On the defensive
Gordon Campbell popped by the Burnaby battleground ridings today.
Campbell has spent much of the campaign on the offensive in NDP held ridings but today Campbell played defense by focusing on Burnaby where he already holds three of four seats.
The NDP has made the Burnaby BC Liberal held seats top targets for this election. Carole James has spent parts of seven days in Burnaby so far this campaign.
Campbell has spent much of the campaign on the offensive in NDP held ridings but today Campbell played defense by focusing on Burnaby where he already holds three of four seats.
The NDP has made the Burnaby BC Liberal held seats top targets for this election. Carole James has spent parts of seven days in Burnaby so far this campaign.
posted by Robert Burnaby at 5:48 PM
20 Comments:
The seats belong to the voters, not Campbell.
He definately lost the debate on TV and came across as an arrogant fool.
James wasn't much better, but Campbell could have done a much better job of responding to questions.
Campbell visiting Burnaby? A bit of a desperate move on his part. Those visits don't translate into votes at the ballot box. They're staged for the media and attended by partisans.
Anyone who thinks that Mary and Joe Sixpack are going to vote BC Liberal because Campbell visited Burnaby businesses is out of their minds.
I'll bet some of the employees at those businesses would rather have gotten on with the business day making the company money rather than wasting valuable time for the benifit of the owner and the candidates.
Campbell's debate performance was not his finest work, but "arrogant fool" is over the top (and obviously highly partisan on your part.
Carole James performed better, but her obviously highly scripted answers and inability to speak off the cuff makes her appear more like the "fool". For example, in he radio debate where the questions with less predictable James performed very poorly. Not to mention her indecisiveness and flip-flops on the portmann bridge, tsawassen treaty, deficit spending, pay raises, carbon taxes, etc. etc. Basically James performs well when she has a script or when Jim Sinclair tells her what to do, but on her own she is extremely weak.
On your second point, I think campaign stops in Burnaby are a good idea (for both parties). It is a very populated city, with a lot of new voters from all the recent development, plus SFU and BCIT, headquarters for Electronic Arts, the region's largest mall, discovery park... the list goes on. No matter who is running, Burnaby deserves a lot of attention in any provincial election.
"Campbell's debate performance was not his finest work, but "arrogant fool" is over the top (and obviously highly partisan on your part."
Wrong. Campbell's arrogance is one of his trademarks. Ask anyone who has been around him alot.
"Carole James performed better, but her obviously highly scripted answers and inability to speak off the cuff makes her appear more like the "fool"."
and you think Campbell didn't have scripted answers?
"For example, in he radio debate where the questions with less predictable James performed very poorly."
He wasn't exactly a superstar either.
"Not to mention her indecisiveness and flip-flops on the portmann bridge, tsawassen treaty, deficit spending, pay raises, carbon taxes, etc. etc."
True, but there was a big flip flop by Campbell when it comes to BC Rail and deficit budgets.
"Basically James performs well when she has a script or when Jim Sinclair tells her what to do, but on her own she is extremely weak. "
Campbell performs well when he has his handlers' scripted answers.
"On your second point, I think campaign stops in Burnaby are a good idea (for both parties). It is a very populated city, with a lot of new voters from all the recent development, plus SFU and BCIT, headquarters for Electronic Arts, the region's largest mall, discovery park... the list goes on."
And carefully scripted stops are going to add more voter supporters??
"No matter who is running, Burnaby deserves a lot of attention in any provincial election."
True, but let's put that attention where it belongs, to the voters and not wasting time playing video games.
And maybe, just maybe, Burnaby is important enough to get a voice in Cabinet? Maybe we need someone competent enough to be there first.
It's not going to be much fun for BC Liberals in Burnaby next Tuesday. Drive-by visits with Gordon Campbell will not do much to change things.
Having one of the three Lib MLA's in cabinet wouldnt' have helped much either. When all decisions are made in the Premier's Office, who needs a cabinet?
At least there is still a good bet the NDP will not form government.
"And maybe, just maybe, Burnaby is important enough to get a voice in Cabinet? Maybe we need someone competent enough to be there first."
Burnaby has already had a voice in Cabinet with the three MLAs who go to the Cabinet Minister applicable.
that's some voice
snd excuse me if i cough
I'd worry about that cough if I were you.
Better get to a clinic before it gets evolved into bronchitis.
"Carole James performed better, but her obviously highly scripted answers and inability to speak off the cuff makes her appear more like the "fool"."
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Its not as much scripts with her but the fact that her delivery does not sound natural kind of like a robot or calling a number and getting telephone prompts from a computer.
Sort of like The Gordomatic when he's set to speak out policy statements as programmed by his handlers??
Sort of like The Gordomatic when he's set to speak out policy statements as programmed by his handlers??
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Have you ever read the newspaper or listened to the radio pundits? Those who know Victoria refer to Gordon Campbell as a "policy wonk" who's passionate about developing policy. You may disagree with his policy, but saying that his policy comes from handlers is completely inaccurate; it comes from him, after reading books, etc.
Carole James is far more "handled" on policy then the premier is. She's seems very nice, but policy is simply above her; she flip flops on almost everything and takes a lot of instructions from Jim Sinclair. Her difficulty with policy is probably linked to the fact that she barely finished high school and has no post secondary education and never ran a business.
The only reason she won the NDP leadership is b/c the party was nearly dead with no goodwill after the Glen Clark years, and no quality people wanted the job.
Anyways, she's gonna lose, and that's two failed attempts for her which means bye-bye Carole; this will be good for the NDP b/c now that they are close to power, they should be able to recruit someone decent.
"Have you ever read the newspaper or listened to the radio pundits? Those who know Victoria refer to Gordon Campbell as a "policy wonk" who's passionate about developing policy. You may disagree with his policy, but saying that his policy comes from handlers is completely inaccurate; it comes from him, after reading books, etc."
