It was the result I was hoping for, the only real choice the NDP could have made.
For Thomas Mulcair is the only leader that can win back support in Quebec from the Bloc, without which everything else would be in vain. He is the only one who can make the NDP more popular in the rest of Canada, and take it all the way to power. And above all he is the leader Stephen Harper fears the most.
Which is why, like many others, I was disappointed by his victory speech. For it was not the Mulcair I know. Mulcair the fighter who takes no prisoners, and will give the Con thug Harper no quarter.
"Let's just say I've never been shy about going into the corners and I usually come out with the puck,'' Mulcair told The Canadian Press.
His relish of a scrap became the stuff of lore and fodder for his foes. It was once said of Mulcair that he could be the lone soul in an empty speakeasy and still start a bar fight.
The man they called The Grizzly in Quebec City, for his habit of eviscerating PQ members of the National Assembly, and using their guts to floss his teeth.
Which is why if I had written his speech, it would have sounded like this:
For five years these alien RepubliCon gangsters have raped our country, mocked our democracy, lied, cheated, and bullied one progressive leader after the other. They tried to steal an election, they are turning our country into a prison state, and trying to change it beyond recognition.
But they will not bully me. And by uniting progressives under the banner of the NDP I will lead them on the road to victory, which is the only way to destroy the Cons, and make sure this nightmare never happens again.
He didn't say that last night, but don't worry he will. In his own way. For don't underestimate the razor like intellect of the man, or his strategic brilliance, or the fire that burns within him.
I know some of my NDP friends are worried he will change their party beyond recognition. But I'm not worried a bit. Because as this blogger points out, there is no break with tradition.
And the NDP is a party that is more than just its leader. No matter what the kumbaya lefties say, who would have us wallow in defeat, while piously parsing ideology like priests, and feeling good about themselves. As if it was all about them, and not the future of our precious country which is going up in flames.
I also know that some of my Liberal friends are disappointed because he did not offer them an olive branch. But why would he? When the Liberals have disappointed the NDP over and over again. And he knows that if he squeezes them from the left, and the Cons squeeze them from the right, there soon won't be much left of the Liberal Party. So what's the point?
Especially since it should be clear that unless the two parties merge, which would be like trying to herd cats, and unless the Liberals and the Bloc can be decimated, vote splitting will ensure that the Cons stay in power FOREVER.
I mean why do you think so many Liberals were for anyone but Mulcair? Let's get real eh?
Yup. Mulcair is a very different leader, and he is no Jack Layton, the Happy Warrior I will always miss so much. But Jack didn't live to see what the Cons are doing to our country. These are no happy times. The kumbaya is over. Mulcair is the leader who can best harvest the boiling anger out there. His first steps have been good ones.
I completely agree with Pat Martin.
“We’ve moved from nearly a religion to a debating club to an official political party,” Mr. Martin told reporters as he entered the caucus meeting. “It’s refreshing for me. We’re in it to win it.”
And I definitely prefer battle gear to comfy sweaters.
Oh sure, Mulcair isn't perfect. He definitely needs a new speech writer, and a media advisor. Tom, if you're reading this, call me eh?
But if he is successful, he WILL bring down the hellish temple on the heads of the Harperites, and throw them into the garbage can of history where they so justly belong.
The road to victory beckons, the future never looked brighter, and as a fighter myself I couldn't be happier.
Go Tom go.
Fight them, fight them, fight them.
Destroy those bastard Cons...
21 comments:
Congrats to Thomas,expect Harper attack ad within a week
Very well said. I did hope Mulcair would be a fighter and I'm glad to see that you think he will be.
I absolutely agree with Judy Rebik when she says My view is that the NDP has elected an old style patriarchal politician who has the same politics vis a vis Quebec as the pre-Jack NDP, seeing sovereigntists as bitter enemies instead of potential allies, is more of a liberal than a social democrat and who will move the party to the right especially on international issues, including free trade and Israel, two issues at the centre of Harper’s agenda. We shall see how this all plays out and I do hope Judy is wrong, but something tells me she isn't.
