You should sell “I’m a political tragic“ merchandise
And you’re absolutely right that the path for progressives to shift voters is for us to demand better, more competent leadership so that they can make that case
Excellent article. Some leftist antics in my view do more harm than good, especially ones that attack things that people see as key parts of themselves. With Danielle Smith's transgender student changes, it's easy for the right to frame things as Smith pushing back against radical leftists who say that they know better how to raise a child than the kid's own parents and are deliberately cutting parents out of their kids' lives.
Another example would be something like the calls to 'Cancel Canada Day'. They come across to me as saying to 'regular' Canadians as 'your heritage is bad and you are a bad person for feeling a positive connection to it.' That leaves the field wide open for the right, including the alt-right, to claim patriotism and identity. A lot of people aren't going to want to vote for anyone who they think is condemning them for who they are.
Who knows, a little flag waving might go a long way.
I am not so sure that a majority government led by Poilievre is not a threat to democracy in Canada. We don’t have to travel far south to see how easy it is to get very close to overturning a clear election loss by a political leader desperate to stay in power. And there are plenty of opportunities in Canada to undermine a democracy as well (for example, apply an informal conservative litmus test for judiciary appointments). We like to think that the Canadian political system is superior to the US system, but this has never been tested.
Now, where I agree is that the argument of Poilievre will kill democracy as we know it, is a sure way to hand the next election to the CPC. It will be utterly unconvincing for people that are willing to consider voting for either CPC or LPC/NDP as the democracy concerns only live in the sections that already vote LPC or NDP.
In the end it all boils down to Evan’s single sentence, do you want to win or do you want to feel good? Poilievre and the CPC understands this, and will not hesitate to focus on winning. Trudeau and most of the LPC understand this as well, and will hopefully get focused on winning as well. Singh and the NDP have no ambition to win and comfortably in the “feeling good” domain.
I'm one of your libertarian—some will say right wing—followers and I feel that you are spot on here.
Most professional politicians on either side indulge in reflexively bashing the other side, which is boring and phony. For example, I have lost my respect for Charlie Angus when he gleefully celebrated the death of a woman because of vaccine mandates.
You, however, call the shots as they fall. We need an effective opposition and currently the Federal NDP is anything but. People in the left wing bubble may ask themselves: Why do working class voters flock to Poilievre instead of Singh? Why do Smith's proposals have majority appeal (outside of the vocal Twitter minority)?
To be successful in politics, you need to be pragmatic. That is why the Liberals win federal elections. You campaign on the left, you govern from the right. Unfortunately, for the federal NDP, we don't have a two party system with one party right of centre, and the other left of centre. So they have to compete with the Liberals, and we know how that has worked out. Jack Layton, and Thomas Mulcair understood in order for the NDP to win, the Liberals need to be made irrelevant (in the way Labour replaced the Liberals in Britain). I have said this before and I'll say it again: the NDP win elections in jurisdictions where the Liberals don't have a footprint, with occasional exceptions. They have won once in Ontario, and haven't been close since. And in closing, for heaven's sake can we please stop extrapolating American politics into our system? I find the obsession ridiculous, and more than slightly annoying. We don't have anything near their corruption (and both parties down there are corrupt) up here, and not every right of centre politician is Donald Trump. Come on, get a grip folks.
`` We need people pushing the broad Canadian left to get their heads out of their asses and get themselves in winning positions. `` You got my attention. As Naheed Nenshi contemplates a run for the leadership of the ABNDP, I want a winner, not just the party stalwart who feels they are the next in line because they put in the time. Sorry the other mostly female candidates do not garner my support. If we want to get into a winning position. I think he is capable of compromise too.
.. hear Fred DeLorey has a new ‘substack post & also that Ray Novak surfaced in regard to ‘Modi Dropped From Harper IDU .. will get back to you after reading Fred.. something about ‘Caucus Caution’ - Excellent Journalism Evan - btw - full props to you .. also - will mention Justin Ling is knocking it out of the park via his ‘substack site - recent article an Assignment per Wired Magazine re origins of Foreign Interference
I still stress ‘Why Shoot The Messenger’ ? A political parasite like Poilievre is blowing in the wind while running his mouth with non stop sneering DailyDogma - If Not For ‘mercenary conservative’ yellow spectrum ‘newz’ ‘chumming the SocialMedia feeding holes on his behalf. .
Even swimming clear somehow for Endorsing unelected David Parker as Pastor of Alberta
& former Lover Jenni Byrne running PP’s Choice - Discount Democracy Sale
- also wonder why your fan Ryan H has banished lil ol me ?
Evan, is there a typo?
“What has ailed the left is the unalloyed idiots who claim that there *can* be compromise” (my emphasis) - is that supposed to be “cannot”?
Thanks for your work - I mostly agree, and always learn something.
