And the new leader of the NDP is.... Thomas Mulcair

[cybercoma]

Computer problems causes delays in voting. The second ballot has been extended by 45 mins. Polls close at 12:45 EST. Results 30 minutes or so thereafter.

[j44]

Nash is falling apart. I don't know why she didn't throw her support behind someone right after the first ballot.

She feel apart in an embarrassing way.

[j44]

Is it just me or is the Cullen talk very minimal? They haven't talked to him or even about him much. Especially considering his position.

[cybercoma]

You can tell from the CBC-NN broadcast that she's in a rough way right now. She looks disjointed and like she's grasping at straws. However, let's not get the cart before the horse. There were 7 candidates and the bottom three stepped aside. She has a long way to go, but she's close enough to Cullen that she's not a total write-off yet. I think she did the right thing for her supporters by staying in.

[punked]

Pat Martin makes an excellent point amongst all of this talk of low voter turnout. Over 50,000 votes were cast on the first ballot. That is the most votes every cast for a party leader in the country's history. Moreover, there's over 4000 people at the convention, which is double the size of their last convention in 2003. It's a different game when your entire membership votes for the party leader.

Fact check: Pat Martin was wrong. The Conservative leadership nomination had over 67,000 votes for Stephen Harper alone on the first ballot.

I think anyone how looks at the turn out numbers has no understanding of how the NDP works. The NDP has provincial and federal memberships linked, there are plenty of provincial New Democrats in BC, Sask, Man, NS, and even Ont that aren't supporters or at least are involved Federally. That is why the voting numbers are what they are.

[cybercoma]

I think anyone how looks at the turn out numbers has no understanding of how the NDP works. The NDP has provincial and federal memberships linked, there are plenty of provincial New Democrats in BC, Sask, Man, NS, and even Ont that aren't supporters or at least are involved Federally. That is why the voting numbers are what they are.

I never thought of this. I just assumed if you were involved provincially, you would be involved federally. I've noticed Dominic Cardy, the leader of the NB NDP, standing with Mulcair during the broadcast today, so that hadn't even occurred to me.

[Topaz]

Computer problems causes delays in voting. The second ballot has been extended by 45 mins. Polls close at 12:45 EST. Results 30 minutes or so thereafter.

Any way Pierre Poutine could be involved?

[j44]

You can tell from the CBC-NN broadcast that she's in a rough way right now. She looks disjointed and like she's grasping at straws. However, let's not get the cart before the horse. There were 7 candidates and the bottom three stepped aside. She has a long way to go, but she's close enough to Cullen that she's not a total write-off yet. I think she did the right thing for her supporters by staying in.

I think she is a write-off now. She's bleeding support.

I think anyone how looks at the turn out numbers has no understanding of how the NDP works. The NDP has provincial and federal memberships linked, there are plenty of provincial New Democrats in BC, Sask, Man, NS, and even Ont that aren't supporters or at least are involved Federally. That is why the voting numbers are what they are.

That seems to make it even worse for the Party. Maybe not in terms voter turnout today but overall since 'party members' aren't involved in the (federal) party.

[cybercoma]

That seems to make it even worse for the Party. Maybe not in terms voter turnout today but overall since 'party members' aren't involved in the (federal) party.

The provincial parties and federal parties are completely separate for the LPC and CPC. There are plenty of people that join the provincial parties, but not the federal one. In the NDP, if you join the provincial party, you automatically become a member of the federal party. Some people who join just for the sake of being involved in their province's politics may not get involved in the federal portion of the party, but they're still counted as a member.

[Guest Peeves]

Doesn't look like they're getting much of a voter participation.

I guess when it's over we can snidely say, " A leader with only 40% of the members!" Terrible.

[Boges]

Doesn't look like they're getting much of a voter participation.

I guess when it's over we can snidely say, " A leader with only 40% of the members!" Terrible.

It also appears they're going to a third ballot. This party looks deeply divided.

[punked]

Doesn't look like they're getting much of a voter participation.

I guess when it's over we can snidely say, " A leader with only 40% of the members!" Terrible.

The NDP has a leadership review process where the whole party approves the leader, sorry there buddy. If we had that in Canada Harper would be vogted out.

[cybercoma]

Second ballot results in 15mins

[g_bambino]

The NDP has a leadership review process where the whole party approves the leader, sorry there buddy. If we had that in Canada Harper would be vogted out.

What?

[cybercoma]

Second Ballot Results:

Nash 16.8% +4

Cullen 19.9% +3.5

Topp 25.0% +3.6

Mulcair 38.3% +8

Edited March 24, 2012 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

Nash releases her delegates to support whomever they want to support.

Edited March 24, 2012 by cybercoma

[cybercoma]

Cullen stays in.

[capricorn]

Nash releases her delegates to support whomever they want to support.

I guess this guarantees Nash will remain finance critic in the House.

[j44]

Nash releases her delegates to support whomever they want to support.

What do you make of the releasing of delegates? I thought there would be more out and out endorsements.

[stopstaaron]

Damn, Cullen isn't going to win...well, 3rd place isn't too bad

[stopstaaron]

Broadbent is probably none too please that Muclair is in the lead

[cybercoma]

What do you make of the releasing of delegates? I thought there would be more out and out endorsements.

So did I, but you have to consider that this is going to go two more ballots. I believe she's trying to position herself to be in the shadow cabinet and/or to encourage party unity. As the pundits are saying on CBC NN right now, there doesn't seem to be the anti-Mulcair movement that the media wanted to portray.

[cybercoma]

Nathan Cullen should really drop out at this point. Mulcair got the most votes on the first ballot and had the largest growth on the second ballot. He has no chance of winning this thing. Moreover, it's important that the party begin showing unity and stubbornly staying into a race that you're not going to win doesn't do that.

[cybercoma]

Alexa McDonough moves over to Cullen.

Note also that the gap between Mulcair and Topp grew.

[punked]

Alexa McDonough moves over to Cullen.

Note also that the gap between Mulcair and Topp grew.

I think movement means less in this leadership then in past ones because it almost all ballots are PR ballots that have been cast and are locked in. I know my ballot is locked in.