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By Richard Hughes, on May 21, 2013, at 11:43 pm Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger
Rod Smelser and Kevin Logan both politically savvy types offered some interesting comments on the spectacular BC NDP Election defeat. (See Comments-following the post about the Kool Topp Guys.)
I think that what is needed is a thorough house cleaning, possibly a name change, an injection of some swagger, energy and purpose none of which have been present for a long, long time.
Sadly, the NDP continues seeking validation and acceptance from our opponents. Screw that!
It is not a question of moving left or even moving to the middle, as much as it is (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 16, 2013, at 9:19 pm Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
One of the burning questions begging for answers as to WTF happened that saw the BCNDP lose the election is how is that Brian Topp ran the campaign after it was know that he was in business with the political enemies of the campaign.
Topp was an actual leadership candidate for the Federal NDP, former Layton organizer and now partner with ex Harper aide and ex Christy Clark Chief of Staff Ken Boosenkool and Ontario Liberal operative Don Guy end up running the NDP Campaign?
These three set up a Consultancy Firm a few months back, Kool-Topp-Guy (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 16, 2013, at 4:51 pm Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger
New Democrat Leaders who lose in a Provincial Election have never been able to rebound as party leader in a further election attempt, ever.
Those who huddle in the backrooms following election defeats always seem to want to stay the course with the leader who has failed to win and yet all evidence points to that course will ensure another loss.
That is not change, that is not renewal. It is a combination between an attachment to the status quo and in many cases the trappings, real or imagined that go with hanging out with the (Read more…)
By Greg Fingas, on May 16, 2013, at 9:26 am Here, on how a narrow focus on pursuing a seemingly safe path to a bare majority government may have contributed to the B.C. NDP’s stunning election defeat this week.
Needless to say, there’s no lack of other commentary on the election, with Alice Funke, Sixth Estate, Michael Stewart, Paul Ramsey and Thomas Walkom all reaching conclusions relatively similar to my own. And while not a lot of observers can claim to have identified the problem in B.C., Dan Tan and Leftdog look to have earned at least partial credit.
[Update: Let's add David (Read more…)
By David Climenhaga, on May 16, 2013, at 1:21 am Just to set the mood, it’s Left-Leaning B.C. Premiers Day on Alberta Diary. Here’s your blogger with some former NDP premiers from that province – Dave Barrett above, Mike Harcourt and Ujjal Dosanjh below.
No one can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory quite like the New Democrats in my native British Columbia.
Still, while Tuesday’s upset B.C. election victory by Premier Christy Clark and her un-liberal Liberals is inevitably going to be, well, upsetting to a lot of New Democrats, it is not really bad news for Thomas Mulcair and the federal NDP.
This, we (Read more…)
By calgarygrit, on May 15, 2013, at 10:50 pm
“Well this is awkward”
We’ve been reminded this week that an 8-point lead in the dying days of an election campaign is about as safe as a 2-goal lead in the final 90 seconds of a playoff hockey game. Never take anything for granted.
Despite leading by between 2 to 9 points in every poll fielded over the past week, Adrian Dix managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It was a stunning result that no one saw coming – even though the exact same thing happened just one year ago in Alberta. In that campaign, Allison Redford (Read more…)
By Song of the Watermelon, on May 15, 2013, at 7:04 pm In a stunning upset of “Dewey Defeats Truman” proportions, the BC Liberals have defied all the polls save one and returned to power with a fourth straight majority government. No doubt, there will be much soul searching and wound licking over the coming weeks. I believe that five lessons — real, imagined, and not-quite-clear — will be gleaned from the experience.
1. Proceed with caution when predicting the future.
In last year’s US Presidential election, statistician Nate Silver made fools out of all those television pundits who privileged “gut feeling” over quantitative analysis. But sometimes even the data geeks get (Read more…)
By Christine, on May 15, 2013, at 11:47 am I don’t live in Canada’s most westerly province, but I know that British Columbians pride themselves in their slogan, “Beautiful British Columbia”. It is a province of vast wilderness, ancient mountains, and pristine waters, although its beauty has been marred in recent years by the pine-beetle-destroyed pine trees covering vast regions of the Rocky Mountains. […]
By Richard Hughes, on May 15, 2013, at 11:28 am Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
Christy’ the ‘Campaigner’ Cleaned Our Clocks!
Status quo politics have little resonance with the majority and they stayed home in droves.
