Liberal NDP Merger Possibility?

[FlamesAddiction]

http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/201...new-party.html

They would call the party the Liberal Democrats.

I can't really see it because even the Liberals are right wing compared to the NDP. It would pretty much force right of centre Liberals to the Conservatives and create a de facto 2 party system. I prefer the current model of a left, centre and right wing choice.

[taco.vidal]

The Greens and Elizabeth May would love this. A lot of Dippers would hate this merger and would look for an alternative which the Greens would fit perfectly.

(is May still around? havent heard much about her lately.)

[Resolute 14]

Either that or the new party shifts left of the Liberals leaving a lot of their soft supporters heading to the right and supporting the Conservatives.

[getbak]

If this happens, welcome to a Conservative majority.

[Leon Kennedy]

Originally Posted by getbak

If this happens, welcome to a Conservative majority.

Explain please. A Liberal/NDP merger would guarantee the Conservatives would have to make major changes to their election platform to avoid being completely wiped off the electoral map.

[Leon Kennedy]

I'd love to see something like this. As a left winger living in Alberta, my vote has never really had any impact at all in any federal or provincial election.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Leon Kennedy

I'd love to see something like this. As a left winger living in Alberta, my vote has never really had any impact at all in any federal or provincial election.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=d&sourc...e=UTF8&t=h&z=5

You can thank me later.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Leon Kennedy

Explain please. A Liberal/NDP merger would guarantee the Conservatives would have to make major changes to their election platform to avoid being completely wiped off the electoral map.

quite simple, stranded moderate libs will look for a new home and conservatives are the only other credible choice.

the green party isnt a real party with a real platform, they collect dissenting and disenfranchised votes.

[HotHotHeat]

I'd love a two party system. Efficiency.

[FanIn80]

I've been in favour of dumping fringe parties (Bloc and NDP included) since I was old enough to care.

[lambeburger]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I'd love a two party system. Efficiency.

Yeah, I hear everybody really loves it in the states.

[Red Ice Player]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I'd love a two party system. Efficiency.

With the Bloc holding the balance of power. No thanks.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I'd love a two party system. Efficiency.

I would say its success would largely be a function of how much influence each party has. The more influence Jack has on the platform, the more likely the conservatives will gain a majority. Similarly if they gained an all liberal platform, they go back in power.

[Leon Kennedy]

A two party system has numerous advantages and disadvantages. Realistically, I can't see very many Liberal or NDP candidates winning consistently in Alberta during my lifetime.

On the other hand, under a two party system, my vote might actually count. I actually voted Green in the last election because I knew my MP, a Conservative, was going to win in a landslide anyway.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

I'd love a two party system. Efficiency.

Two party system is the logical result of first past the post. Why should the right wing "win" just because they're not splitting votes? I'd rather have single transferrable vote, but two party system is better than what we have now.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Flames in 07

quite simple, stranded moderate libs will look for a new home and conservatives are the only other credible choice.

the green party isnt a real party with a real platform, they collect dissenting and disenfranchised votes.

That's certainly possible. However, as a "moderate liberal" myself, I can tell you that Harper has done a very good job of alienating moderates. I doubt he'd pick up too many votes from a merger of this kind.

In all honesty, it's impossible to gauge the political impact of something like this until it happens. It actually might as easily be true that a move like this is the only thing that will prevent a conservative majority.

[FanIn80]

The only thing that pisses me off about this, is that weasel Layton is going to bend over for Ignatieff in return for some cozy Minister job. That's all we need, is that clown having any access whatsoever to any kind of power in this country.

[Leon Kennedy]

In the last federal election, held in October 2008, the Liberals, NDP, and Greens combined for a total of 51.22% of the popular vote nationwide.

The Bloc had 9.98%. The Conservatives had a mere 37.65% - a full fourteen points behind a potential Liberal/NDP/Green coalition.

A united left wing party would be terrible for all you true blue voters in the West. It would be just like it was in the good old days of Jean Chretien, who never had to worry about not getting a majority of seats in the House because the two right wing parties were too busy fighting each other to mount a serious attack on him.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

That's certainly possible. However, as a "moderate liberal" myself, I can tell you that Harper has done a very good job of alienating moderates. I doubt he'd pick up too many votes from a merger of this kind.

In all honesty, it's impossible to gauge the political impact of something like this until it happens. It actually might as easily be true that a move like this is the only thing that will prevent a conservative majority.

Maybe, but nothing Jack has said has ever mattered, if that ever changed, and a reality started to form around the way he thinks, many would learn to gain an appreciation for Harper.

I would say Im not a conservative follower either ... somewhere between a conservative and liberal, however I know that the cons and libs are legit options for the country, their personalities suck, which unfortunately is important to voters. But their parties are credible. Jack and the greens and others are just populists. They say nice stuff, and they rally up those that are pissed about something that has caught their intention, but they aren't legitimate leaders in legitimate parties. Jack will send people running the other way much faster than Harper ever could due to the fact that his party has credibility.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Leon Kennedy

In the last federal election, held in October 2008, the Liberals, NDP, and Greens combined for a total of 51.22% of the popular vote nationwide.

Not this again.

You can't just add up percentages. A lot of people who voted for either of those three parties would not have voted for a unified party with the other two.

Meanwhile, almost all of the people who voted for the Conservatives would have still voted for them, since the other three joining together would have very little impact on their vote.

In other words, a Conservative majority.