Will Jagmeet Singh win the Burnaby South by-election?

[acottawa]

This is why parties usually don’t run candidates against leaders in by elections. It is hard to attract any decent candidates.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by acottawa

This is why parties usually don’t run candidates against leaders in by elections. It is hard to attract any decent candidates.

Interestingly, the Greens are the only ones who extended that courtesy to Singh.

[vid]

Well, the Greens can't find any decent candidates regardless of who they're running against.

And I say this as a supporter of that party!

[Docere]

https://twitter.com/oliviachow/statu...87604934606848

[vid]

She keeps insinuating Chinese Canadians are racist while she, a Chinese Canadian, insists she isn't racist?

[casper]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

I think it was a mistake. Having someone who identifies so clearly with a foreign religion/culture will not be well received. it's a little too much diversity for most of the nation. I'd be surprised if he can maintain the progress made in the last election. True be told, the NDP will probably struggle with any leader. Trudeau's charisma has worn thin among Canadians. Most see him now as enjoying his celebrity status too much all the while cutting out the middle class to protect the privileged and/or wealthy. I fully expect a shift right even if nothing will change.

The most populous cities having to house "US refugees" because Trudeau didn't send them back home is having lasting repercussions in a city, like Toronto, can't afford to look after its poor with out of control housing costs

I think the "US refugee" problem is a minor detail for most people and easily ignored.

Coming across as being and representing the privileged and not being pragmatic will cost him the next election.

[casper]

Originally Posted by vid

She keeps insinuating Chinese Canadians are racist while she, a Chinese Canadian, insists she isn't racist?

I think her argument is that in Chinese speaking media when discussing or introducing candidates it common to state the ethnic background of each candidate. She then explained the post by saying it was her campaign staff and not her. Not taking responsibility for your teams actions is not a good start.

In the interview she had on CBC radio during the evening commute she did not come across as a particularly good communicator. A key feature you would expect of any successful MP.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by vid

Well, the Greens can't find any decent candidates regardless of who they're running against.

And I say this as a supporter of that party!

Apparently the Liberal Party can’t either!

[Dengler Avenue]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Apparently the Liberal Party can’t either!

Actually? Wow...

I feel like this byelection’s all of a sudden a wildcard (or a gong show) now.

[acottawa]

It makes no sense for a good candidate to run. There will be another election in 8 months where they don’t have to run against a party leader or face national scrutiny.

I think both the Liberals and Tories are going to regret running candidates. The Tories will be embarrassed by Mas Max and the Liberals are already embarrassed and the campaign just started.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by acottawa

It makes no sense for a good candidate to run. There will be another election in 8 months where they don’t have to run against a party leader or face national scrutiny.

I think both the Liberals and Tories are going to regret running candidates. The Tories will be embarrassed by Mas Max and the Liberals are already embarrassed and the campaign just started.

This.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by acottawa

This is why parties usually don’t run candidates against leaders in by elections. It is hard to attract any decent candidates.

Against a nonentity like this guy, running thousands of miles from where he lives? Shouldn’t be that hard.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The most disturbing thing in your post is that the Burnaby Spring Festival Gala is taking place in January!!!!

Are you sure the lower mainland is part of Canada????

Never too early for Spring in the Lower Mainland (from last week)

[IMG]IMG_9128 by whatnextyvr, on Flickr[/IMG]

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by Andy6

Against a nonentity like this guy, running thousands of miles from where he lives? Shouldn’t be that hard.

Is he more of a non-entity than Trudeau or Scheer?

It is a long-time NDP riding, by elections favour opposition parties, and leaders who run in by elections usually outperform the party. There is a pretty low chance the Liberals could win the riding and if the best they can do is a racist person who was a Tory until recently then they have almost no chance.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by acottawa

Is he more of a non-entity than Trudeau or Scheer?

It is a long-time NDP riding, by elections favour opposition parties, and leaders who run in by elections usually outperform the party. There is a pretty low chance the Liberals could win the riding and if the best they can do is a racist person who was a Tory until recently then they have almost no chance.

I doubt they really want to win. The last thing they want is to suddenly be facing Mulcair as NDP leader.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by Andy6

I doubt they really want to win. The last thing they want is to suddenly be facing Mulcair as NDP leader.

"Doubt" or "don't doubt"?

[esquire]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

"Doubt" or "don't doubt"?

Conventional wisdom holds that the Liberals have a lot more to gain by locking in Singh for the 2019 general election as compared to the winning a seat that makes zero practical difference to them and then having to deal with a potentially much more capable NDP leader in place..

That said, if you're Singh, you probably see a potential upside to being so heavily underestimated as he is right now.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

Conventional wisdom holds that the Liberals have a lot more to gain by locking in Singh for the 2019 general election as compared to the winning a seat that makes zero practical difference to them and then having to deal with a potentially much more capable NDP leader in place..

That said, if you're Singh, you probably see a potential upside to being so heavily underestimated as he is right now.

Exactement. Singh is the devil they know, and so far he doesn't look like much of threat.

If you're a Liberal that's a lot better than him losing, getting the boot, which brings the risk of a Jack Layton 2.0 (unlikely but who knows - look at Doug Ford!) sailing right in and changing the election picture overnight.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Acajack

If you're a Liberal that's a lot better than him losing, getting the boot, which brings the risk of a Jack Layton 2.0 (unlikely but who knows - look at Doug Ford!) sailing right in and changing the election picture overnight.

Jack Layton??? I know Jack Layton, and Doug Ford is NO Jack Layton.......... (paraphrasing a rejoinder to Dan Quayle regarding Jack Kennedy)

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Exactement. Singh is the devil they know, and so far he doesn't look like much of threat.

If you're a Liberal that's a lot better than him losing, getting the boot, which brings the risk of a Jack Layton 2.0 (unlikely but who knows - look at Doug Ford!) sailing right in and changing the election picture overnight.

It will be too short notice to organize a convention, which the party can’t afford to hold anyway, so after some perfunctory process they’ll go back to Mulcair.

When he was on city council in Toronto, the idea of Jack Layton being a leader of anything would have seemed as weird as that of Rob or Doug. He was a bit of a clown. Somehow he remade himself for the federal scene. He just had a spectacular ability to genuinely engage with people that he eventually turned to his advantage after ditching most of his ideology.