NDP Leadership Convention 2017

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm not a big fan of Post Media Columnist Michael den Tandt, but he theories that post Trump rational voters will seek out un-charismatic,  hard working and knowledgeable politicians, so, if den Tandt is correct, this could be a good time for Peter Julian.

Conservatives love this type, but promiscuous progressives need a pretty boy they can take selfies with.

[Hatman 🍁]

I'm not a big fan of Post Media Columnist Michael den Tandt, but he theories that post Trump rational voters will seek out un-charismatic,  hard working and knowledgeable politicians, so, if den Tandt is correct, this could be a good time for Peter Julian.

Conservatives love this type, but promiscuous progressives need a pretty boy they can take selfies with.

The more I think about this, the more I'm convinced you're right.  We Tories are never fully comfortable unless our leader resembles a small town Chartered Accountant.

Which leads me to wonder why Tony Clement dropped out.

[Hatman 🍁]

I saw youtube clip of Charlie Angus speaking French and it was painful...his accent was so awful that listening to him was like listening to fingernails scratching a blackboard...sorry but this will not cut it. Its a pity because he has a lot to offer otherwise.

Charlie Angus = GONG

He represents a Francophone riding in Ontario, and they didn't seem to have an issue with it.

I mean, if you can call a 30% French riding "Francophone".

[Hatman 🍁]

I saw youtube clip of Charlie Angus speaking French and it was painful...his accent was so awful that listening to him was like listening to fingernails scratching a blackboard...sorry but this will not cut it. Its a pity because he has a lot to offer otherwise.

Charlie Angus = GONG

He represents a Francophone riding in Ontario, and they didn't seem to have an issue with it.

I mean, if you can call a 30% French riding "Francophone".

It's actually about 44% Francophone, and I was confusing it with the provincial Timmins - James Bay, which includes Kap and Hearst.  That riding is over 50% francophone.

Where are you getting that information?

The riding is actually 32% French (30% was a back of the envelope calculation) if you do the math: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=FED2013&Code1=35107&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Timmins&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

[Hatman 🍁]

If you're going by language knowledge, than Timmins-James Bay is 99% Anglo. That's not how you measure language populations

[Hatman 🍁]

I saw youtube clip of Charlie Angus speaking French and it was painful...his accent was so awful that listening to him was like listening to fingernails scratching a blackboard...sorry but this will not cut it. Its a pity because he has a lot to offer otherwise.

Charlie Angus = GONG

He represents a Francophone riding in Ontario, and they didn't seem to have an issue with it.

I mean, if you can call a 30% French riding "Francophone".

It's actually about 44% Francophone, and I was confusing it with the provincial Timmins - James Bay, which includes Kap and Hearst.  That riding is over 50% francophone.

Where are you getting that information?

The riding is actually 32% French (30% was a back of the envelope calculation) if you do the math: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=FED2013&Code1=35107&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Timmins&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

If you're looking at knowledge of official languages, French is at about 44%.  When you look at language most often spoken at home, and/or mother tongue, the number goes down to 30%.

It should also be noted that because of the huge land mass, the way that the boundaries were cut, and the Aboriginal populations, the number looks smaller than it should be.  Could you imagine telling someone in Val D'or (Quebec) that their riding is only 60% Francophone?  They feel much more Francophone than the numbers indicate.

If someone wants to try, I'm avaliable. Well, as the name of the riding indicates, it's a mix of various areas, which consider each other separate (and have quite different realities, honestly).

Nonetheless, the population centres in the ridings are quite more Francophone than the riding demographics would have you believe.

There are more Christians than Jews in Thornhill, yet people call it a Jewish riding. 

The point is, you can still label a riding, or city, by a name that identifies a large group of its people (even if they fall below 50% in the area, or is not the largest group) if it has a significant population. 
Timmins-James Bay is a Francophone riding in Ontario.

Thornhill's an interesting case, because Jews make up a plurality (larger than any Christian denomination). And in when looking an Canadian religion demos, we usually don't lump all Christians together as one cohesive group.

[Hatman 🍁]

I saw youtube clip of Charlie Angus speaking French and it was painful...his accent was so awful that listening to him was like listening to fingernails scratching a blackboard...sorry but this will not cut it. Its a pity because he has a lot to offer otherwise.

Charlie Angus = GONG

He represents a Francophone riding in Ontario, and they didn't seem to have an issue with it.