The disconnect on the centre-left side of the political spectrum cannot be ignored any longer.
Now the NDP must get back to where they once belonged. It is time to reinvent themselves and get back to a more engaging style of politics.
They have not offered a relevant option to the voters. There was no emotion, no hope, no vision.
Adrian Dix was honourable, cautious and chose the intellectual high road. That approach while (Read more…)
By daveberta, on May 15, 2013, at 10:06 am TweetEdmonton-Manning MLA Peter Sandhu has resigned from the Progressive Conservative Caucus after a CBC investigation revealed that a company owned by the politician had accumulated a trail of unpaid debt. The report, by investigative reporter Charles Rusnell, also found that Mr. Sandhu made a false statement in a sworn affidavit. It is not uncommon for [...]
By Richard Hughes, on May 13, 2013, at 12:50 pm
“It doesn’t take a weather vane to see which way the wind is blowing.”
By Richard Hughes, on May 10, 2013, at 11:56 pm Kevin Logan has put together this multi media analysis of the Christy Clark Spin vs the’Real Facts.’
Take a few minutes and read this excellent piece. This is what ‘Independent Journalism’is all about!
BC Liberal Pipeline Follies
Kevin Logan-Cowichan Conversations Contributor
By Kevin Logan
YOUTUBE VIDEO LINK – watch now HERE or copy and paste this link in your browser: http://youtu.be/IEu3LxnjY_U
Christy Clark and the BC liberals have made a lot of bold claims about their position on pipelines proposed for British Columbia.
However, what they have neglected to tell British Columbians is that their government has (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 10, 2013, at 10:27 pm Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
For an election that started off so slow this is turning into a lively one.
Adrian Dix and the BC NDP have dug down and gone after Christy Clark and the BC Liberals for their remarkable ‘Untruthiness’ to borrow a line from ’Late Night Talker-Satirist Stephen Colbert.’
If Colbert was covering Election 13 he would of course be backing the BC Liberals for their selfless efforts as Truth-Tellers, Job Creators, Educators Supreme and world leading environmentally sensitive leaders in the ‘Free World’
Stephen Colbert would eviscerate the BC Liberals with praise and encouragement.
Can’t you just hear him congratulating the BC (Read more…)
. . . → Read More: Cowichan Conversations: NDP Gain Ground In Latest Polls
By Richard Hughes, on May 10, 2013, at 6:45 pm Because, you know what, do you know what?
The Terrace Daily News featured this video with a display on their front page. It is edgy, well, the repeated screechy ‘Liar-Liar-Liar-Liar-Liar’ is edgy but then, because you know what, you know what? It is true!
The marijuana question was interesting. Christy dodged it and took a shot at Adrian who supports decriminalization.
Because, do you know what, do you know what? It is all about ‘Growing the Economy ‘she
said that at least 20 times during the TV Debate which can be seen over ‘On the Left Side’ if you missed it.
(Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 6, 2013, at 9:01 pm Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
Maroc called this morning to chat about the election that is rumoured to be underway. He was amazed how few signs were out and how it seems surreal in its lack of urgency or spark!
What has changed? Well grass roots activism within the political parties is far less than it used to be. I suppose too many figured that it is a cakewalk for Adrian Dix and the NDP so hurry up and let us vote already.
Yikes! That is worrisome. The NDP will only win if the troops get out and vote. We have (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 5, 2013, at 1:00 am Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
Adrian Dix has challenged Christy Clark to state her position on Enbridge, Kinder Morgan expansion and a huge increase in oil tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet, one of North America’s most beautiful seaports.
Georgia Straight’s Charlie Smith tells of a possible upset in Christy Clark’s home base and Adrian’s ever increasing committment to environmental issues.
Today, NDP Leader Adrian Dix ramped up his criticism of the B.C. Liberal party’s position on oil tankers along B.C.’s coastline.
In so doing, he’s sent a direct message to voters of Lower Mainland constituencies, including Christy Clark’s, that they (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on May 4, 2013, at 11:25 pm Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger
Environmental issues rank at or near the top for the first time in BC’s history. This could well be the difference when the Provincial Election ballots are counted, May 14th.
Adrian Dix has greened up. Christy Clark had donned brown and it could cost her not only the election but her seat in Point Grey as well.