I willingly went to Mulcair after three ballots. He is a leader that can make Harper have night sweats. Yet I am astounded by some so called lefties attacking Mulcair on Twitter. If these people think the great world ahead can be accomplished by bitching on Twitter, they need me to ignore them and dig in harder, supporting Mulcair to become the next Prime Minister of Canada!
While Thomas Mulcair's victory speech may have been lacklustre, I wouldn't read too much into this. When the next federal campaign comes, Mr. Mulcair will likely open up and savage Harper and his Cons. Save the best speeches when it's really needed.
I agree that they had little choice than Mulhair, but of course it lets the Liberals position themselves as the voice of reason between the two Angries.
hi anonymous...yes I suppose the Cons will try to come up with some way of smearing Mulcair. The PQ tried that too, only to stagger out into the night mumbling where did my guts go? And at this point in the history of the Harper regime, I figure we've got way more attack ad material than they have. I know because I'm working on a few myself... ;)
hi Cathie...oh yes he's a fighter alright. But although he's often portrayed as just a hothead, he's actually very disciplined and patient. I could learn a few things from him ;)
He has a plan, he will see it through, and Question Period should be a lot more lively...
hi Omar...puhleaze Judy Rebik and the PATRIARCHY ?
Say it ain't so. Look, I'm so left I make Rebik look like Marie Antoinette. Some of my best friends are separatists. And Peggy Nash was my sentimental favourite because she's a woman. But I am also a ruthless realist. I believe that the only way to destroy the Cons is for a progressive party to seize power. And the the fact is that Mulcair needs to nip the revival of the Bloc in the bud,because if he doesn't they will split the vote, the NDP will lose so many seats it will get nowhere near power, and if you think the Liberals can take up the slack in Quebec, forget it it's just not going to happen.
As I said in my post, if the kumbaya lefties like Rebick think that even strong leader like Mulcair can take the NDP where it doesn't want to go, her opinion of NDP is a lot lower than mine.
In another time I might have been amused to put a flower in my hair and debate her at length -- after smoking a big joint. But these are desperate times, and those who won't do ANYTHING to drive those Cons from office, and that means seizing power, and then using it to club the Cons like seals, quite frankly they can wank themselves silly, but I don't give a damm...
hi Rick... I saw enough nonsense about Mulcair on Twitter yesterday to last me a lifetime. I'm not saying he's perfect, but he's smart, politics is the art of the possible, never more than during a time of tyranny,and he is the NDP's best hope of ever forming a government. And the reason he is may not be very romantic but it is brutally realistic. Because he is the only hope of winning back support from the Bloc, and without all those Quebec seats the NDP won't go ANYWHERE.
The other leadership candidates all had their strengths, but at this time in history the bearded one is the only one who can do that.
So when I see all those kumbaya lefties rejecting the man who has the best chance of defeating the Con regime, because he has a beard, and doesn't end every speech by shouting "Viva Arafat !!!,it drives me absolutely crazy...or crazier ;)
The one and only priority for all progressives is to defeat the Harper Cons before they destroy our country....
hi Skinny Dipper...it was actually worse than lacklustre. He spoke in French too much, when we already know him in Quebec,and he really needed to reach out to the rest of Canada. And when he came up with a good clip in English he ruined it for TV and video purposes by completing it in French. Or vice versa. And worst of all he never mentioned Harper's name and vented some of the anger so many Canadians feel these days.
But don't worry, Mulcair will make much better speeches when he has to, I've seen him make them many times.
And yes, when he does open up on Harper te dictator will feel it...
hi Liberal supporter...look I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I'm not sure where the Liberal Party is going to be in three years. Because with the NDP squeezing them from the left, and the Cons squeezing them from the right, I'm afraid you guys could end up as the meat in the sandwich.
Also, as I mentioned before, angry in Canada these days isn't bad, it's good. A lot of people are furious with the Harper government, and hearing a man like Mulcair articulate that anger is music to their ears.
You know I never let partisanship get in the way of cold analysis. I don't believe that you can will a boulder to climb a hill, or defeat the Cons with faith alone. Mulcair is a realist and a fighter, and so am I...
