Where is Thomas Mulcair? He hasn't been seen out much. I imagine he is weighing what he will do with his future.
Where Is Mulcair?
- Thread starter Frankiedoodle
- Start date
Yes, 'old school' New Democrats on how the legendary party of Douglas, Lewis and Broadbent was transformed into the party of Mulcair.
One of these New Democrat rabbis is Gerald Caplan. Presented here are a few of his thoughts from two weeks before the election and in the immediate aftermath. On October 6th, Caplan wrote this (link is external) in the Globe and Mail:
Where has the NDP’s neoliberal economic platform come from? Certainly not from the NDP policy book or the party’s members who overwhelmingly disagree with the promises about no deficits and balanced budgets.
Besides, can this possibly be the real change the NDP promises?
...Given that Mr. Harper has run one of the most destructive governments in modern Canadian history, why is Mr. Mulcair giving him almost a free ride while attacking Justin Trudeau at every turn?
After all, when Mr. Trudeau talks about deficits, inequality, taxing the very rich, he’s talking NDP. And aren’t we going to have to work closely with him after October 19, to keep Mr. Harper out?
...And yet the NDP seems to have decided to go after Mr. Trudeau even harder in a new series of ads. Isn’t it considered madness when you double down on a failed strategy and expect different results. As one of my many correspondents on this matter typically wrote: “I have to say that if the ‘He’s Not Ready’ stuff didn’t work, the ‘He Just Lost My Vote’ stuff certainly won’t. Besides it sounds surly and curmudgeonly. And don’t they understand that it helps Mr. Trudeau? Why are we obsessively targeting the wrong person?” Another good question. The new ads merely draw attention to Mr. Trudeau, reminding Canadians that he’s still flying high.
And as usual, they ignore Mr. Harper instead of lambasting his record and demonstrating who the real anti-Harper leader is.
In today's Globe, Caplan laments the loss (link is external)of so many fine NDP stalwarts - Megan Leslie, Peter Stoffer, Paul Dewar and Peggy Nash among others - and they will be missed.
The Trudeau government has its clear priorities, many of them embarrassingly more progressive than the NDP’s platform. The NDP caucus can hardly oppose any of them, but nor can it expect the Government to pay attention to NDP overtures. Why should they? To fight the dreaded Harperman, the Liberals, and specifically their leader, received nothing but abuse during the campaign, often gratuitously personal and always strategically dubious. The Liberals will hardly be grateful for NDP advice about the right way to run Canada.
Now that it can’t seriously pretend to be the government-in-waiting, the NDP must rethink its role in parliament and indeed in the country. For decades the NDP were policy pioneers, promoting social policies especially until the governing party was forced to accept them – old-age pensions, medicare, unemployment insurance, and much more. Where are the equivalent NDP policies of today? Where are the tough but realistic policies that would address Canada’s scandalous inequality?
...And where does it leave the party now? That’s the question that New Democrats must start debating, the sooner the better. The answer is by no means preordained. For me, keeping the new government honest remains a pretty good cause.
Keeping the new government honest, indeed. For decades the NDP paid Canadians invaluable service by working to keep governments honest, by standing as the 'conscience of Parliament.'
Why did the NDP squander its credibility "obsessively targeting the wrong person," Justin Trudeau?
It's encouraging that the Caplans and Laxers and others are now speaking out and pointing the way for the New Democrats to rehabilitate their party. I can't see how they'll do that with Mulcair at the helm.
One of these New Democrat rabbis is Gerald Caplan. Presented here are a few of his thoughts from two weeks before the election and in the immediate aftermath. On October 6th, Caplan wrote this (link is external) in the Globe and Mail:
Where has the NDP’s neoliberal economic platform come from? Certainly not from the NDP policy book or the party’s members who overwhelmingly disagree with the promises about no deficits and balanced budgets.
Besides, can this possibly be the real change the NDP promises?
...Given that Mr. Harper has run one of the most destructive governments in modern Canadian history, why is Mr. Mulcair giving him almost a free ride while attacking Justin Trudeau at every turn?
After all, when Mr. Trudeau talks about deficits, inequality, taxing the very rich, he’s talking NDP. And aren’t we going to have to work closely with him after October 19, to keep Mr. Harper out?
...And yet the NDP seems to have decided to go after Mr. Trudeau even harder in a new series of ads. Isn’t it considered madness when you double down on a failed strategy and expect different results. As one of my many correspondents on this matter typically wrote: “I have to say that if the ‘He’s Not Ready’ stuff didn’t work, the ‘He Just Lost My Vote’ stuff certainly won’t. Besides it sounds surly and curmudgeonly. And don’t they understand that it helps Mr. Trudeau? Why are we obsessively targeting the wrong person?” Another good question. The new ads merely draw attention to Mr. Trudeau, reminding Canadians that he’s still flying high.
And as usual, they ignore Mr. Harper instead of lambasting his record and demonstrating who the real anti-Harper leader is.
In today's Globe, Caplan laments the loss (link is external)of so many fine NDP stalwarts - Megan Leslie, Peter Stoffer, Paul Dewar and Peggy Nash among others - and they will be missed.
The Trudeau government has its clear priorities, many of them embarrassingly more progressive than the NDP’s platform. The NDP caucus can hardly oppose any of them, but nor can it expect the Government to pay attention to NDP overtures. Why should they? To fight the dreaded Harperman, the Liberals, and specifically their leader, received nothing but abuse during the campaign, often gratuitously personal and always strategically dubious. The Liberals will hardly be grateful for NDP advice about the right way to run Canada.