I mean, if you can call a 30% French riding "Francophone".

It's actually about 44% Francophone, and I was confusing it with the provincial Timmins - James Bay, which includes Kap and Hearst.  That riding is over 50% francophone.

Where are you getting that information?

The riding is actually 32% French (30% was a back of the envelope calculation) if you do the math: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=FED2013&Code1=35107&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&Data=Count&SearchText=Timmins&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=&TABID=1

If you're looking at knowledge of official languages, French is at about 44%.  When you look at language most often spoken at home, and/or mother tongue, the number goes down to 30%.

It should also be noted that because of the huge land mass, the way that the boundaries were cut, and the Aboriginal populations, the number looks smaller than it should be.  Could you imagine telling someone in Val D'or (Quebec) that their riding is only 60% Francophone?  They feel much more Francophone than the numbers indicate.

If someone wants to try, I'm avaliable. Well, as the name of the riding indicates, it's a mix of various areas, which consider each other separate (and have quite different realities, honestly).

Nonetheless, the population centres in the ridings are quite more Francophone than the riding demographics would have you believe.

There are more Christians than Jews in Thornhill, yet people call it a Jewish riding. 

The point is, you can still label a riding, or city, by a name that identifies a large group of its people (even if they fall below 50% in the area, or is not the largest group) if it has a significant population. 
Timmins-James Bay is a Francophone riding in Ontario.

Thornhill's an interesting case, because Jews make up a plurality (larger than any Christian denomination). And in when looking an Canadian religion demos, we usually don't lump all Christians together as one cohesive group.

Speaking for myself, as a non-Christian, I do group them together.  I think it's more people within Christianity who don't like to group themselves with other denominations. 

We say particular region's or ridings have large Indigenous (or Aboriginal) populations, we don't further classify.  But within the Indigenous community, they seem to further classify the different Aboriginal groups / languages.

Perhaps it appears that we don't group Christians as a cohesive group because they are the majority group.  It's kind of coming from a privileged stance to stay, in Christianity, we don't identify as a cohesive group.  We don't because you are the majority, and that's the way you see it.

I dunno.. the United Church (my church) and DC's Reformed church are like night and day theologically.  I'm also an atheist (would still check off United on the census for cultural reasons), but I have no qualms going to church once in a while. I would feel quite at home at that church in Toronto where the minister is an atheist.

[Hatman 🍁]

I get being culturally Jewish or culturally Catholic, but what does it mean to be a "cultural United Churcher"?

I think it means being a generic WASP

Well, a progressive WASP.

[Hatman 🍁]

United Church congregations... what is left of them tend to be conservative leaning, yes. I mean, these are the people that still attend church regularly... in 2016. The leadership however is still very progressive, and still preach progressive values. The minister at my church is definitely an NDP supporter, and always preaches the social gospel at church, which is why I never feel alienated at church. Wonder what is going on in the heads of the old people when he does that.

There are also many urban United Church congregations that are very progressive. They are the ones where many LGBT go to.

It is (culturally) unfortunate that the church is dying so quickly. Many progressives don't believe in God, so don't feel the need to go to church, and many conservatives feel the church is too progressive, so have found other denominations.

[Hatman 🍁]

Well, he talks about climate change, and helping the disadvantaged and all that (our church does a lot of charity work in the community, as it's smack-dab in the middle of the city's urban core). About what you'd expect. It's been a while since I've gone, so I can't recall anything specific, but I do remember him saying things that I agreed with, but I thought would be cringe-worthy for even a Red Tory. I remember after the 2011 election, he mentioned to the congregation that he was upset that Tony Martin lost his seat in Sault Ste. Marie and that Mike Savage lost his seat (perhaps some partisan balance?) due to their work in poverty. I think he may have been a minister in Nova Scotia for some time.

[Hatman 🍁]

Well, Mulcair said some good things about Thatcher. I guess we're a big tent party!

[Hatman 🍁]

It's too bad that Ruth Ellen Brosseau decided to not run, she has a lot of potential.

Her time will come.

[Hatman 🍁]

There's a difference between "increasing margin" and "increasing vote share". Usually we don't measure margin increases, do we though? It's not as relevant as vote share.

[Hatman 🍁]

Am still skeptical Singh leaves Queen's Park.

