NDP Numbers Suffer

[Ricki Bobbi]

I think for the NDP they will have to decide not to prop up the Tories and go after them on the issues that are important to their base and to Liberals and Greens who might turn to them to defeat the Tories.

I have a feeling that they will run against the Liberals again even though they are not the government.

I don't believe the first part. If the NDP want to run against the Liberals, which would be very smart, then they have to show themselves as a credible governing alternative. The best way to show they could govern credibly would be to work with the Government. They don't have to do it for long, but just on a few occassions.

Absolutely agreed on the second part.

In 2004 the NDP ran against the Conservatives. Results = 19 seats.

In 2006 the NDP ran against the Liberals. (Lend us yoiur vote???) Results = 29 seats.

Why wouldn't they run against the Liberals?

[tml12]

I think for the NDP they will have to decide not to prop up the Tories and go after them on the issues that are important to their base and to Liberals and Greens who might turn to them to defeat the Tories.

I have a feeling that they will run against the Liberals again even though they are not the government.

I don't believe the first part. If the NDP want to run against the Liberals, which would be very smart, then they have to show themselves as a credible governing alternative. The best way to show they could govern credibly would be to work with the Government. They don't have to do it for long, but just on a few occassions.

Absolutely agreed on the second part.

In 2004 the NDP ran against the Conservatives. Results = 19 seats.

In 2006 the NDP ran against the Liberals. (Lend us yoiur vote???) Results = 29 seats.

Why wouldn't they run against the Liberals?

If the NDP runs against the Liberals, it benefits the Conservatives but it gives the NDP more seats.

If the NDP wants to be a serious contender to ever form the government in Canada, they need to run against the Liberals because if they don't establish themselves as the clear voice of left-wing Canadians, the left of centre vote will go to the Liberals (even though the Liberals today are probably centre-right, they campaign like Trudeau and govern from the right).

Campaigning against the Conservatives is pointless because as a Conservative I would never consider voting NDP.

[jdobbin]

They have to run against the Liberals. Painting the CPC as scary only gives the Liberals more CPC votes.

I think it hurts their base. Many union members want to support the party with the best chance of defeating the Tories. This was the thing that Buzz Hargrove got hammered on in the election by the NDP.

[jdobbin]

If the NDP runs against the Liberals, it benefits the Conservatives but it gives the NDP more seats.

If the NDP wants to be a serious contender to ever form the government in Canada, they need to run against the Liberals because if they don't establish themselves as the clear voice of left-wing Canadians, the left of centre vote will go to the Liberals (even though the Liberals today are probably centre-right, they campaign like Trudeau and govern from the right).

Campaigning against the Conservatives is pointless because as a Conservative I would never consider voting NDP.

I think some of the electorate who park their vote with the NDP when they are angry or when they think it won't put the Conservatives in power.

This has happened time and time again. Dion will tell the electorate if they want to defeat the Tories to not split their vote. Many in the union movement already believe this. I think it is a danger if Layton gives Harper a free ride.

In the free trade debate, the NDP were thrown to the sidelines.

[Saturn]

I think that Mr. Harper has managed to polarize voters in a similar fashion to Bush in the US. Many voters and especially NDP voters, see the next election as either you are with Harper or against Harper. While they may prefer to vote NDP (and waste their vote in most cases), they are far more interested in getting rid of Harper. On top of that, many are pissed off at Layton for going after the Liberals even though they see Harper as more harmful to Canada than the Liberals are. In other words, by being too ideological, hence polarizing the electorate, Mr. Harper has kicked himself in the rear. His actions have caused the bleeding of NDP support to the Liberals, while his numbers haven't improved at all.

He really needs to throw Jack a bone and I suspect this will happen when he accepts the Kyoto agreement targets under the label of a "Made in Canada" environmental plan, developed with the input of the NDP. This way Jack will get to brag about being effective in Parliament and will look good in the eyes of his supporters and environmentalists. Steve will get to look good for being green in the eyes of environmentally-conscious voters and for coming up with a "Made in Canada" plan, not Kyoto, in the eyes of his supporters.

[M.Dancer]

I think that Mr. Harper has managed to polarize voters in a similar fashion to Bush in the US.