While I wouldn't consider myself an NDP'er by any stretch of the imagination I am very interested in Mulcair's ideas and interested to see how he will play out here in Alberta.
hi Way Way Up...I'm glad your interested in his ideas, because he is an ideas man. He may be a fierce debater, but he skewers his opponents with arguments, not low invective. As for Alberta... he should play quite well in Edmonton. That's the enlightened part isn't it? ;)
Simon:
You know what the flaw in your (indeed many/most NDP partisans) argument is? That the majority of non-CPC voters are progressives/lefties. The demographic history of the electorate though shows that the single largest group is the undefined mushy middle of the road swing centrists. Now, you say you see nowhere for the Libs to go while thinking Mulcair can make the party of principles first (which btw Jack and now Mulcair has chosen to sacrifice for the allure of power, the NDP most Canadians knew is not what it has become, and while Jack was able to gloss that over with his personal qualities I don't see Mulcair being able to do the same) into the next government
The Libs have their history to aid them, and I suspect that when the electorate gets tired of the CPC extremism they are going to want something more familiar and trusted and that is not automatically putting another untested party in power (as the CPC was untested after all) but to return to the party that did things like gave us a Charter, provided major economic stability, kept us out of Iraq despite massive pressure and protected us from the worst of the current economic troubles thanks to their solid fiscal legislation and leadership. Never underestimate the power of nostalgia. As well the drubbing the Libs took in the last election also gives them a chance to come back as a changed party that has been reminded of its place, washing away most of the old image of entitled to their entitlements. What happened to the Libs is not the same as what happened to the PCPC in 1993 and to assume similar long term elimination from contention this soon is a major assumption without foundation.
Then there is the question of why many voters will want to vote for a pseudo Liberal party when the real thing is there to vote for, which is a trap the NDP may be driving into, and there is also a clear problem within the NDP with the old guard and labour elements of the party with the more centrist approach that Layton and now Mulcair has chosen for the party. Layton has his personal skills to help smooth things over, but Mulcair lacks those, and I think you underestimate how much the lack of those skills can be a problem for your great saviour. You think you are anti-Harper yet you clearly do place a certain amount of partisanship ahead of the great goal. I was hoping for Cullen because with him I saw the best chance to defeat Harper next time out.
What too many fail to understand is neither party is likely to win on its own, nor is either party likely to be able to absorb the other nor attract enough of the other side's core supporters. The ONE advantage the Libs have over the NDP is they are more attractive to center right voters that become disillusioned with Harper yet cannot bring themselves to vote NDP (and if Mulcair tries to make himself and the party attractive enough to get some of this vote it will cost him at least as much from his left flank I would argue). So I would suggest to you that the road you see may be as easily a mirage as anything else (not to mention you may be blinding yourself to headlights coming your way and mistaking them for the light of victory), and the NDP has a long ways to go before it is going to be trusted with government, especially after this ideological government has worn out the welcome for the new and different.
IMO Simon, Mulcair's Achilles heel is in foreign policy. I wonder how the Harper government's Middle-East policies, on the ground and in the UN, will be tailored to embarrass Mulcair.
Still sad that Cullen didn't win. :(
I'm interested to see him tackle BC and get us off this con bandwagon that's always headed towards a cliff. If the South Okanagan can elect an NDP MP, so can Kelowna, Kamloops and PG. Time is now to get this going and I'm excited to actually see a strong opposition in action. It should bring harper down a couple of notches at least, it looks like the robocon scandal is going to fizzle out, so it's time to call him out on his sinister plan.
True. I can't really argue with you on that one.
I expect the "don't want to hurt your feelings" baloney from the fascists' supporters. Angry doesn't win elections unless you can focus it onto the actual election day. Bob Rae is showing himself to be the better statesman than Harper or Mulcair. He's the one the CPC is really worried about, since he's the most experienced and the best debater. The CPC knows that Rae will be leading the Liberals in the next election.
Don't worry, what was done to Smiling Jack will done to him. Another joke of a leftwing leader. He will tear the party apart, should be fun to watch.
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