Jagmeet is running for the federal leadership...he is playing coy for now but he already has a campaign team working

Yeah, it's painfully obvious that he's running. Why the doubt RB? It doesn't make any sense, other than a lack of knowledge of the NDP...

[Hatman 🍁]

Caron is a bit more dovish than Julian on Energy East. Singh's in no hurry.

Hmm, I wonder what's taking him so long?

Anyways, RE: his opposition to Uber, from what I gather many millennial are starting to hate Uber, especially on the left, so no worry there. Not that we like taxis too much. But, I imagine many of his constituents are taxi drivers (well, based on stereotypes).

[Hatman 🍁]

Saw Jagmeet Singh on the Rick Mercer Report. Awesome segment, made me like him even more. Apparently he's a year-round cyclist like me! (Though I imagine that's a bit easier to do in Toronto then here).

[Hatman 🍁]

Gonna wait for Jagmeet to enter before paying any attention to debates.

Also, interesting story today that Pat Stogran, Veteran's Ombudsman (2007-2010) and retired Colonel of the Canadian Forces Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry is considering a run.

[Hatman 🍁]

Jagmeet would be a huge gamble, but a necessary one with Trudeau sucking up the 'cool progressive' vote.

Racism definitely exists in Canada, and racism against first nations especially is a huge problem, and has been considered to be even worse than racism against Blacks in the US. While racism exists against Sikhs, it comes from the same kind of people who were racist against Obama. Didn't stop him from getting elected, eh?

Also remember, we're probably not picking the next prime minister here, we're picking someone who can bring enthusiasm back to the party after it was sucked up by lil' Justin against a not too exciting Mulcair.

[Hatman 🍁]

You better believe it!

[Hatman 🍁]

I find it interesting that the NDP might be optimistic enough to think Canadians will elect a brown guy Prime Minister.

Are we not supposed to say that? I have no faith in our people whatsoever.

The locals from my native Timmins-James Bay wouldn't be so hot on him, and it's an NDP stronghold.

What makes you say this?  I also grew up in Timmins, and tend to disagree with you.  Of course, Angus would probably be their first choice because he is the local MP, but TJ-B is very much an NDP stronghold, like you mentioned.  Singh is very pro union, and supports many of the "left-populist" issues that Northern Ontario NDP supports agree with.

Because he is a brown you see, and apparently Northern Ontarians are racist.

[Hatman 🍁]

I recall the only black guy in Amos, Quebec got elected as mayor not too long ago. Also, the first black mayor in Canadian history was in Mattawa, Ontario.

[Hatman 🍁]

Pat Stogran is officially in. Will be very interesting to see how well he does. The juxtaposition between him and Niki Ashton on the debate stage would be sight to see!

[Hatman 🍁]

I find it interesting that the NDP might be optimistic enough to think Canadians will elect a brown guy Prime Minister.

Are we not supposed to say that? I have no faith in our people whatsoever.

The locals from my native Timmins-James Bay wouldn't be so hot on him, and it's an NDP stronghold.

What makes you say this?  I also grew up in Timmins, and tend to disagree with you.  Of course, Angus would probably be their first choice because he is the local MP, but TJ-B is very much an NDP stronghold, like you mentioned.  Singh is very pro union, and supports many of the "left-populist" issues that Northern Ontario NDP supports agree with.

Because he is a brown you see, and apparently Northern Ontarians are racist.

More than the national average. Do you know how Natives are treated there?

I'm well aware of the racism against Natives up north, I even ranted about it during the Sudbury by-election as one of the reasons the NDP wasn't going to win. But racism against Natives ≠ racism against South Asians. I think you're more likely to find that kind of racism in the GTA (think of the white flight in places like Brampton).

[Hatman 🍁]

And I'm not going to forget about how some of my former co-workers were bitching about the "turban wearing Paki" in Harper's cabinet, and how they were afraid that the "Pakis" were going to try to gain control of the country.

Or how one of their wives at a work party was saying Canada should be for Canadians and not all "the Chinese that have been popping up lately."

Do these people vote NDP?

[Hatman 🍁]

Jagmeet campaign launch on right now. This is going to be huge, folks.

From what I understand, Jagmeet is Obama-level charismatic, and has pretty good campaigning skills, right? He sounds like an excellent candidate, though not without his flaws (he appears to have a taste for the expensive).

I wouldn't say he is quite at the level of Obama, but he is definitely Obama-esque. I don't know if this is a flaw or not, but he is definitely a certified hipster.