If you listen to the pundits – of all stripes you would think that the NDP is as dead as a dodo. They may be right if the status quo is maintained, but they should be wrong but that means big changes to the groupthink of Party Apparatchiks.
If you think this is a familiar dilemma for all left-of-centre for all of those Political Parties you are correct. The Democratic Party in the USA is in disarray after losing an election they should have won, the British Labour Party is in freefall because after a resounding election win they adopted a policy of ‘Austerity’ that should have been foreign to the Party in normal times.
But back to the NDP they have two electoral problems – one is that they run candidates in Ridings that they have no hope of winning; the other is that they have no visible Party identity – what do they stand for and who can articulate the right message? The major impediment to any success for Parties other than the Conservatives or Liberals is the electoral system. “First Past the Post” voting system stifles any real and credible voting for a dedicated voter. Everyone wants to make their votes count but in voting for a minority Party they have no hope.
But there is a host of other factors: the breakdown of a Society with the ‘common good’ in mind, the rise of individualism, the breakdown in Unionism, the entrenchment of hard opinions – most of which is based on the lack of critical-thinking and the big one – the rejection of inclusion and equity. The rejection of the notion of inclusion and equity, in my mind is based in misogyny and racism; just my opinion! However the NDP has been a victim to “Identity Politics” in their quest to be a large tent and more appealing to minorities. Defending Multiculturalism is not a popular stand these days but should not also be something to be afraid of.
So what does a Political party that is dedicated to the ‘common good’ and ‘equality for all’ and wants make sure all of us have good jobs and a living wage as well as be able to afford to buy a house have to do to be appealing to those who want the same thing? First of all they have to be able to develop a plan to redistribute wealth and income that makes sense and can be supported by a fair number of the voters. Secondly they have to find and develop a leader that can be understood as a Leader and can sell the plans. Politics and Politicians have to be seen as something other than a cesspool of lying people who mouth promises to be broken and only seen every election cycle.
The attitude of voting against people/ Parties has to be changed – instead we should be voting for something! As a person who has had the “NDPer” label hung around my neck by others who want attach labels I have also voted for other Parties even though I support the NDP with a monthly donation.
My dilemma is that I live in a Riding where the NDP is a perennial ‘third place’ so casting a vote for the NDP only gets the public subsidy per vote. Also another factor in this Riding is that either the Conservatives and Liberals can win the Riding depending on the popular vote. After all the local candidate is hardly a factor in determining who wins the Riding. So as I cannot see me ever voting for the ‘Nasty Party (Conservatives)’ I only have the choice to vote for the Liberals in a close or important election.
This election just finished I and many other NDP votes were “Lent” to the Liberals to deny the Conservatives their anticipated win. We are sure that if the NDP adopt and articulate sensible social policy and elect a respected and fearless person as Leader and this person can use effective communication strategies the voters who shifted this election will be back for the next one!
After I wrote this a friend sent me this – a series of essays by Alex Himelfarb, about the Common Good.
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