Wrong. It comes from those in the Premier's Office and the Provincial Campaign who are dedicated to developing policy for the campaign. Campbell will either agree to or disagree on what those policy statements are.
There is a Policy Analyst in the Provincial Campaign, as there are policy analysts from each Ministry.
"Carole James is far more "handled" on policy then the premier is. She's seems very nice, but policy is simply above her; she flip flops on almost everything and takes a lot of instructions from Jim Sinclair. "
How so? How do you know specifically that Jim Sinclair is telling her what is the correct
instructions?
"Her difficulty with policy is probably linked to the fact that she barely finished high school and has no post secondary education and never ran a business. "
A person does not need to have run a business in order to run the province.
"The only reason she won the NDP leadership is b/c the party was nearly dead with no goodwill after the Glen Clark years, and no quality people wanted the job. "
Interesting.
"Anyways, she's gonna lose, and that's two failed attempts for her which means bye-bye Carole; this will be good for the NDP b/c now that they are close to power, they should be able to recruit someone decent."
It will happen sometime. The BC Liberals will also lose a provincial election sometime, that is a given. They won't be around in perpetuity.
I'm kinda ambivalent about all this.
A Pox on all their Henhouses, or something like that.
"Wrong. It comes from those in the Premier's Office and the Provincial Campaign who are dedicated to developing policy for the campaign. Campbell will either agree to or disagree on what those
policy statements are."
Obviously, but some leaders take more of an active interest in others. The Premier is known to be more deeply involved in policy development than any predecessor in three decades. Ask people who are connected to Victoria and they'll tell you. His views on the importance of fighting carbon for example came after he read 4 books on it while in Maui; that's public knowledge. Fact is he's the most hands-on Premier on developing policy. You're wrong; very wrong.
"There is a Policy Analyst in the Provincial Campaign, as there are policy analysts from each Ministry."
Yes but policy analysts dont make government policy, they make policy proposals; it gets submitted the appropriate Minister, and possibly then to Cabinet. But it works the other way too... bottom up through Ministries AND top down from elected officials. It sounds like you don't have a clear understanding on how things function in the capital.
"How so? How do you know specifically that Jim Sinclair is telling her what is the correct
instructions?"
Yes I do know this for a fact. And it should come as no surprise even if you're not 'in the know'. And maybe some voters think that's good; i'm not one of them. Glen Clark had the same relationship with Ken Georgetti (Sinclair predecessor) and I'm not sure how much of the 1990s disaster was Ken or Glen, but I don't like that kind of relationship...stinks badly. Anyways, the question was whether I know, and the answer is yes I do.
"A person does not need to have run a business in order to run the province."
Of course not. Read what I said. My point is that if you're better educated or run a business you may be able to grasp the complexities of public policy better. Carole James is only a high school graduate so perhaps that's why she doesn't like the policy side as much as Campbell does.
"It will happen sometime. The BC Liberals will also lose a provincial election sometime, that is a given. They won't be around in perpetuity."
I agree. And that's I want the NDP to pick good leaders, not garbage like Carole James. I dont think I will ever vote NDP, but they will be the govt again some time and if they choose another weak, push-over, unproven, inexperienced, unaccomplished person as their leader, there is a greater chance they will destroy the province.
The NDP have a death wish when it comes to picking leaders. Look at what they are doing with their affirmative action strategy in picking riding candidates.
Doesn't guarantee that the best person will win. Then again I don't support the NDP so why am I telling them this.
Ha ha.
Campbell is definitely a hands-on kinda guy.
Sure is, especially with his trademark micromanaging.
"Yes but policy analysts dont make government policy, they make policy proposals; it gets submitted the appropriate Minister, and possibly then to Cabinet. But it works the other way too... bottom up through Ministries AND top down from elected officials. It sounds like you don't have a clear understanding on how things function in the capital"
Wrong there. The policy is developed by the policy analysts
(contrary to your statement). The Minister either accepts it, accepts with his recommendations or rejects it.
Your arrogance is showing through.
I've known my way around the Legislature even before Gordon Campbell existed as a Mayor.
"The NDP have a death wish when it comes to picking leaders. Look at what they are doing with their affirmative action strategy in picking riding candidates. "
When you get down to it, it's really no different other than anatomy than from the BC Liberals insisting that their chosen star candidates get nominated without a democratic election for the membership.
"The policy is developed by the policy analysts
(contrary to your statement). The Minister either accepts it, accepts with his recommendations or rejects it."
Haha. That's what I just said. Interesting strategy you have there... take what I said which you realize is correct and then take credit as your own. Go look what you said above... I notice you don't reply to my other remarks, and I don't blame you b/c each of them is correct and proves you wrong. Nice try though...
"I've known my way around the Legislature even before Gordon Campbell existed as a Mayor."
Ya it was probably when Amor de Cosmos was Premier... you don't know anything... You make dozens of comments on this blog every day and maybe if you round upwards, 1%of what you say is correct... and I'm being generous.
"Your arrogance is showing through."
"Arrogance"? lol. And am I "out of touch" too? Obvioulsy, you watch too many NDP commercials. Do you have any ability to criticize on your own, or only using slogans from Carole James' advertising.
"When you get down to it, it's really no different other than anatomy than from the BC Liberals insisting that their chosen star candidates get nominated without a democratic election for the membership."
Hahahahahahahahaha!!!! Where do you get these things??? The BC Libs skipped a nomination meeting and got Carole Taylor while the NDP implemented affirmative action and got Mondee Redman the Telus Help Desk worker, a crazy anti-semite bus driver, and some pervert showing himself in his underwear on Facebook... The person who called the NDP policy a "Death Wish" hit it perfectly on the mark.
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