First, with all due respect to party elders, the NDP has been moving
to the centre for decades, most rapidly over the last six or seven
years. The idea that we must come together to protect threatened NDP
values from Tom Mulcair is a bit rich. I've looked at the platforms
of all of the candidates, and while I will concede that there are
differences, all candidates share what I would call a centre-left
perspective.
If ideology isn't a major factor, then leadership and the break
through in Quebec become the overriding considerations. It is clear
from polls that Mulcair has a much better shot at hanging onto the
seats in Quebec than anyone else. Brian Topp doesn't have a seat and
who knows how long it will take for him to get one, let alone whether
Quebecois will accept him as one of their own.
Broadbent's foray into the campaign has been a disaster that inclines
me even more to support Mulcair. His line, that Mulcair had nothing
to do with last year's breakthrough and that it was all planned on
Laurier Avenue, leave me speechless.... He gives no credit to
Quebecois and their long-established progressive tradition. It
boggles the mind. As for the idea that only people born with a
picture of J.S. Woodsworth in their crib should be eligible to run for
the leadership, get real. In Quebec, most interesting political
leaders have been in more than one party. And now they're coming to
the NDP. Broadbent's line means that no one in the Quebec caucus has
been around long enough to qualify to run for the leadership.
Quebec will change the NDP as well as the NDP changing Quebec, something devoutly to be desired.
I believe that with Mulcair the party moves ahead. He has enormous
political talent, and his progressive credentials are impeccable. I’m sick and tired of the whisper campaign against him for being bad tempered. With all due respect, the distemper has been coming from those who oppose him---and I don't mean the candidates. With any of the other candidates, we open the door to the Bloc and Bob
Rae.
As a socialist and long time critic of the NDP, you can count on me to
continue to critique the party from the left as I have been doing for decades.
But this weekend, the challenge is clear. The NDP needs to embrace Quebec as Quebec has embraced the NDP by choosing Tom Mulcair.
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19 comments:
A good man, Mulcair, but the wrong man at this time. We need a leader of the NDP who will focus on removing the right wing Harper government and allowing a space for a new government, more reflective of the 60% of non-Tory voters.
This means that Nathan Cullen is the right man in the right place at the right time: for his pre-election realism of electoral ceasefire; his post-election pragmatism of cooperation through a coalition; his intent to remedy our democratic deficit through a more democratic modified proportional representative system; and his general new approach to cooperative country governance rather than the old style partisan feuds.
With Mulcair the country will get more the same.
With Cullen the country will finally become more democratic.
I could not, in good conscience, vote for Mulcair, given what I understand to be his attitude toward the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Voting for him would feel like voting for Harper.
Giving a vote for any politician in Canada is, however, deeply dissatisfying inasmuch as there is no left.
Mulcair has not come clean on the matter of women's reproductive freedom, either. Is he prochoice or is he antichoice? And on Palestine, I agree with the previous commenter. I will not be supporting Mulcair.
I agree with you totally, Jim. Mulcair has the potential to engage and inspire the Canadian public like no NDP leader before him since Tommy Douglas. He's even better than Jack in my opinion — let's not forget that the enthusiasm for Jack mostly came about after his cancer diagnosis. He's also more inspiring than Bob Rae or Michael Ignatieff. This guy could beat Stephen Harper and lead us to a social democratic country worthy of our party's long struggle. If the NDP doesn't choose him it's because they have a collective suicide wish.
At such time as the NDP stops being pro-imperialist war (eg. Libya) in the style of the British Labour Party - plus decides to stop with the business as usual and oppose the Right by whatever means necessary - I will not support the NDP.
This after a lifetime of voting NDP.
If I did support the NDP, it would be Nathan Cullen.
People who oppose Mulcair need to get real. Quite apart from Mr. Laxer's arguments, the fact that the Harper crew don't want him as Opp. leader speaks volumes.
I'm afraid I cant' vote for anyone who supports Israel "at any cost". What they are doing to the Palestinians is criminal. A political figure who can't see that is clearly blinded by ideology. What other blinders does he have on? I'm not willing to find out even if he has lots of political polish (so what) and some standing in Quebec (which is very limited I understand). I'm with the breath of fresh air that is Nathan Cullen.