It is all to easy to be cynical these days and yet, a BC Election will most likely be decided by voters concerned about run of the river projects, farmed salmon, Enbridge Pipeline, Kinder Morgan expansion, industrial activity in (Read more…)
By Scott Tribe, on May 3, 2013, at 7:23 am This is a post that some (but not all) of my BC Liberal acquaintances may not like, but as the BC Election draws near and the polls tighten, I’ll say without apology that to me, it would not be a bad thing if the provincial BC Liberal Party gets dumped out of office and the NDP led by Adrian Dix takes over the reins of power.
I’ve made it rather publicly known that I consider the BC Liberals LINO’s (Liberals In Name Only) who should be returning the name “Liberal” back to us as the party stands in its current (Read more…)
By calgarygrit, on April 30, 2013, at 11:11 am I watched bits of the BC Leaders debate last night, mainly out of curiosity to learn about soon-to-be Premier Adrian Dix and see the man in action. I wasn’t overly impressed, but I don’t think the BC NDP need an overly impressive leader to win what looks to be essentially a slam dunk election.
But this post isn’t about Dix or Clark, or what to expect when British Columbians vote on May 14th. No, this post is to share one of the most amazing political commercials ever with you. Enjoy.
By Richard Hughes, on April 29, 2013, at 1:55 pm Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix is in this election to win. His decision to announce his opposition to Kinder Morgan Pipeline expansion leading to a massive increase in tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet has met with increased support amongst BC voters.
Many of the MSM staffers are obediently marching to the corporate agenda and attacking Dix for doing the right thing.
It is not working and they wonder why the growth of independent blogs and independent operations like ‘the Tyee’ are gaining audience and relevance while the corporate media is losing support.
Adrian’s BC NDP Scoring With Voters. (Read more…)
By Jeff Jedras, on April 27, 2013, at 8:42 am After a BC election radio leaders debate, NDP leader Adrian Dix faced the press, and questions on his Kinder Surprise. And it wasn’t pretty. Between back-dating memos and forward-dating decisions, Dix’s messaging is more difficult to follow than the plot of Inception.
By Richard Hughes, on April 26, 2013, at 5:22 pm Kevin Logan-Cowichan Conversations Contributor
Cowichan Conversations and Common Sense Canadian contributor Kevin Logan has hit the big time with this opinion piece carried by the Vancouver Province.
His was a response to an editorial quibbling with the BC NDP Leader’s announcement that the BC NDP were opposed to expanding the Kinder Morgan Pipeline that would increase oil tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet by over 400 percent.
Judging by the size of the picture perhaps the editorial staff have realized the error of their ways and are now leaning towards the NDP! Look out Smitty a change is in the wind!
(Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on April 26, 2013, at 4:43 pm Richard Hughes-Political Blogger
One of the longest, if not the longest controversy ever to hit BC, the BC Rail Scandal, will be examined following the election of Adrian Dix and the BC NDP.
It is too bad that a proper invesigation was blocked by the BC Liberals, but then why wouldn’t it have been.
This was former Premier Gordon Campbell’s wealth transfer triumph. Christy Clark was his Deputy Premier, her ex husband and brother were implicated. Two key witnesses, David Basi and Robert Virk were sacrificed and the taxpayers picked up their 6 million dollar legal defence.
Peter Ewart
That (Read more…)
By Richard Hughes, on April 26, 2013, at 10:54 am Richard ‘Hub’ Hughes- Political Blogger
So now the election is on, really on. Bill Good will conduct a radio debate with BC Liberal leader Christy Clark, BC NDP Leader Adrian Dix, BC Green Leader Jane Sterk and BC Conservative Leader John Cummins.
It will be available for streaming as well for those who can watch on their computers, tablets and ‘Smartphones’
BC Election Leadership Debate with Bill Good on CKNW 980AM
Tune in at 8:30 am this morning
By Jeff Jedras, on April 24, 2013, at 11:59 am There’s an election happening on the left coast, and for all the preoccupation last year about the BC Conservatives, it’s quickly shaping up as a choice between Christy Clark’s BC Liberals and Adrian Dix’s BC NDP.
Heck, even BC Conservative leader John Cummins admitted to reporters that, in the last election, he was unhappy with his incumbent and instead cast a protest vote for the BC NDP candidate. Apparently he didn’t even consider voting for the candidate of the party he now leads. So I’m not sure why anyone else would either.
Anyway, apparently the NDP have been making hay with a (Read more…)
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