Quote:
Originally Posted by browna
For that to happen you'd also need to have the support to do that if your campaign contributors to go off the NDP and any financial support from the NDP proper and from last elections.
While Notley may be closer to center than most NDP'ers in this province and in this country, starting a new party in the middle wouldn't likely have brought over enough campaign funds or party structure and organization from those supporters on the far left and NDPer who wave the flag in general no matter who leads the party.
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OK, but if the argument is they're too attached to the Federal NDP to exist independently, then all the smears about Jagmeet running the show are arguably true.
If they had a new party with a new name, ran under purple colors for being in the centre (and for Nenshi voters!) I think they'd have won. I've been saying it for years, but they needed every vote they could get to win this even with Danielle "own goal" Smith. Turning away the votes from the people who wouldn't ever vote NDP for historical reasons was foolish.
And frankly, concerns about losing their far-left base were also foolish. That's a small group in AB anyway, and realistically those people are very likely going to vote for you anyway. In a two horse race they'll mostly pick the closer party to them.
A couple of years would have given them time to organize, fundraise, and distance themselves from the federal NDP. They don't have to do that if they don't want to, but I don't think they'll ever win again in Alberta if they don't.