Points of discussion

The Globe and Mail's NDP strategy session with Les Campbell and Brian Topp is definitely worth a look (at least the parts other than an extended tangent on Afghanistan). I'll plan to deal with some of the suggestions in more detail later. But for now, I'll note a couple of passages which seem particularly worthy of additional discussion.

First, from Campbell:

I believe the NDP can lead a unite-the-centre-left movement. The Liberal Party, still not willing to acknowledge the end of its incredible run, seems to be headed for another tribal gathering where its members will choose a leader that satisfies their internal impulses without responding to Canada as a whole or to their radically diminished capabilities.

While it might make you unpopular within our ranks, I'd suggest that you quietly meet with Preston Manning, Rick Anderson and the others who helped unite the right — there are lessons to be learned.

The NDP, in pursuing internal renewal, should invite all interested citizens to take part in the discussion. Give young people a reason to get involved in politics. Start a debate about a united left. Sponsor town hall meetings. Develop a method for public input in the policy renewal process. Commission papers. Launch a cross-country "listening" tour. Enlist NDP MPs and ask them to reach out to supporters of the other parties. Capture the agenda, downplay partisanship and emphasize hope. Try to recreate the Obama feeling in Canada by asking everyone to get involved.

Do it now — don't wait for the Liberals to regain their footing.

And from Topp:

There is always room for improvement in every aspect of our work. But to my mind we are now essentially competitive in the campaign "air war." We can match the Tory-Liberals dollar for dollar nationally. We can break through their monopoly of public dialogue on television, where elections are decided. We can run rings around them on the Internet. And we can even get the occasional article into globeandMail.com, praise the Lord.

Where we have some daunting work to do is on the ground. There is a lot to say about this, but the bottom line is that a prerequisite to victory is taking a winning campaign into our opponents' fortresses and cracking them there - riding by riding, on the ground. We need our version of the 50-state strategy, without foolishly dissipating resources.