Several months after the fact, Liberal stalwarts in Central Nova are still fuming over Dion’s deal to not run a candidate against Peter MacKay.
This, of course, was bound to happen.
Dion’s backroom deal with the Liberal-spokesperson-who-runs-the-Green-Party (LSRGP) was poorly thought-out from the get-go. It puts the Liberals in the position of having to (a) admit that they need to borrow the credibility of another party on environmental issues; (b) explain why they aren’t fighting Harper in every riding; (c) explain why if defeating Harper is so important to them, they don’t concede other ridings that are already held by the NDP and Bloc.
The new wrinkle in all this is that local Liberals know MacKay is weak and are fuming that they don't have a dog in the fight. Because as weak as the Conservative machine is after Harper dumped his promise to respect the Atlantic Accord, the LSRGP is even weaker with the former Green candidate today admitting “I don't think May has a prayer . . .”
Dion’s weakness and Harper’s broken trust have soured them with their local supporters. All this, plus the strong second place showing in 2006 is putting added emphasis on the fact that the NDP and Louise Lorifice will be the force for fairness against Peter MacKay.
This, of course, was bound to happen.
Dion’s backroom deal with the Liberal-spokesperson-who-runs-the-Green-Party (LSRGP) was poorly thought-out from the get-go. It puts the Liberals in the position of having to (a) admit that they need to borrow the credibility of another party on environmental issues; (b) explain why they aren’t fighting Harper in every riding; (c) explain why if defeating Harper is so important to them, they don’t concede other ridings that are already held by the NDP and Bloc.
The new wrinkle in all this is that local Liberals know MacKay is weak and are fuming that they don't have a dog in the fight. Because as weak as the Conservative machine is after Harper dumped his promise to respect the Atlantic Accord, the LSRGP is even weaker with the former Green candidate today admitting “I don't think May has a prayer . . .”
Dion’s weakness and Harper’s broken trust have soured them with their local supporters. All this, plus the strong second place showing in 2006 is putting added emphasis on the fact that the NDP and Louise Lorifice will be the force for fairness against Peter MacKay.
9 comments:
The article only quotes one card carrying member of the Liberal Party of Canada who is upset with the decision.
The rest of the comments are from NDP'ers and Conservatives.
That may be, but think of the voters. How would you feel as a Liberal faithful in a historically Conservative riding? In a rural riding that has strong party loyalties and history? And change does not sit easy with a lot of the old guard in Nova Scotia.
It's going to take a lot for May to convince those people to trade in their Red or Blue for Green.
Yeah, but where is the proof of what you assert in your post about Liberal stalwerts fuming. Only one's a card carrying liberal as Darren pointed out.
Seems to me that your post is unbacked partisan rhetoric. You guys taking lessons from the blogging tories now? Is that the pay back for your support of the clean air act?
When are these Liberals going to figure out that they leader screwed them over with his deal with the LSRGP?
And who is the asshat here who accused blogging horse of being "partisan"? I love it when Liberals accuse others of being "partisan" because according to them Liberals are by definition "non-partisan".
I'm basing my bet on CTV interviews in New Glasgow, which I believe aired two days ago, and from what I know of New Glasgow in general - which is a two hour drive from where I currently sit.
I'm not lashing out at May or Dion, I'm just weighing in on which way I think the *represented* are leaning. I could care less how any card-carriers feel.
This isn't just ANY Liberal.
He's a former candidate. He ran under the Liberal banner.
A year ago Liberals were saying he was good enough to sit in the legislature. Now Liberals are saying his opinion on a heavy-handed backroom deal should be ignored.
Wow. That is duplicitious. Even for Liberals.
I assert May has the best chance of any of unseating MacKay, because I believe that its unlikely that COnservatives upset with their sitting mP would jump directly to the NDP. They usually choose the moderate middle closest to their views.
That normally is the Liberals.. but this time around, I would assert it's the Greens.. combine that wit the fact I think Liberals are probably less upset in that riding then you're making it out to be.. and i think MacKay - if he's going to lose - loses to May, not the NDP candidate.
I disagree with you Scott. I am thinking about strategic voting. So some conservative voters throw their support behind May but what will those liberal voters do? Me think there will be whole bunch that vote NPD, enough for the NDP to come right up the middle.
Last time, the NDP came within 3000 votes of McKay, and of course, the liberal candidate was a distant 3rd place show again.
And as for conservative voters only voted for their next closest, that sure isn't what happen in some BC ridings where cons voted NDP to stop the lib from winning, hence the NDP won.
As has been said elsewhere (http://blogginghorse.blogspot.com/2007/03/elizabeth-maybe-not.html), May's best and only chance to win a seat was the London by-election. If she couldn't win before the abortion/Chamberlain gaffes in vacant seat with all her party's resouces funnelled into it and the other parties in disaray she can't win anywhere.
Don't forget: the NDP is the official opposition in Nova Scotia and placed a strong second in this riding. Libs who want to defeat MacKay and disgruntled Tories (who don't sit this one out) will know it makes more sense to throw their votes to the NDP.
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