Good problems to have

Paul Wells' latest chapter on the 2011 election includes an observation about the NDP's Quebec breakthrough which looks equally applicable to the road ahead:

Cédric Williams, a young researcher for the NDP in Ottawa, openly admitted the wave of popularity caught the party off guard. “We didn’t expect this. We’re not running full campaigns in all the ridings in Quebec. More and more people are calling to volunteer. The challenge is to organize it.”

The big screen behind the stage showed the NDP’s Quebec slogan: “Travaillons ensemble,” work together, precisely the message the Angus Reid dial groups sent during the debates. Marc-André Viau, an NDP media spokesman, echoed the concern about the speed of the party’s rise. “It’s a challenge to put resources on the ground in the ridings where we have the best chance,” Viau said.

Fortunately, the NDP now has four years to work on organizing its new wave of Quebec support into the type of infrastructure which can win elections on the ground for years to come. And that greater capacity to channel public support into electoral results should work wonders in preserving and building on the gains which were made primarily through leadership appeal.