Was supposed to be (and now fixed to) "can be no compromise" - thanks for flagging it (and the kind words)
You should sell “I’m a political tragic“ merchandise
And you’re absolutely right that the path for progressives to shift voters is for us to demand better, more competent leadership so that they can make that case
I’d buy the t-shirt, for sure.
Excellent article. Some leftist antics in my view do more harm than good, especially ones that attack things that people see as key parts of themselves. With Danielle Smith's transgender student changes, it's easy for the right to frame things as Smith pushing back against radical leftists who say that they know better how to raise a child than the kid's own parents and are deliberately cutting parents out of their kids' lives.
Another example would be something like the calls to 'Cancel Canada Day'. They come across to me as saying to 'regular' Canadians as 'your heritage is bad and you are a bad person for feeling a positive connection to it.' That leaves the field wide open for the right, including the alt-right, to claim patriotism and identity. A lot of people aren't going to want to vote for anyone who they think is condemning them for who they are.
Who knows, a little flag waving might go a long way.
Yes, yes, and yes. An absence of self-critique leads to a rot that destroys from within.
Keep going as you are, Evan. I come here for ideas and discussion, not for slogans.
I am not so sure that a majority government led by Poilievre is not a threat to democracy in Canada. We don’t have to travel far south to see how easy it is to get very close to overturning a clear election loss by a political leader desperate to stay in power. And there are plenty of opportunities in Canada to undermine a democracy as well (for example, apply an informal conservative litmus test for judiciary appointments). We like to think that the Canadian political system is superior to the US system, but this has never been tested.
Now, where I agree is that the argument of Poilievre will kill democracy as we know it, is a sure way to hand the next election to the CPC. It will be utterly unconvincing for people that are willing to consider voting for either CPC or LPC/NDP as the democracy concerns only live in the sections that already vote LPC or NDP.
In the end it all boils down to Evan’s single sentence, do you want to win or do you want to feel good? Poilievre and the CPC understands this, and will not hesitate to focus on winning. Trudeau and most of the LPC understand this as well, and will hopefully get focused on winning as well. Singh and the NDP have no ambition to win and comfortably in the “feeling good” domain.
Get a grip pal.
Nothing wrong with my grip.
I'm one of your libertarian—some will say right wing—followers and I feel that you are spot on here.
Most professional politicians on either side indulge in reflexively bashing the other side, which is boring and phony. For example, I have lost my respect for Charlie Angus when he gleefully celebrated the death of a woman because of vaccine mandates.
You, however, call the shots as they fall. We need an effective opposition and currently the Federal NDP is anything but. People in the left wing bubble may ask themselves: Why do working class voters flock to Poilievre instead of Singh? Why do Smith's proposals have majority appeal (outside of the vocal Twitter minority)?
To be successful in politics, you need to be pragmatic. That is why the Liberals win federal elections. You campaign on the left, you govern from the right. Unfortunately, for the federal NDP, we don't have a two party system with one party right of centre, and the other left of centre. So they have to compete with the Liberals, and we know how that has worked out. Jack Layton, and Thomas Mulcair understood in order for the NDP to win, the Liberals need to be made irrelevant (in the way Labour replaced the Liberals in Britain). I have said this before and I'll say it again: the NDP win elections in jurisdictions where the Liberals don't have a footprint, with occasional exceptions. They have won once in Ontario, and haven't been close since. And in closing, for heaven's sake can we please stop extrapolating American politics into our system? I find the obsession ridiculous, and more than slightly annoying. We don't have anything near their corruption (and both parties down there are corrupt) up here, and not every right of centre politician is Donald Trump. Come on, get a grip folks.
`` We need people pushing the broad Canadian left to get their heads out of their asses and get themselves in winning positions. `` You got my attention. As Naheed Nenshi contemplates a run for the leadership of the ABNDP, I want a winner, not just the party stalwart who feels they are the next in line because they put in the time. Sorry the other mostly female candidates do not garner my support. If we want to get into a winning position. I think he is capable of compromise too.
.. hear Fred DeLorey has a new ‘substack post & also that Ray Novak surfaced in regard to ‘Modi Dropped From Harper IDU .. will get back to you after reading Fred.. something about ‘Caucus Caution’ - Excellent Journalism Evan - btw - full props to you .. also - will mention Justin Ling is knocking it out of the park via his ‘substack site - recent article an Assignment per Wired Magazine re origins of Foreign Interference
I still stress ‘Why Shoot The Messenger’ ? A political parasite like Poilievre is blowing in the wind while running his mouth with non stop sneering DailyDogma - If Not For ‘mercenary conservative’ yellow spectrum ‘newz’ ‘chumming the SocialMedia feeding holes on his behalf. .
Even swimming clear somehow for Endorsing unelected David Parker as Pastor of Alberta
& former Lover Jenni Byrne running PP’s Choice - Discount Democracy Sale
- also wonder why your fan Ryan H has banished lil ol me ?