Liberals are doing terrific work rebuilding organizations, offering ideas, building policies, any talk of leadership isn't an exclusive argument, nor does it distract from the serious work that must be done concurrently. That said, without a compelling person to articulate the Liberal vision, you are forever swimming upstream. Anyone who has knocked on doors recently for the Liberals in the last couple of elections understands the fierce wall of perception one can face if battling leadership impressions. On the flip side, the last election brought a party to a landslide in a province with little organization, little "street" presence, primarily fueled by the power of personality, a resonance that caused a wave. This is a lesson that "anything can happen" if the messenger is compelling, if he/she is capable of conveying an attractive narrative. One party fighting against leadership impressions, another wrapping their entire campaign around one man because of perceived popularity(and you'll recall the Layton emphasis was a national choice by NDP strategists).
Liberals have to leap frog over a formidable Official Opposition and convince Canadians that should they turn on the Conservatives, we are the party to turn to. Canadians must forego the NDP and see the Liberals as a realistic option to form government, a tough task, ironically one the NDP themselves have faced prior. Within this dynamic, the necessity of an almost revolutionary spirit can't be understated, this Liberal leadership race must spark something within Canadians. In fact, I would argue the leadership choice has never been more important for a political party than this Liberal selection. Truth be told, this could be the last Liberal leader if we fail to properly assess the irrefutable urgency.
This "open" leadership process that actively seeks new participation is our chance, it will represent perhaps the only time remaining in this mandate where the spotlight shines brightly, were ordinary Canadians may very well debate the place of the Liberal Party. This leadership race is also the main opportunity to introduce a new, fresh vision and within that a messenger that truly pierces the malaise in some fundamental way, building a real springboard. Should Liberals squander this chance, we will be left to outside forces to determine our own fate, an unlikely proposition. It is for this reason that the leadership can't be a coronation of sorts, it really can't just be the usual suspects, it must be provocative and engaging.
We can scoff all we want at undo leadership focus, given the many challenges the party faces "nuts and bolts" wise. But, this mentality fails to properly understand that, whether we like it or not, the leader is paramount, the leader is your voice, the leader is who makes the connection, the leader is largely how a party is judged, particularly in a soundbite world. I make no apologies giving primary focus to the next leader, it is unquestionably in my view the single most important decision Liberals will make, the determining factor that will decide if the real work is rewarded or we end up in the historical scrape heap, once and for all. The stakes are incredibly high and within this coming leadership, possibilities and opportunities, if properly understood. Messiah might be a tad overstating, but Hebert isn't that far off....
11 comments:
It's probably also not uninteresting to note that the NDP landslide in Quebec didn't happen right away after Layton was elected its leader. He became leader in 2003... a full 8 years later did he receive any success in that province. "Anything is possible" also translate to hard, long, patient work with whomever is voted leader of the Liberals.
The move in the polls did happen overnight, but yes it really tracks back to Mulcair winning Outremont as the genesis for me. The NDP laid out the narrative and then came Layton who became the vehicle to articulate it. I think my point still stands, if you had Alexa McDonough at the helm at the same point in history, I don't think we'd be talking about the orange wave in Quebec, all other things being equal. Leader is part of a package, you need the underpinning as you point out, but without the proper messenger, it's largely irrelevant.
Liberals need to shift the equation in Canada away from the Liberal Conservative alliance that created Canada, towards a Democratic Liberalism, and for that you need someone willing to lead the country there: Iggy did all that great democracy forum work and then applied none of it during the election. The world is dying for democratic leadership and is getting next to none from anywhere: no more Liberal Conservatives: lead by example.
Agreed. You will face the most devastating argument of all, in a FPTP world: A vote for the Liberals is a wasted vote.
Agreed Jerry.
Greg, yes Liberals actually have to jump over the NDP to look the next best option, daunting when they will be using the same arguments against us, that we've used prior. Only a groundswell can counter this mentality.
Instead of having commercials defending the leader... how about commercials asking Canadians to join in picking the next Liberal leader? It'll be easier for people to participate with the new supporter category. Now all we need is a real race. ;)
It's really sad. At the convention it was stated quite explicity that Liberals want information from the Party and not an envelope or email that simply asks for money. Well guess what? They are sending out emails and letters requesting money. Nothing has come from Crawley about rebuilding the party based on the positive outcome at the convention. I personally think the old party that is clinging to the notion of reclaiming power once again needs to step aside and start supporting the next generation of liberal candidates. Then and only then will someone such as a 45 year old centrist step into the ring.
Kelly, there was a recent update from Crawley on the website.
It's sort of interesting in that it's nice to know that the execs. didn't drop into some black hole after the convention. ;)
The polls really did seem to move to the NDP overnight. It appears to have started with the French-language debate, and is an indication of disaffection with the alternative parties in Quebec.
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