Was watching on CPAC the NDP Halifax convention until CPAC determined to send its viewers to a MAY 6th Senate hearing on The Provisions and Operation of DNA Identification Act (with Elizabeth Fry and John Howard Societies presenting). While the hearing is interesting, I don't appreciate being cut off my drug of choice, a convention that can give a political addict like myself the ultimate high.
At any rate, I liked the Jack Layton I heard this morning (Pacific Time). When he said 'shove it' in reference to certain CEOs' lucrative pensions (vs. the reduced pensions for workers demanded by said CEOs) I was reminded of the Layton of 2004.
I liked the man back then. Is he back?
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Friday, August 14, 2009
Jack Layton of 2004: Is he back?
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13 comments:
I don't think Jack said that; I think it was Ken Georgetti (who was on after Jack).
Hope you're wrong. Was pretty sure it was Jack, which is why I was startled.
Hey you junkie, you can watch/listen here:
http://www.mediastyle.ca/2009/08/ndp-federal-convention-live-blog-day-1/
LMAO!
Thank you!!
Oops and here: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23hfx09
Oh shite, so much to choose from, like a board dinner, http://democratslive.ca/
Oh, my goodness. Manna from da up-above!
Manna. Never actually tasted it, heard about it tho. LOL. Fuck CO, this is like
1. new/old resolution-don't vote for the twits-except we're about to be worser off if we don't.
2. the twits need us, so let's bait them
3. twits are idjits without us, they need our guiding hands
4. twits are scared, let's keep em that way.
5. twits are twits in the end anyway and always.
6. I'm a new junkie, what to do?
I know, that's a new and dif blog post.
Just thought I should mention, until at least one party decrees that they will put to a referendum the country needs electoral reform, or an abolishment of FPTP, then I'm not partaking.
A promise of a referendum won't satisfy me. First, we all know the value of political promises. Second, we've all seen how politicos and their puppet masters, including media corps, manipulate 'public' referenda.
Until we have a credible system of proportional representation in place, I'll not be voting.
Hi Chrystal,
Regarding your thoughts on voting or not - I shake my head at the NDP as it presents itself. The following is part of a comment I left at Robert McClelland’s blog:
Hi Robert,
I went and read Jack’s personal message from the last election. Good stuff. However, every one of those planks can be usurped by the Liberals. That platform will never increase the NDP’s popular vote percentage to any meaningful degree. The NDP is supposed to be a socially progressive party. If the Party cannot differentiate itself from the Liberals without the Liberals shooting themselves in the foot how can it hope to gain the power it must attain to achieve any of those worthy goals?
You’re big on statistics Robert. When the NDP does gain in popular vote is it done by and large by getting disaffected Liberal votes? If so, when those voters are no longer p.o.’d at the Liberals they invariably go back. This is what I would guess constitutes the swings in voting percentage. If the NDP expects to gain in power by offering only those platform planks that Jack talked about it cannot merely offer those policies. That is what they do and it’s not working. Going full metal junkyard dog on the Liberals in regards to their stands on the NDP’s policy planks won’t work either. The answer is painfully obvious and the NDP are not doing it. They must take a gamble and differentiate themselves radically.
A large percentage of the electorate do not vote. The number has been rising for decades. Why? My own thought is that a substantial portion of those people are pissed off social progressives. I have entertained the thought many times. I still vote but a part of me wonders every time, “Why bother?” Other than contributing a few coin to the NDP my vote does not count. It is an “orphan”. There’s the first plank missing from the Party platform. That should be a hot button issue and an ongoing message from the NDP. Why isn’t it? I’m willing to bet there are people who don’t vote just because of that solitary reason.
The NDP, to grow their popular vote, must attract new voters, not swing voters. So many of the electorate do not vote. Again - why? Is the NDP even investigating this? Who are they and why? What could the NDP do to galvanise these people? The odds are, they won’t be swing voters if they can find reason(s) to vote. Another issue that even in the “Land of War on Drugs” is gaining more traction - legalise dope. Prohibition of human vice doesn’t benefit society. Never has, never will. The NDP is socially progressive? Legalising even just marijuana would be a vote getter with some more of those non-voters. If the NDP is to ever gain more power at the federal level it will have to adopt what the Right calls radical policy planks. I prefer to think of them as common sense policy planks but then, by Right standards, I am a radical. So is a large amount of the people who don’t vote. It’s time the NDP went after those people and not the swing voters from the Liberal party.
"A large percentage of the electorate do not vote. The number has been rising for decades. Why? My own thought is that a substantial portion of those people are pissed off social progressives."
Yes, as becomes evident when you look at examples such as this. There's a huge portion of the electorate that is no longer represented by any of Canada's parties. As the NDP has moved toward the centre to wrest votes from Liberals while at the same time fight over an ever-decreasing pile of votes as half of the electorate turns off, it has left a vast unrepresented wilderness behind.
Along with demanding a fair voting system before I will vote again and other democratic reforms, I've begun to question the value of party politics.
Layton is no Obama, but I do hope he takes to heart and mind what the 2 organizers reported in their presentations at this convention. What a good move that was, to invite them.
In the closing speech from Mr. Layton, I felt the same irration that I ave often felt. Are you trying to incite a riot or what?
also, e seems so citified, tat it would be ard to imagine im resonating wit farmers, fisermen,loggers,etc.
My longtime friend and devoted NDPer wo spends most of her time working for the NDP , organizing, campaigning, etc says its 'te used car salesman aspect that Jack has.
Lacking for me in his persona is that genuineness that Obama has. Someone wo knows and as experienced oppression, suffering.
The NDP are the one party tat still has a common people sense about them and they are valuable for ust that!
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