Quote:
Originally Posted by WarrenC12
So all of the NPA moves into high powered positions in the BC Liberal party over the years are just random chance?
|
Warren, I know many BC Liberal provincial operatives involved in VV and their campaign. As an aside, 6 prominent federal Liberal operatives also signed Gregor's nomination papers this time (red Liberals though). Albeit not relevant IMHO.
In any event, this tidbit from LaPointe's interview yesterday is quite revealing:
Quote:
When we crept to within the margin of error in polls (our OVERNIGHT POLLS had me up a couple of times), they [VV] would find another gear in the last few days and we would not.
|
The NPA utilized Maple Leaf Strategies as its pollster. The same guys that the BC Libs utilized during the May, 2013 BC election campaign. And on the Friday before following e-day on Tuesday, their internal numbers confirmed 50 BC Lib seats. Basically bang on.
Problem with the NPA, this time, was that they did not have a good strategy team, which would have resulted in different ads during the last week of the campaign. As an aside, I completed a detailed paper on Mike Harcourt's win back in 1980 (over incumbent Volrich) in a UBC muni poli sci class many years after the fact. Had the NPA followed those same steps, likely a different outcome for mayor of Van City. In any event, what's done is done.
IMHO, the best council Van City ever had was TEAM back in the '70's - very centrist and comprised both blue and red liberals inclusive of Mike Harcourt.
VV is not TEAM and today lack that important element from TEAM - blue liberals.
Furthermore, Van City's best mayor was likely TEAM's Art Phillips (later Vancouver Centre fed Liberal MP). A blue Liberal.
And the two top councillors elected in Van City to date IMHO: May Brown (TEAM) and Carole Taylor (NPA/Ind.). Including Art Phillips, all 3 are blue liberals and would definitely run with the NPA banner over the VV today. Dianne Watts material here.
VV's candidates are mostly "minor league" hockey types IMHO. Not major league NHL types from a poli perspective. Unfortunate that Meggs won out narrowly over the NPA's Ian Robertson for council. Robertson was former PB chair and was quite well-liked, knowledgable, respected and worked well across all party lines. Good calibre candidate. Now ya get Meggs back!
As a further aside, most folk do not know how politicized Van City hall has become and, as a result, the negative consequences of same affecting the public interest.
To wit, a good friend of mine and former UBC alma mater, was appointed the head of a major Van City dept. Never received much media attention. A very bright young guy, affable, well-liked and works very well with others. And he knew his stuff!
He bailed a few years ago. Why? Got fed up with the internal negative poli environment foisted upon him. And I don't blame him. Van City lost a very good civil servant as a result. And others have left, due to same, as well.
Again, too bad few know what transpires within city hall these days.
Finally, VV has been spanked. Quite bad on PB and SB and council as well when one considers who took top spots vis-a-vis 2011. And life goes on.