Stop the presses: new poll shows many Canadians don't know who's running for NDP leader
This weekend, I expect the corporate media will have some fun ridiculing the federal NDP, thanks to a new poll by Ottawa-based Abacus Data.
The company, which has done a lot of work for the Quebecor chain (owners of Fox News North), has reported that 40 percent of Canadians don't know who is running for leader of the federal NDP.
Outremont MP Thomas Mulcair was the best-known NDP leadership candidate—his name was recognized by 38 percent of respondents.
Next was Brian Topp, at 31 percent, followed by Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, at 27 percent, and then Parkdale–High Park MP Peggy Nash, at 23 percent.
The good news for Mulcair is that 21 percent of the 1,000 respondents said that he would make them most likely to vote NDP in an election. The bad news is that only 25 percent of people living outside of Quebec knew his name.
I expect right-wing columnists (are you listening, Rex Murphy?) will point to these numbers and suggest that there are a bunch of political dwarfs vying to fill the shoes of former leader Jack Layton.
But why aren't these leadership candidates very well-known across the country? I would suggest it's because mainstream-media outlets have gone to considerable lengths to marginalize the federal NDP after the party gained Official Opposition status in last year's election.
NDP MPs often pepper the government with challenging inquiries during question period. The newspapers and television stations follow this up by giving inordinate attention to the federal Liberals and their leader, Bob Rae.
Never before has a third party in Parliament been the beneficiary of so much positive media attention immediately after an election. It's almost as if the columnists and editors resent the NDP for doing so well in the last campaign.
The NDP leadership race is also not getting much attention. That stands in sharp contrast to the mainstream media's previous focus on the most recent federal leadership races in the Canadian Alliance, the Progressive Conservative party, the united Conservative party, and the Liberal party—even though none of them were in government at the time.
The federal New Democrats just might be choosing the next prime minister of Canada. And if you don't know the candidates' names, don't sweat it. You'll be aware of the winner by the time the next federal election rolls around.
Follow Charlie Smith on Twitter at twitter.com/csmithstraight.
Comments
15 Comments
DavidH
Jan 27, 2012 at 2:20pm
On the other hand, let's remember that the NDP leadership candidates had zero name recognition prior to the need for a leadership race. The reality is that the federal NDP was "The Party of Jack".
I agree that the MSM needs to do a much better job of profiling the NDP leadership race, but let's be honest: Paul Who? Peggy Who?
The NDP has made a basic mistake in dragging out this contest. Pick a leader, and shove him/her in front of the media. Every month that passes, the NDP is ceding the high ground to Rae and the Liberals.
Arthur Vandelay
Jan 27, 2012 at 5:19pm
Oh for God's sakes ... you cannot be serious Charlie. You are surprised the MSM is seeking Bob Rae's responses to issues of the day instead of Nicole Trumelle's? Really? You must also be totally aghast that the MSM hasn't been bashing down the doors to get opinions from the high school kids and bar matrons that also won seats in Quebec in May.
Hans Goldberg
Jan 27, 2012 at 5:39pm
Being that Bob Rae was the NDP Premier of Ontario and now is the Leader of the federal Liberals, the bright political commentators at the MSM probably don't realize, that he does not speak for both parties
Brian M
Jan 27, 2012 at 6:17pm
Why does the NDP 'deserve' media attention when they aren't making any effort to get it? Bob Rae has worked hard to be in the limelight for weeks and weeks, it's his job.
It's not an anti-NDP conspiracy when the media thinks they are too boring to cover.
truthbetold
Jan 27, 2012 at 8:15pm
Just another example of poor marketing expertise at the national level. It's time to get rid of the old boys and bring in some new younger talent. This lake of awareness is the proof that NDP management needs a shake-up!
Shepsil
Jan 28, 2012 at 12:57am
Thank you Charlie. Absolutely right on the money. The Sun media chain is really trying to take the piss out of Brian Topp, probably because he is the(ir) perceived leader. Every now and then the MSM go after Mulcair too.
Peggy Nash, not so much, the cons want her to win. They feel she will be much easier to beat in a general election, plus she'll be 66 by that time and a little long in the tooth.
