Monday, February 06, 2012

Calling All Dippers....

...Is 42% Enough?


I've said it before and I'll say it again.

One of the things I enjoy most about the Bloggodome is how collaborative it is.

And yesterday, after a ride on the people's Seabus, which is well-run and efficient, and pretty much always full, even on Sundays, I sat down with Norm Farrell of Northern Insights for a wide-ranging discussion on all kinds of topics over on the Northshore.

And just one of the things we discussed is whether the NDP's current poll numbers really are enough.

Now....

You may recall that, a couple of weeks ago, I stuck my tongue squarely in my cheek and wrote the following after that 'Forum Research' poll came out trumpeting all things positive for The Dippers:

...Are the aggregate numbers really better for The Dippers now than they were in May of 2009?


So, given all that....

What if the Cons were to suddenly depose The Snook, anoint The Birdman, and then engineer a fusion-based love-in with The Curmudgeon.

How would those numbers look then?..


But here's the real thing...

I know many of the hard-headed (i.e. the real pols who do this stuff for real) and/or the amateur political historians amongst you will point to the latest numbers from Angus Reid that have the Dippers riding even higher with the center and right badly split, and say:

"A split on the right is all that really matters because it is the only way the Dippers have ever won in British Columbia."


Which is all fine and good.

But the thing is, the tongue-in-cheek part of what I wrote above was actually only the made-up monikers for Christy Clark, Kevin Falcon and John Cummins.

Because I, like Norm Farrell, really do wonder about the possibility of a fusion on the right side if, say, Ms. Clark were to be first deposed and then scape-goated such that either Mr. Falcon or, depending who's still really in charge, Horse 1A can be installed afresh to unite the so-called moderates in red with the true believers in blue, above, who are currently safely parked over at Mr. Cummins' curmudgeonly place.

And make no mistake, if you another look at that graph above, which is taken directly from the fine folks at Angus-Reid, you can see that where the Dippers are right now, post the Christy blip, right where they were in Aug 2009 back when certain members of the Dipper braintrust were starting to call for Carole James' head in front of the Zalm-fronted hiving-off of those who have taken up with Mr. Cummins

****

Alright, alright, alright...

Enough of all the real-politick number babble, because Norm and I both agreed that, regardless, the real way forward for British Columbia is to have a party offer something real and tangible to vote for, rather than against, be that the socialist hordes or the privatization pirates.

So, the real question is....

What could that tangible thing possibly be?


I know Norm has some ideas in that regard and I, for one, look forward to reading them over at his place.

OK?


.

3 comments:

Chris said...

I think people would opt for the Dips if they laid out a solid, costed out, realistic, made in BC platform that worked for working people. Jobs, industry, schools, training, housing, transit and transportation. Making stuff work for us, not them. Refine the bleeding crude here, for god's sake. Figure out how to value-add to logs. Realistic solutions to health care waits, because there are answers out there.
People actually get what's wrong...
And they need to be clear, not shrill, about what the Libs have done wrong. What has gone wrong, how to do it differently.
Respect the hard times people are going through.
And sound serious. Screw the far left, green, eco-only-and-always stuff. Be serious.
That'd work for me.

RossK said...

Pretty sure it work for me too Chris.

Thanks.

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Chris said...

I didn't mean that as a rant, I meant it as an answer to your question: what would it take?
I really think what people are looking for is some sense that someone out there aspiring to power actually gets what's going on, and is responding with something other than the usual partisan jargon.
For sure, being partisan in times like this is, well, sane. Necessary. Appropriate. And so on.
But things are way too desperate for jargon.
I think there is a thirst for an end to the posturing, and a thirst for some recognition that we need a real plan.