Yesterday, the NDP held its final leadership debate. Tim Harper gives a cogent evaluation of the four candidates:
Singh promises growth. Backers believe he will Grow personally as he moves from provincial to federal politics. They also believe he will grow the party with fresh membership.Mention the NDP Leadership race to those of us who do not live in the political world, and you get a lot of blank stares. Those same people, however, know Singh.His opponents believe if he cannot win on the first ballot, he cannot grow.Angus has worked assiduously to court second-choice support. Caron’s team believes he can finish third, stay on the ballot and grow his support because the Quebec MP has run a strong campaign. Ashton, the only one of the four making a second bid at leadership, has run the most unabashedly leftist campaign and has built perhaps the youngest core of supporters. She has also won union support and is a much more formidable campaigner than the Ashton of 2012.She could surprise. If she is the first to drop off the ballot, however, her backers are expected to split three ways.
It really is hard to predict who will win. But Harper is also spot on in his analysis of how far the party has fallen:
It needs to find that relevancy in Quebec again and this is a tough road for any of the four, not just the turbaned Singh.The party sold 124,000 memberships during this race, but a mere 4,907 of them were sold in Quebec, about half the total sold during the 2012 race.It allowed itself to be outmanoeuvred by Trudeau on traditional left-of-centre issues and has largely been rudderless for 16 months.
However, some of the shine has worn off Justin. There is an opportunity for the NDP -- if they choose the right leader.
Image:thestar.com
