I think that’s an aspect of the historical third place status. They’ve been smaller parties with less institutional structure, and as such have relied a lot more on personal networks and connections.
When the leader of the LPC or CPC leaves, it has little direct impact on the day-to-day keep-the-lights-on parts of the party. That’s been far less true for the smaller parties, which many of the NDP wings are still outgrowing
It's been 60+ years now. They aren't new, no matter what their name says. You'd think they would have developed some institutional muscle memory by now, no?
It’s not a question of age, it’s a question of size. “Institutional memory” is just shorthand for having large numbers of senior-ish people who stick around a long time. A larger party has more staff and positions that exist independent of the leadership and their direct supporters.
Make no mistake, when/if Notley steps down the ANDP is going to see a 80%+ turnover within a few years. That’s a huge deal.
All political parties get (eventually) the leader that they deserve.
The NDP has been lost for some time. So they get a leader who is equally lost. Only when the party realizes it is lost, then it will get a leader who will lead them to a place where they know again what they are for and against.
You know what I never see? Progressive people writing columns like this but about what a great job they think Singh and the NDP are doing. It's easy to find dueling articles about the CPC or the LPC. Even now at his lowest point it's not hard to find commenters who are genuinely up on Trudeau.
Singh isn't even visible enough to be part of the conversation, except in pieces like this.
I mean, I agree he's largely ineffective and a poor choice to lead his party, but I think he's too naive and unserious as a person for the darker motives that you ascribe him. Hence, he's generally likeable but never taken seriously.
Surely someone can confirm my recollection of Mr Singh’s ‘ascendancy’ as ‘Leader’ of the NDP & the later heroics of actually getting the guy elected as a ‘Public Servant’ in British Columbia..
If not mistaken.. he & his team managed to sign up more ‘retail memberships’ that qualified those new members to ‘Vote For & Elect The New NDP Leader’ - Subsequently the brief flurry of attention faded.. the NDP here & there poked into ‘MainStreamMedia Newz’ on occasion.. all was QUIET - then he was ‘seated’ via a somewhat ‘Safe Seat’ the same way Dr Leslyn Lewis was in Haldimand Norfolk or Poilievre’s pick in Oxford was jammed in.. (is/was there any real difference ?)
It’s my view the NDP ‘loyal votes’ currently ensure some ‘split votes’ deliver X number of CPC ‘winners’ such as Michelle Ferreri in Ontario’s Peterborough / Kawartha Federal Riding.. which also suffers from ‘Election HiJinks’ such as Voter Intimidation throughout the ‘Writ Period’ - as do other Ridings in that region.. & ‘like hey ! Vote Suppression Works Too ! eh!’
ps.. let’s not pretend re BC Provincial ‘Politics’ - Do ‘The Party Names’ - NDP, Liberal, Conservative, Green - really mean ANYTHING ANYMORE ? Like Christy Clark was ‘Liberal’ with ‘Ken came from the womb RightWing - Boessenkool’ her Chief of Staff ? I could swear he is Signee re The Alberta Firewall Letter that Danielle Smith clings to - but whereby she is currently enacting Her Version of Jason Kenney’s Version of Stephen Harper’s version of ALBERTA SEPARATISM from CANADA eh
Wow. This so needed to be said, so thank you for saying it. It's also painful, as home truths often are. I left the NDP in 2019 after two decades continuous work at the riding level; I was so disillusioned. I went Green -- but that's another exceedingly sad story. It's a scary time to be a progressive without a party, and also a senior living under the poverty level with two family members with disabilities. We've always managed to get by before, but now? There's no party for the many millions of Canadians like us. There's no party for the Canadians who really give a shit, either.
It isn't just Singh, the whole NDP movement in Canada hold onto their leaders too long. Look at Horvath, Notley, etc.
Leftists in Canada would rather feel like winners than actually be winners.
I think that’s an aspect of the historical third place status. They’ve been smaller parties with less institutional structure, and as such have relied a lot more on personal networks and connections.
When the leader of the LPC or CPC leaves, it has little direct impact on the day-to-day keep-the-lights-on parts of the party. That’s been far less true for the smaller parties, which many of the NDP wings are still outgrowing
It's been 60+ years now. They aren't new, no matter what their name says. You'd think they would have developed some institutional muscle memory by now, no?
It’s not a question of age, it’s a question of size. “Institutional memory” is just shorthand for having large numbers of senior-ish people who stick around a long time. A larger party has more staff and positions that exist independent of the leadership and their direct supporters.
Make no mistake, when/if Notley steps down the ANDP is going to see a 80%+ turnover within a few years. That’s a huge deal.
All political parties get (eventually) the leader that they deserve.
The NDP has been lost for some time. So they get a leader who is equally lost. Only when the party realizes it is lost, then it will get a leader who will lead them to a place where they know again what they are for and against.
You know what I never see? Progressive people writing columns like this but about what a great job they think Singh and the NDP are doing. It's easy to find dueling articles about the CPC or the LPC. Even now at his lowest point it's not hard to find commenters who are genuinely up on Trudeau.
Singh isn't even visible enough to be part of the conversation, except in pieces like this.
So agree with you ... at last someone said it correctly.
I mean, I agree he's largely ineffective and a poor choice to lead his party, but I think he's too naive and unserious as a person for the darker motives that you ascribe him. Hence, he's generally likeable but never taken seriously.
Surely someone can confirm my recollection of Mr Singh’s ‘ascendancy’ as ‘Leader’ of the NDP & the later heroics of actually getting the guy elected as a ‘Public Servant’ in British Columbia..
If not mistaken.. he & his team managed to sign up more ‘retail memberships’ that qualified those new members to ‘Vote For & Elect The New NDP Leader’ - Subsequently the brief flurry of attention faded.. the NDP here & there poked into ‘MainStreamMedia Newz’ on occasion.. all was QUIET - then he was ‘seated’ via a somewhat ‘Safe Seat’ the same way Dr Leslyn Lewis was in Haldimand Norfolk or Poilievre’s pick in Oxford was jammed in.. (is/was there any real difference ?)
It’s my view the NDP ‘loyal votes’ currently ensure some ‘split votes’ deliver X number of CPC ‘winners’ such as Michelle Ferreri in Ontario’s Peterborough / Kawartha Federal Riding.. which also suffers from ‘Election HiJinks’ such as Voter Intimidation throughout the ‘Writ Period’ - as do other Ridings in that region.. & ‘like hey ! Vote Suppression Works Too ! eh!’
ps.. let’s not pretend re BC Provincial ‘Politics’ - Do ‘The Party Names’ - NDP, Liberal, Conservative, Green - really mean ANYTHING ANYMORE ? Like Christy Clark was ‘Liberal’ with ‘Ken came from the womb RightWing - Boessenkool’ her Chief of Staff ? I could swear he is Signee re The Alberta Firewall Letter that Danielle Smith clings to - but whereby she is currently enacting Her Version of Jason Kenney’s Version of Stephen Harper’s version of ALBERTA SEPARATISM from CANADA eh
Wow. This so needed to be said, so thank you for saying it. It's also painful, as home truths often are. I left the NDP in 2019 after two decades continuous work at the riding level; I was so disillusioned. I went Green -- but that's another exceedingly sad story. It's a scary time to be a progressive without a party, and also a senior living under the poverty level with two family members with disabilities. We've always managed to get by before, but now? There's no party for the many millions of Canadians like us. There's no party for the Canadians who really give a shit, either.