"With the NDP riding high in the polls ... isn't it also time for the media to take the party more seriously and give them a bit more coverage?" - Norman Spector in his post from today.
Robert Silver in the Globe and Mail points out this morning that the NDP soaring to less than 20 per cent is just more of the friggin' same for Canada's perpetual also rans.
"According to the invaluable ThreeHundredEight.com the NDP are averaging 15.9 per cent in the most recent set of polls that would give the NDP 29 seats if an election were held today."
He puts that in perspective by pointing out that that the number that the party has averaged in the 16 elections they have been in is 15.42; under Jack Layton they have been steady at 17.10.
Thing is with the Liberals in disarray one would think that the NDP would be flying not stuck in the teens.
Mr. Silver puts it this way: "What makes this fact interesting (at least to me) is that while the Liberals are at an all time low in popular support in the polls (and no - none of this should be taken as a statement that all is good in Liberal poll land), the NDP have really not been the beneficiaries at all of our swoon. In fact, 15.9 per cent would be Jack Layton's second worst result as leader. Even the polls from last week that had the NDP at 19 per cent would only be a 1 per cent gain over the 2008 election which given the current state of the Grits, is hardly reason for NDP celebration."
One would think if they are going to get traction now would be the time for them, them being the New Democratic Party, to get traction. Perhaps they are just irrelevant.
WFDS
Wow, a strategist uses ThreeHundredEight.com...
ReplyDeleteWith strategists like that, the Liberal party should have no problem winning the next election! Keep drinking the Kool-Aid!
What Silver leaves out is that most of those elections were held before the rise of the Green Party and the Blco Quebecois. 18% of the vote is a lot more than it used to be.
ReplyDeleteOne would think if they are going to get traction now would be the time for them, them being the New Democratic Party, to get traction. Perhaps they are just irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteI might agree with you if I believed that ex-Liberals were looking to throw their support to a progressive party (even a weak as piss progressive party like the NDP).