A proposal to modify the name of Canada's New Democratic Party (NDP) is supported by a plurality of Canadians and three-in-five NDP supporters, a new Toronto Star / Angus Reid poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 45 per cent of Canadians support the idea of removing the word "New" from the NDP's name so that it becomes the Democratic Party. One-in-five (20%) are opposed, and more than a third (35%) are undecided.
Among respondents who voted for the NDP in the October 2008 federal election, 59 per cent are open to the name change, while 23 per cent are opposed, and 18 per cent are not sure.
It has also been suggested that the provincial NDP parties, which operate from Newfoundland to British Columbia with the exception of Quebec, change their name to Democratic Party.
If the federal NDP does change its name, 62 per cent of Canadians—and 75 per cent of federal NDP supporters—would like to see the provincial NDP parties using the new moniker.
A very significant gap with NDP supporters in particular, almost 3 to 1.
7 comments:
I think they will still be referred to as double penetration
you get screwed cuz if you vote NDP they will never be in power
you get screwed because the vote split elects the tories.
youre really getting screwed twice at the same time...DP is totally appropriate
I don't understand why people keep talking about the name change as if they'll be called the DP.
They wouldn't. They'd be called the Democrats, or the DPC. The "PéDé" thing in the French-language press is also silly, since the party would either go by "les démocrats" or the "PDC", which actually rolls off the tongue nicely (pay-day-say).
The Conservative party didn't substantially help its chances when it gave in to John Bracken's demands and changed their name to the Progressive Conservative party.
Change can be good. But a name change simply won't be enough for the NDP. It's the party's policies, not its name, that so many Canadians find unpalatable.
What would be an example of an NDP policy that Canadians find "unpalatable"? Is it having a national pharmacare program? or maybe its bringing home the troops from Afghanistan? (only 60% of Canadians support that!)...The NDP has the same problem that the middle of the road LibDems have in the UK - its not seen as being able to win and so its all a self-fulfilling prophecy.
That should be triple penetration, Anthony. You forgot, you get screwed if the Liberals win, too.
DL,
National pharamacare program? We are cutting costs to prescription drugs too much already. What Canadians want are the end of "hallway medicine". You can't get it by getting the private sector involved.
This requires paying patients to see private practitioners through government regulation as in Europe.
Afghanistan, I am fully for a withdrawal. I also support returning to the traditional peacekeeping approach favoured in the past. Not the robust national building approach of Martin and Iggy etc.
To do this the NDP would require being a credible junior partner in a coalition led by the Liberals. Good luck doing this now with Iggy and Jack Layton at the helm.
You need 2/3's for a name change not 60%.
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