The Droz Report #6: An unexpected wind blows from Canada's (centre) left

Jack Layton's positive campaign bears unexpected fruit

 

(Originally posted at True North Perspective.)

I admit it. Neither I, nor anyone else here at True North Perspective, saw it coming. And even now, there is an aura of doubt, of disbelief, as we watch the polls and see the continuing ascent of the New Democratic Party under Jack Layton.

Can this really be true? we wondered last week, when the New Democrats began to poll even with Canada's one-time Natural Governing Party. One poll led to another and another and another.

If stated intentions turn out to be votes on Monday, it looks like it really is true.

If present trends continue, it's just (barely) possible that Monday night will see Layton elected Prime Minister of Canada.

Read the full story at Edifice Rex Online.

Humble pie or, grateful for relationship drama

As somebody or other once said (and which — I apologize — has been repeated nearly so often as Swift's remark about the prospect of a hanging focussing one's attention), a week can be a long time in politics. Two weeks is an eternity.

Just about two weeks ago, I was working on a new entry of Droz Report, in which I intended to explain why the NDP would never replace Canada's Liberal party as an alternative to the ruling Conservatives.

I began with the following sub-hed,

NPD's struggle to replace the Liberals is failing as a tactic and betrays a strategic and philosophical emptiness at the heart of the Party that once claimed to be the conscience of the nation

As those of you paying any attention know very well, since I penned those (not-so) wise, wise words, the New Democrats have risen in the polls like a political rocket and are now scoring only a few points behind the Harper Conservatives. As I put in my quickly-written Droz Report posted yesterday, "... it's just (barely) possible that Monday night will see Layton elected Prime Minister of Canada." (Don't believe me? Check out The Toronto Star's endorsement.)

Anyway, I was saved from that humiliation because of some pretty awful, though now resolved, personal drama between Raven and I. No details; I've lost the stomach for living my personal life in public (or even "public"), so I'll just say it was awful while it lasted and I was useless for getting any work done and, much more, I am very glad that we've worked things out.

Anyway. The NDP. Canada's new centrist and/or left-of-centre national party? Maybe so and, if so, it still leaves part of my aforementioned thesis standing.

Namely, that this country (hell, any country!) needs a robust left-wing alternative to its centre and right-centre mainstream politics. It was largely due to the then-frankly-Socialist NDP that we got a national, public health care system. They did not have a hope of gaining power, but they had enough support to push the ruling Liberals to the left, to actual progressive policies which, if they didn't revolutionize our society made life one hell of a lot better for an awful lot of very real people.

But that's an essay for another time.

In other news, the long-delayed book project should really be going to the printer this week. Last (I hope!) proof is supposed to arrive on Monday. My writing project is a little, but not a lot, behind, and I've got more layout work coming up.

I'm cautiously optimistic, not only that I'm getting more organized, but that I'm getting more organized to the point where I'll be able to start, once more, blogging more regularly to boot. (But you've all heard that before, I know. We'll see.)

Right then, enough blathering.

But please, if you're eligible to vote in Canada, cast your ballot for however it is that has the best chance of beating your local Harper Conservative candidate. In this anti-Christ first-past-the-post system, there's no guarantee an NDP surge won't split the vote in such a way as to give the Harperites a Parliamentary majority — and then things would get ugly indeed.