Elizabeth May to stay on as Green Party leader

[Jets4Life]

"May had said she was going to reflect on her position in the party after the Greens voted to endorse the controversial BDS movement to protest Israeli policy in the occupied territories at the party's biennial convention on Aug. 7. She said the endorsement of BDS could be misconstrued as anti-Semitic and lump the party in with a larger group of activists beyond its control, and was "heartbroken" the motion passed without consensus among members.

She added Monday that while there are many "well-meaning, well-intentioned groups" that have backed the movement, one of those shouldn't be a federal political party that's "serious" and wants to elect more MPs in the next election."

Elizabeth May to stay on as Green Party leader

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There is nothing wrong with being critical with Israel, but I'm at loss for words reading a significant proportion of the comments toward the articles. There are many people that are enraged with May's change of heart towards Israel. However, the reasons for this hatred are so overtly anti-Semitic, it's something to behold. CBC and most major media outlets seem to have banned commenting on the articles.

Jews have always been perennial scapegoats, and it's a big turn-off to read some comments blaming "Zionism" for owning the banks, 911, etc, and calling the Holocaust a "hoax." It's something I've noticed in the last decade that has seemingly increasing exponentially. I'm not in favor of some of the things Israel has done in the Occupied Territories, but it's amazing how a substantial group of people will use that to justify debating whether the Holocaust happened, or that Israel was behind 911, etc. It saddens me that these kind of beliefs are still rampant in the Western World.

[Jets4Life]

Just happened on this article that elaborates about the topic, in more detail.

http://www.winnipegsun.com/2016/08/0...nies-holocaust

[Kjesse]

Small parties tend to get infiltrated by the fringe, this is another example. Also see Wildrose two elections ago. Then again May herself is pretty out there.

On the Israeli thing, if I never read another thing on this forum or in the news about it from any point of view that would be my preference.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

So much for that whole "standing on principle" thing. She probably would have done even better in her riding as an independent.

[Jacks]

The Green Party exists right now as a vehicle to get May elected to her single seat. In the 10 years that May has been leading the Green Party they have made no progress at all, they have a smaller percentage of the vote in the last 2 elections than when she took over the party, any other party leader would have been turfed long ago with such dismal results. How many people can name a single Green candidate other than herself?

[CliffFletcher]

The shift of anti-semitism from a right-wing trait to a left-wing trait is one the strangest changes in politics.

[Resolute 14]

Well, it appears May opted to take the easier path toward re-election using Green Party funds than stand on her conscience. Disappointing, but not really unexpected.

[CroFlames]

Single issue parties are dumb IMO. Green Party and the environment or the Bloc and independence.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

The shift of anti-semitism from a right-wing trait to a left-wing trait is one the strangest changes in politics.

I don't know... Hasn't it always been an occasional feature of both? The Soviet Union was not exactly innocent in this regard.

[CaptainCrunch]

She sold out clap clap clap
She sold out clap clap clap

It doesn't matter, the Green Party is a joke, but as long as they put all of their resources into Elizabeth May's re-election while leaving the rest of the candidates to hang, they'll continue to be a one trick pony joke. But at least Elizabeth can continue to call herself the conscience of Parliament.

Except she can't

Cause she sold out clap clap clap

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Iowa_Flames_Fan

I don't know... Hasn't it always been an occasional feature of both? The Soviet Union was not exactly innocent in this regard.

Yeah, I don't think anti-Semitism is either a left or right wing issue. As an example, the MS St. Louis and its 900 Jewish refugees were denied entry into Cuba in 1939, then turned away from the US by a Democratic president and from Canada by a Liberal Prime Minister. In both cases, the leaders were swayed by Jew-hating members of their governments.

[Kavvy]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

She sold out clap clap clap
She sold out clap clap clap

It doesn't matter, the Green Party is a joke, but as long as they put all of their resources into Elizabeth May's re-election while leaving the rest of the candidates to hang, they'll continue to be a one trick pony joke. But at least Elizabeth can continue to call herself the conscience of Parliament.

Except she can't

Cause she sold out clap clap clap

For a fringe party like the Green's, this is what they should be doing. It's odd your critical of their strategy.

If they split their resources, they don't get a single MP elected.
If they continue to get her elected, she gets into debates and gets interviewed, and the party's message gets a much louder voice in the public discourse then it should.

For a FPP system, they are doing exactly what they should be doing as a fringe party.

[saillias]

^yet the green share of the popular vote has declined since 2008. So it's almost like 1 step forward, 2 steps back. They can get their leader elected but at the cost of support everywhere else. If they had any ambition, wouldn't it be time for a new leader?