In the tradition of most web-polls and CBC ads...

[c9]

So Ed Broadbent is back in the federal game. What does it mean?

a) He's got the secret plan to put the NDP in power for the first time ever
b) He's gotten bored in retirement, and just misses being in the newspaper
c) He's stopped taking his medication

Seriously though, every article says "he got the ndp 43 seats in 1988, so he must be amazing or something" but I don't know. I'd love to see the NDP as the Official Opposition (to be honest I'm not yet convinced they could govern well, but maybe they just need some practice), but I'm not exactly holding my breath. With terrorism and gay marriage taking up most of the headline space, gun nuts, fascists, and homophobes seem to be rocking the vote. *sigh*

Comments

Hope for the NDP!!!

[(Anonymous)]

As a political science student, I feel it is my right to make a snobby, self-serving comment on the issue :-) Maybe its just my Alberta home-base, but it feels like Canada will have a one-term honeymoon with Martin, and the NDP cannot stand in the way of this liberal lovefest. Its refreshing to hear an East Coast point of view (ie. that the NDP is still relevant) but in public policy courses its constantly being beaten into our heads that the Canadian political spectrum has moved to the right, and that its not moving back to the centre anytime soon. By the way, this is an Alberta Liberal speaking here, so if you think I'm biased, just imagine what all the Conservative voters are thinking!

Adam

PS Hi to Cam and Vinny!

Re: Hope for the NDP!!!

[nihilicious.livejournal.com]

I don't disagree with you at all ... well maybe a little. :)

I think that it is clear that the Canadian political spectrum is shifting to the right. I'm not sure that Canadian political sentiment is following course. I think that, even in this election, Canadians are going to start seeing the three (two? I can't keep track anymore) right-wing parties as relatively interchangeable, and look for an alternative.

And I think that Jack Layton has the media presence and like-ability to persuade people to change their voting patterns. That's why I supported him for leader. When all the other candidates were talking about how to make the NDP more appealing to Canadians, he was talking about how to bring Canadians around to the NDP. To my mind, that's real politics.

That said, I'm not unrealistic here. It think we may be at the brink of a shift, rather than a revolution. (But I'm hiding my valuables just in case.) :P

Re: Hope for the NDP!!!

[c9.livejournal.com]

> (But I'm hiding my valuables just in case.) :P

So *that's* where Mike is. I haven't seen him in days!