to get what he wants,then yes he should resign.Otherwise,I think he should should stay and fight for what he believes in,and accept what he can win. I found him effective on the CBC debate,so he should debate for his issues,not side with the libs.

[Slavik44]

There's a lot of ND's let down by the results. The ND got ganked royally, by the horrible electoral system (15 per cent of the vote gets 6 per cent of the seats? WTF?), by the Green's (who split the social democrat vote) and by Martin's hatchet job on the Cons, which drove many swing voters to the Liberals. But, unlike, say the Cons, we like to focus on the positives (increased share of the vote, increased visibility) instead of whining about separation.

BD it was not just Martin who drove NDP voters to the Liberals, Layton was pushing them away. He was nto smart this campaign, sure he was neregetic, and he got his message accross, but he was stupid. He pract5ically put NDP voters on the bus, tha tMartin used to drive them to Liberal headqauters. We are talking about a party that has a realitivley weak support base, they have maybe 10% firm support and the rest are shelia copps type liberals (maybe 10%). But the fact is they are Liberal voters, and Jack layton gave 50% of these people a reason to vote for Paul Martin. When he says that Harper is Scary, his supporters will belive him, unfortuanantley that would motiviate them to vote for the liberals not the NDP. Layton needs to be kept in a cage if the NDP is ever going to crack 20%, as they polled 20% a few times, meanign the support for this is their, but their leader to needs to stick to what is bennifical for the party, they NDP got royaly screwed yes, unfortunantley it was partially by their own leader. I am nto saying Harper was perfect or Martin, but I am saying that Jack Layton made some costly mistakes, an extra 2% even could have gone a long way.