As someone who had voted Liberal since Mulroney's second term, Dion is going to have to work very hard to ensure I don't lean blue.......

[madmax]

I have a feeling that they will run against the Liberals again even though they are not the government.

I don't know if the NDP are foolish enough to contest a 2nd election on the last campaign. I believe the Martin Government tried this trick twice, and it failed in the 2nd go. The master of using the tried and true over and over again is Chretian, and I don't think there has been a shrewder player in modern Canadian Politics.

So

What would the NDP Campaign on? Lend me your votes.........Again

I think the NDP campaign was superior in 2004 and I think the Liberal 48 hour blitz attack on the little NDP party that year cost the NDP alot of seats including Chows. In the final hours of the Campaign, the Liberals weren't going after the scary player hiding in the trailer, the guy whom could be Prime Minister and called Paul Martin a supporter of Pedophiles, no they go after the real threat the NDP.

Then in 2006 the Liberals got all red eyed, because the NDP came out Swinging against theLiberal Government. Small little party going after the Big Party, this is not acceptable. Yet, the Big Liberal Party going after the Little NDP party in 2004 is acceptable. I think the Libs gave the NDP a black eye in 2004 and the NDP responded by giving the Liberals a bloody nose in 2006.

Liberals are still stinging about this. I find this funny that some party that has been in single digits for over a decade upset the liberals so much.

No, the CPC will be the target in the next election if the NDP has smart strategists. The Liberals may very well go back to attacking the NDP.

[Ricki Bobbi]

What would the NDP Campaign on? Lend me your votes.........Again

I think the NDP campaign was superior in 2004

No, the CPC will be the target in the next election if the NDP has smart strategists. The Liberals may very well go back to attacking the NDP.

The NDP won 19 seats in 2004 and 29 in 2006. Do explain how their 2004 campaign was superior again???

They got 10 more seats by going after the Liberals in 2006. Why would they change their strategy?

Seems to the smartest strategy for the NDP would be to ask everybody who "lent them" their votes in 2006 to consider making the switch for good because they have *earned* them now.

I also think the ATM fee thing was a brilliant move by Jacko. Alas it will be co-opted byt the Liberals within the year, then the CPC will work with the banks to have them *voluntarily* get rid of ATM fees.

[HoratioCaine]

The NDP have to stick with the Reformers, Layton knows there is no chance in Hell he even maintains what he has now, let alone gains.

[geoffrey]

I think that Mr. Harper has managed to polarize voters in a similar fashion to Bush in the US.

Polarize voters? Where do you live? There is no spectrum on your ballot, your either A or B. Every vote is 100% polarized when push comes to shove.

[Ricki Bobbi]

The NDP have to stick with the Reformers,

The Reform party hasn't existed since befoe the 2004 election.

Do you feel good when you lie? Because lying is a bad thing...

[tml12]

I think that Mr. Harper has managed to polarize voters in a similar fashion to Bush in the US.

Polarize voters? Where do you live? There is no spectrum on your ballot, your either A or B. Every vote is 100% polarized when push comes to shove.

If Harper has managed to do anything, it's excite voters that another party is actually quite capable of governing the country!

[Ricki Bobbi]

If Harper has managed to do anything, it's excite voters that another party is actually quite capable of governing the country!

Which was step one in the road to a majority.

Step two is defining Dion while the NDP re-invigorate themselves. If the NDP do after the Liberals again that is the best thing for them and the CPC. It appears that Layton sees the wisdom in that with the ATM fee gambit. Look for the Conservatives to work with the NDP to make that happen before the next election.

[Saturn]

I think that Mr. Harper has managed to polarize voters in a similar fashion to Bush in the US.

Polarize voters? Where do you live? There is no spectrum on your ballot, your either A or B. Every vote is 100% polarized when push comes to shove.

Usually there are at least 4 choices on a ballot. This time around the ballot will look like Conservative or anti-Conservative (Liberal). NDP supporters can say anything in the polls but when push comes to shove they will all vote Liberal (except possibly for those in NDP ridings). Steve and Jack should start working on their retirement plans 'cause both will be wiped in the next election.