Anita Romaniuk
Jan 28, 2012 at 3:02am
I agree that at least some of the mainstream media are pumping Rae and the Libs at the expense of the NDP (so what is new?) but wanted to point out that if you had surveyed Canadians at the time of the Leadership Convention in Jan 2003 at which Layton was elected, few would have recognized Jack Layton outside of the Toronto area and possibly elsewhere in Ontario. We don't have the luxury of 8 years of building this time, but we do have 3 years until the next election and that should give the federal NDP's new leader time to gain recognition. In a good way. (It also wouldn't hurt if the NDP won more provincial governments in the interim. Hint!)
NoLeftNutter
Jan 28, 2012 at 8:54am
The MSM is ignoring the campaign because Canadians don't care. The winner will preside over the reduction of the party to historical lows as the fickle Quebec voters abandon them for anyone else and the rest of Canada realizes that their agenda is too heavy on Quebec ass-kissing.
James G
Jan 28, 2012 at 10:52am
The bigger story regarding the race for leader of the NDP is the revelation that neither Romeo Saganash nor Thomas Mulcair has contributed funds to the party recently. Mr. Mulcair did have contributions to his own constituency association and had some donations under his wife's name but not his own -- it is not great visuals for his campaign. Lots of us who had some hard times somehow found ways to contribute over the years and to see Members of Parliament not carry their share seems harsh.
In my own case, when the funds were not there, I stepped aside from party membership and returned when I could. Lots of contributors no doubt come and go, as I myself did, so I don't want to come across as hypocritical but when I was young, political donations came second only to rent as an expense. I was therefore not so surprised to find that Niki Ashton was the most generous contributor, it goes with her youthful zeal.
The question of why Mr. Topps contributions were somewhat paltry might be raised but I am curious as to how and why the issue is raised at all at this critical juncture, who released it and why?
The entire scenario raises again the thoughts at the back of my mind (and I suspect many others). Is the Topp campaign really a (S)Topp (Mulcair) campaign? What do some know but not say about him? Is he credible as a New Democrat or merely wanting to sail to power under a flag of convenience the NDP might present?
For me, it does not matter. In spite of the attempts to centralize power in the PMO under every Prime Minister since Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the constitution makes the cabinet powerful and not the office of the Prime Minister. If those in the NDP machinery choose to consult Ted McWhinney or other constitutional experts, and they may already have, they might be reassured. If, and this to me is a great stretch, if Mr. Mulcair somehow went rogue on his own government and party after winning an election and being sworn in as Prime Minister ... if he chose to ignore NDP policy on the Senate or pushed Canada to join in yet another American hOILy war in the Middle East (next target Iran) he would be standing alone against his own cabinet and caucus.
The result would not be as neat as what happened in the Australian Labor Party when Julia Gillard simply got the sitting M.P.s to fire Kevin Rudd and replace him with her and might lead to a constitutional crisis. This could easily be avoided with a simple amendment to the NDP constitution, a proviso for example allowing the removal of a party leader if in government and if by a two thirds vote of caucus.
I am still for Mulcair because I think he can win an election for the NDP. I think too he can grow into the role of a social democrat and even has potential to make a great Prime Minister. I can even see a bit of Mulcair-mania possible on the horizon. That is heady stuff for someone like myself who voted for the federal party even when it lost official party status.
George Baylor
Jan 28, 2012 at 12:12pm
The Quebec Orange Wave was largely a protest vote due to lack of an acceptable platform from any party. So Quebecers opted to have a good laugh at the system by picking the most preposterous option for the rest of the country.
First the NDP replaced Jack (extremely able and likable politician) with gandma. - strike one.
Now they're proposing a whole bunch of people that have absolutely no chance of maintaining the momentum. We all know that a exceedingly large part of the battle hinges on a candidates TV presence. What I see on my TV is the following:
Mulcair = beardo
Topp = smug smart ass
Dewar = no pizzaz bungler
Nash = another grandma
Cullen = raving maniac
you didn't even mention Cullen - is he still running? I even had to look for his name on Google - that's how much of an impression he made.
I can't wait to see who they nominate and if the nominee will do anything about improving the leader's image.
From what I can see so far, I might just do like Quebec did and vote for NDP to mock the system.