Now that it can’t seriously pretend to be the government-in-waiting, the NDP must rethink its role in parliament and indeed in the country. For decades the NDP were policy pioneers, promoting social policies especially until the governing party was forced to accept them – old-age pensions, medicare, unemployment insurance, and much more. Where are the equivalent NDP policies of today? Where are the tough but realistic policies that would address Canada’s scandalous inequality?
...And where does it leave the party now? That’s the question that New Democrats must start debating, the sooner the better. The answer is by no means preordained. For me, keeping the new government honest remains a pretty good cause.
Keeping the new government honest, indeed. For decades the NDP paid Canadians invaluable service by working to keep governments honest, by standing as the 'conscience of Parliament.'
Why did the NDP squander its credibility "obsessively targeting the wrong person," Justin Trudeau?
It's encouraging that the Caplans and Laxers and others are now speaking out and pointing the way for the New Democrats to rehabilitate their party. I can't see how they'll do that with Mulcair at the helm.
Caplan has always been an articulate and intelligent pundit.
This might be the nail in the coffin for Mulcair if people perceive him to have been the reason for the NDP loss.
Personally, I think it would be very short-sighted to write him off because of this result. There were many external factors that led to the current caucus and there's no reason why the NDP can't make the tactical adjustments they need for the next time around with Mulcair as leader.
This might be the nail in the coffin for Mulcair if people perceive him to have been the reason for the NDP loss.
Personally, I think it would be very short-sighted to write him off because of this result. There were many external factors that led to the current caucus and there's no reason why the NDP can't make the tactical adjustments they need for the next time around with Mulcair as leader.
Where is Tom?
Looking in a mirror after shaving his beard and trying to figure out if his younger appearance will work for the next election.
Looking in a mirror after shaving his beard and trying to figure out if his younger appearance will work for the next election.
The NDP and Con campaign chairs were old college chums. They seem to have gotten together to put Trudeau down by agreeing to debates that in the end had little exposure. But NDP campaign promised things they had little control over. $15 a day daycare will happen when the provinces agree, all his promises on health were happening as long as the provinces agree ( Feds control the money but cant direct the provinces how to spend it.) Senate reform will happen if the provinces agree and most have other constitutional issues that they feel are more important. balance budget has never been an NDP priority. The NDP in their rush to the centre left there flank exposed and the Liberals rushed in to fill the void on the left. Using hope and enthusiasm as a weapon long held by the NDP. Tom Mulcair appeared to be tired and void of ideas by the end of the campaign.
Tom doesn't want to admit that he screwed up. His concession speech showed that. His party wants to paint themselves as the one who did all the work destroying Harper and the Liberals took all the credit
Tom doesn't want to admit that he screwed up. His concession speech showed that. His party wants to paint themselves as the one who did all the work destroying Harper and the Liberals took all the credit
I like the idea of Mulcair shaving his beard. I said right from the beginning that he would lose because the beard looked like he was hiding something.
Most Canadians are not interested in the dippers extreme left policies They proclaim they are pro union yet except for the workers nirvana the government employees have the NDP policies inhibit businesses that all other union workers depend on. There is little point in having a union of the unemployed since they can't afford the dues.
Likely taking some time off. Mulcair is not going anywhere as I understand it
He faces a leadership review next year but I think he will stay on.
Wouldn't say the same for the campaign committee though this was not a
well run campaign at all
He faces a leadership review next year but I think he will stay on.
Wouldn't say the same for the campaign committee though this was not a
well run campaign at all
I saw a commentator on Power and Politics yesterday point out that in order to keep going candidates convince themselves that they can win. Campaigns require a lot of time and energy and most people would burn out if they didn't believe they could win. The Conservatives knew they were going to lose and planned for it. Perhaps the NDP hadn't realized just how badly they would do and they convinced themselves they would pull it off. That kind of loss would be devastating.
Agree, but hiding only makes it worse when you show yourself. Best to take a hit early get it out of the way. The beard shaving allows him to hide
How does taking a break equate to hiding and having a beard equate to dishonest? Da-aa-mn there are a lot of hypoctites in Church
I don't think Mulcair has anything at stake any more. He has a very clear path now as a fallen leader. He lays low for a while and comes back to be fondly remembered in the future. He can just be a future Ed Broadbent or Joe Clark. "Hiding" isn't going to hurt his chances for a comeback or make anyone pay attention to him less. I don't think the NDP will really blame him and throw him out in hopes of getting a better leader to mount a comeback. They are used to losing and being third party agitators. You don't have to change leaders when you have that role.
I would agree with you if the NDP didn't honestly feel that they were going to win the election. Mulcair's " I wipe the floor with
Justin "showed how little respect they had for Trudeau's abilities. Mulcair ran a campaign not to lose not run a campaign to win. Once he lost the first debate to Justin he was fighting a losing battle.
So what are the 'dippers extreme left policies' that the Libs aren't promoting?
The general consensus is the NDP swung right with a pledge to eliminate deficits in line with the Cons and the Libs went totally opposite and pledged to run deficits.
The people obviously aren't interested in austerity.
The Libs also pledged to lower taxes on the 'middle class and a host of other improvements that have been traditionally the main platform for the NDP but someone decided to sway from their roots.......