Rotting on the vine
Public Eye Online broke a story about David Orchard running in south Burnaby earlier this week. On the awful idea list, this may be up there with blaming the other leadership camps for losing the recent Quebec by-elections.
Although Orchard, who has one of the best political machines in Canada, is a key reason why Stephane Dion overtook Gerard Kennedy on the first ballot (and then hung in there to win the crown of thorns that has become the Liberal leadership), he should not be given special treatment in terms of becoming a candidate. Furthermore, if he gets special treatment, Burnaby-New Westminster should not be considered special treatment for any Liberal.
Orchard running in Burnaby-New Westminster has many downsides. No part of the riding has gone Liberal since 2000 when Herb Dhaliwal won in Vancouver South-Burnaby. MP Peter Julian is one of the few bright spots in the NDP Caucus and has a large and loyal group of supporters from the social democratic, environmental, and unionist left. Finally, Orchard pushing out Lily Harvey, a visible minority woman who is a community volunteer and a highly education professional, is as bad of a move as acclaiming Billy Cunningham in Burnaby-Douglas in 2004.
Despite having family and old PC leadership pockets of support in the province, David Orchard is not the answer for the Liberals in British Columbia.
Although Orchard, who has one of the best political machines in Canada, is a key reason why Stephane Dion overtook Gerard Kennedy on the first ballot (and then hung in there to win the crown of thorns that has become the Liberal leadership), he should not be given special treatment in terms of becoming a candidate. Furthermore, if he gets special treatment, Burnaby-New Westminster should not be considered special treatment for any Liberal.
Orchard running in Burnaby-New Westminster has many downsides. No part of the riding has gone Liberal since 2000 when Herb Dhaliwal won in Vancouver South-Burnaby. MP Peter Julian is one of the few bright spots in the NDP Caucus and has a large and loyal group of supporters from the social democratic, environmental, and unionist left. Finally, Orchard pushing out Lily Harvey, a visible minority woman who is a community volunteer and a highly education professional, is as bad of a move as acclaiming Billy Cunningham in Burnaby-Douglas in 2004.
Despite having family and old PC leadership pockets of support in the province, David Orchard is not the answer for the Liberals in British Columbia.
posted by Robert Burnaby at 1:49 PM
11 Comments:
David O would be more of a scud missile attack than a parachute candidate if he is planning on coming here from Saskatchewan.
Whether its Orchard or Lily Who??? Neither stand a chance of winning let alone possibly finishing third.
If Mark M. wants to put his money where his mouth is he would run his wife Christy Clark in a Burnaby riding.
That will be the day though.
Christy Clark doesn't have a home in Burnaby anymore, either geographically or politicially.
But it would be something if she decided a comeback and decided to run in the new Burnaby riding.
Wonder what Harry would do then?
David Orchard has been all over the political map, and the Liberals would exceeding their current levels of stupidity in letting him run anywhere within that party.
The federal Liberals have enough problems now, without adding Orchard to that.
Good, run....who is stopping liberals from destroying themselves. The way it is going, even NDP cant stop liberals voting for tories in herds.
A farmer representing the district, how much more undemocratic can the party become really?
The federal Liberals will take anyone.
Could this be the sign that John Nuraney will decide to actually back the tory candidate who may very well turn out to be the son of an incumbent MP also from GVRD who will defeat a realtor who has been entangled with negative press and losing support in a dragged out campaign?
But since liberals have apparently decided to write both ridings in Burnaby off, what will be the purpose of any federal liberal involvement in this campaign. Instead of staying home and hoping that one day their NDP incumbents will be defeated, these people should really realize it will make a lot more sense to side with Harper and put some MP that will actually make Buranby relevant in Ottawa.
Could this be the sign that John Nuraney will decide to actually back the tory candidate who may very well turn out to be the son of an incumbent MP also from GVRD who will defeat a realtor who has been entangled with negative press and losing support in a dragged out campaign?
Good grief. John won't support anyone pubilicy let alone Ryan Warawa.
John is federal Liberal and is a very good friend of Mobina Jaffer.
He's smart enough to stay within the provincial environment and not get into the federal scene.
But since liberals have apparently decided to write both ridings in Burnaby off, what will be the purpose of any federal liberal involvement in this campaign.
Holding the NDP MP'sfeet to the fire for one, and preventing a Tory win is another good reason.
"Instead of staying home and hoping that one day their NDP incumbents will be defeated, these people should really realize it will make a lot more sense to side with Harper and put some MP that will actually make Buranby relevant in Ottawa."
It would make more sense for the local Liberals to rebuild their party locally by getting involved heavily with the campaign of their own Liberal candidate.
Funny, as if liberals ever had a chance against NDP in Burnaby, which is exactly the reason both ridings have been written off, as most have acknowledged, at least for those who arent blind. But certainly liberal candidates are welcome to focus their firepower on government party since they expect such tactics will scare voters away from tories as they take voters as a bunch of idiots. But we all know how much that is going to work.
Federal liberals come in all kinds however, some like John Nuraney has put their energy to better use since they know where the obstacles actually lie. And some who are running elections for personal gains will simply forget the objective of running to defeat incumbents and opt for partisan divides. Hopefully, for the federal liberals, the voters will fall for that.
"Funny, as if liberals ever had a chance against NDP in Burnaby, which is exactly the reason both ridings have been written off, as most have acknowledged, at least for those who arent blind."
Partially true, but that doesn't mean run a candidate. If so, then
there would not be any means for the federal Liberal to support and that would mean eliminating candidates from other ridings as well. That doesn't mean well for our democratic system.
"But certainly liberal candidates are welcome to focus their firepower on government party since they expect such tactics will scare voters away from tories as they take voters as a bunch of idiots."
So do the federal Liberals and NDP.
"But we all know how much that is going to work. "
It hasn't.
"Federal liberals come in all kinds however, some like John Nuraney has put their energy to better use since they know where the obstacles actually lie."
John knows the federal scene, and he can do what he likes.
"And some who are running elections for personal gains will simply forget the objective of running to defeat incumbents and opt for partisan divides."
Quite a few of those around. But the better campaigns are those which run for something rather than defeatist against something. It's easy to run against something and much more difficult to run for something that can be sold to the voters.
"Hopefully, for the federal liberals, the voters will fall for that."
They might, but unlikely. They will come out with policy that they figure the voters would want, but they are in a very difficult situation right now.
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