NDP Aims for Liberals - Ignores Tories

[August1991]

According to Doug Fisher, the NDP is smart to attack the Liberals:

This is a departure for the NDP. They and their CCF predecessors have historically viewed the Tories or whoever was on the right as Public Enemy No. 1 -- an attitude set 50 years ago by the late David Lewis. This article of NDP faith has gotten them nowhere. Instead of going after their greatest ideological enemy all these years, they should have gone after the party that governs so much of the time, the one that has, like the NDP, identified itself as liberal and left.

Perhaps the time is at hand when the New Democrats, working hard in a Parliament led by Conservatives, will be able to show that they, not the Liberals, deserve recognition as the alternative governing party.

Fisher

The NDP leader's latest message, which he unveiled in Victoria on Friday, is a departure from the positive one he's used through much of the first seven weeks of the campaign. Instead of just trying to draw voters to the NDP, he now hopes to wrest as many voters as possible away from the free-falling Liberals.

....

"Specifically," Layton said, "I am here to ask you to carry the following message to neighbours and friends and family who might have voted Liberal in the past.

"Paul Martin's Liberal party needs a time out — to clean itself up, and decide what it believes.

"The Liberal party has abandoned you. They've done things you can't support. And they're going to be busy cleaning themselves up after this election."

Toronto Star

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This strikes me as a risky strategy if the purpose is to prevent a Harper government. OTOH, it will likely mean more NDP members. Is the NDP driven by ideology or electoral ambitions?

[Boru]

Why should they be driven by anthing else other than electoral ambitions?

The Conservatives have abandoned any pretense of standing for ideology. They , like the Liberlas, are running a totally negative campaign. And it's paying off!

People may later be shocked when they see the issues that the extreme right-wing faction will bring the the House.

Make no mistake, this election is not about ideology, or even platform. The NDP have missed the boat and campgined hard on platform, and it's gotten them little result.

[newbie]

Make no mistake, this election is not about ideology, or even platform. The NDP have missed the boat and campgined hard on platform, and it's gotten them little result.

They may have missed the boat but I respect their honesty.

[Boru]

Make no mistake, this election is not about ideology, or even platform. The NDP have missed the boat and campgined hard on platform, and it's gotten them little result.

They may have missed the boat but I respect their honesty.

Yes, as do I. But how much will honesty get them? Honesty definately won't get them the party funding that the Liberals and Conservatives lavish on themselves to finance their mudslinging.

[kimmy]

I disagree with the claim that the Conservatives have run a totally negative campaign. Although many of their ads have been negative, they have also articulated their own positions through the series of policy announcement after policy announcement that dominated the pre-Christmas portion of the campaign and Harper continues to speak in positive terms at his campaign stops.

As for the NDP: is it smart for them to pursue the remaining Liberal voters? I think so. A Conservative minority appears to be the most likely outcome of this election, and having more NDP members in the HOC will put Layton in a stronger position to advance his own issues.

I believe that despite their differences on some issues, Layton and Harper actually have some common ground that they can work on-- issues like accountability, electoral reform, and so on. I also believe that Harper is a pragmatist and that Layton is sincere when he talks about cooperating to get things done. So, I think that they will probably be able to reach some compromises. Layton might go to Harper and offer support for this bill in exchange for supporting an NDP cause.

-k

[cybercoma]

It's easier for the NDP to advance their position by taking disgruntled Liberal voters away. The Liberals are in a tough place right now with all the double-talking and scandals and the NDP does offer a good alternative for those who want the government to provide as much as possible to people. Getting a Conservative to vote NDP is damn near impossible, since they're about as opposite as you can get.