When the mourning period has passed the NDP has some difficult decisions to make, trying to replace the irreplaceable. Today's poll question; do you think the NDP can sustain its current support in the next election without Jack Layton? There is little to no precedence for this in Canadian history, with Layton being among the first major party leaders to pass away while serving in office. It is very difficult to forecast what's going to happen next. Much will depend on who the party selects as permanent leader. In the near term I expect the NDP to rise in polls out of respect and sympathy for the loss they have sustained.
Goodbye Jack, you will be missed.
In July when Jack stepped down as leader I asked:
IF JACK LAYTON IS UNABLE TO RETURN AS LEADER OF THE NDP, WHO DO YOU EXPECT THE NEXT PERMANENT LEADER TO BE?
Tom Mulcair (29%)
Bob Rae (25%)
None of the above (18%)
Libby Davies (9%)
Peggy Nash (4%)
Pat Martin (4%)
Charlie Angus (2%)
Nycole Turmel (2%)
Linda Duncan (1%)
The NDP has been the Party of Layton the last few years,and I doubt they'll be the official Opposition after the next election,unless,of course,the Liberals manage to find another condescending jerk for a leader.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the problems of allowing a political Party to become the vehicle of a "star", once the star is gone, there's a big letdown,and rarely anyone to replace him.
The NDP,with their extreme socialist policies,rightly belongs in third place in the Canadian political spectrum,and the sooner they return to their natural position,the better off the Country will be.
Kevin O'Leary points out situations like this well on Dragon's Den/Shark Tank.
ReplyDeleteWhen he's faced with a entrepreneur who IS the company, he usually asks about what happens if that guy gets hit by a bus and gets squished into the pavement? The company - and the investment - is gone. That person who is now roadkill was the present and future of the company.
What will become of the NDP? I can't see anyone in their elected family, as the new Leader, that wouldn't bring the party back down to fringe status - back to a party that can simply oppose, complain, be extremely morally hazardous, be self-righteous, and proudly portray themselves as more caring and more compassionate than all others.
Mulcair is too brusque. Davies is too activist. Angus means well but is clueless. Turmel will never escape being with the bloq and quebec solidaire. Pat Martin is simply a jerk. Nash is too wrapped up in Big Labour.
Heck, give it to Bob Rae on an interim basis. Why couldn't he lead both the Grits and the Dippers until they sort things out?
How will the sympathy vote for layton affect the coming election in Ont, or will it have any impact on it.
ReplyDeleteoops, forgot to hit subscribe.
ReplyDeleteImagine what would happen if Bob Rae crossed over to the NDP to run as it's leader and then became the official leader of the opposition. You know he's thinking it.
ReplyDeleteLayton has left the NDP in a turmoil when he appointed 'Turmel' as interim leader. Had he selected one of his cabinet minister instead of a separatist, the outome might have been different....which tells me Jack was up to something.
ReplyDeleteHaving witnessed the final weeks and days of cancer victims, we question who crafted Jack's final letter, dated: Saturday, 20 Aug 2011. RIP Jack.
ReplyDeleteanon: my thought exactly. A letter like that would take hours or days to prepare. And it is typed. Who did it.
ReplyDelete