Mulcair's unambiguous, clearly expressed support for Israel's violent aggression against Palestinians makes me concerned that the NDP might get even more supportive of Canadian military involvement in US-Israel "pre-emptive aggression". I hope that all the other candidates and the entire Party will take power and reverse Canada's foreign policy and war initiatives.
---Jacob Rempel
Boy is this one ever easy for me. Jim and I are what a friend of mine who also shares December 22 as his birthdate, "Happy Cappies". Now Galbraith said that economists were put on earth to make astrologers look bad. So though the brain has developed to predict not all models have sustained utility. At any rate, I agree 100% with James that Tom is head and shoulders above the rest. Those who quibble about one aspect of content or another are never going to have their day. This is the long dreamed of NDP day and there is one man who gets it and has the skills in abundance ti keep this wave cresting and that man is Tom Mulcair.
Choose Mulcair and Canada gets yet another pro-Israel leader. Don't think so? Read Mulcair's position paper on the Middle East. That means come intervention in Syria and the inevitable war with Iran, we'll be right in the thick of things. Tis to laugh. As far as Quebec changing the NDP. Of course, it will. Peggy Nash echoed the sentiments of the other candidates when she said she'd ignore Quebec's violations of the National Health Act. Bye, bye national medicare. Hello power.
James, I was one of the 26 people on facebook who 'liked' you. How can you as a socialist write a column in support of Mulcair and not even address the unbelievable statement that he made and has stood by, that he supports Israel in any and all situations. It is virtually identical to the statement made by G.H.W. Bush in response to the US having to pay $130 million to Iran to rid themselves of the case brought before the ICC for shooting down a civilian airliner, Iran Air Flight 655, killing all 290 passengers: "I'll never apologize for the United States of America. Ever. I don't care what the facts are." Shame on you.
As you know, I have been an active supporter of Quebec's right to self-determination for a long time. I am living in Quebec right now but Jim, you are wrong about Mulcair. He is to the right of the others except maybe Singh. He has the same position as Harper on Israel, free trade and the decriminalization of marijuana. But the main reason I think he would be a disaster is that he is an authoritarian leader who brooks no opposition. I've heard that from everyone here who has worked with him but especially from women. With Jack we finally got an NDP leader who was inclusive and not creating endless wars in the caucus and the party. Beyond that I think people loved Jack because he was not that kind of leader. Mulcair is. Sorry Jim but you are wrong about this one.
Thank you, James Laxer, for showing the courage and critical thinking to see past false dichotomies and knee-jerk reactions. A close look at each candidate's policy proposals supports your conclusion - Mulcair is a social democrat like everyone else, and will not make the NDP any more centrist. The allegations that he would "take the party" somewhere different - apart from into government - sound increasingly like spinnuendo from a party establishment terrified of losing control. The left of the party should refuse to be manipulated by this sort of posturing.
How does a social democrat justify taking campaign money from Bay St.? And how does a social democrat have any credibility when they don't question the powerful Jewish state and lobby?(which doesn't really represent the Jewish people but the 1%) He loses all credibility as a social democrat in my book. This is no false dichotomy nor a knee jerk reaction, just connecting the dots.
I didn’t have a horse in this race, since I hadn’t made up my mind before the convention. What I knew was that purity got the NDP nowhere for years. To borrow Michael Ignatieff’s metaphor, you have to water your wine sometimes – often, if truth be told – and if anyone thinks Jack Layton didn’t do that they weren’t paying attention. The Orange Wave was made of watered wine.
Maybe I’m completely off-base, but since his death, I’ve thought a lot about why Jack connected with people the way he did. I think maybe he got it that history has made Canadians cynical centrists who secretly wish they dared to believe there was a better way of doing things, and he was willing to meet them halfway. Because he did, people dared.
A lot of people I respect lined up behind Mulcair, and I have a better appreciation of why, having watched his post-victory interview with Peter Mansbridge. He’s smart and tough, and showed both grace and acumen. I think a Mulcair win must be the outcome Stephen Harper feared most.
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