Nathan Cullen has managed to put together than some observers (myself included) expected when he first raised the idea of joint nominations as a campaign centrepiece - and all while emphasizing that controversial proposal. But has he overcome the initial concerns?
1. What direction will he set for the NDP?
Well, I'll have to mention the joint-nomination plan as by far my largest concern on this point - even if I don't plan to repeat myself as to the issues it raises. But the initial concerns are now compounded by a sense that Cullen is now sticking to the joint nomination idea as a matter of showing resolve - which doesn't entirely fit with his justification for the plan in the first place of considering different possibilities in the lead up to 2015.
Otherwise, Cullen has generally presented well-thought-out policies which combine a progressive populist message with ideas that can be pitched to a wider audience. But when priority #1 is as problematic as Cullen's, it's hard to consider this question to be anything other than a significant weakness.
2. How will he respond when pushed off course?
Which is a shame, since Cullen is one of the top contenders on both other fronts. He's spent nearly the entire campaign under fire due to the joint nomination proposal, if more by design than as a matter of surprise - and he's made about as strong a case as can be made for the plan in the face of tough criticism from the bulk of his competitors.
3. How do his personal traits affect his ability to reach the destination implied by the answer to question 1?
And the occasional question from the commentariat about his French aside (which seems an overblown concern based on his debate performances), Cullen has been stellar as a retail politician from the start of the race - combining a command of issues second only to Mulcair's with by far the best sense of humour among the contenders. So all else being equal, there's nobody in the race I'd expect to perform better as the face of the NDP if given the chance.
Conclusion
But Cullen is seeking a mandate for something other than a full focus on building the NDP. And while he's managed to win over substantially more members than I'd have thought possible, that's still a bridge too far from my standpoint.
Do not disagree with anything you've said.
ReplyDeleteUsing my real-life Twitter account, I was one of the first to send Nathan Cullen "please run for leader!" messages.
As you said, he's a very likeable guy. But for me, it was the "killer instinct" that put him on the top of my list. I'd seen a bunch of interviews where he harnessed voice tones, rhetoric, & humour to turn audiences against his opponents. He'd be plunging his sword into Conservative crotches, but it didn't feel like a dirty thing to watch. Affability is nothing without follow-through, and this guy convinced me he had follow-through.
So imagine how bummed I was when he kicked off his campaign with "joint nominations". Rather than being a holistic candidate, he ended up getting stuck in a one-issue ghetto.
But unlike other NDP members, I sincerely do not believe Cullen is some Lib/Green "Trojan Horse". This guy could have easily been a candidate for the other parties. Instead, he ran as an NDP candidate long BEFORE last election's "breakthrough". He was in the NDP trenches for years when there was no hope in-sight...and ample temptation to cross-over to the Liberals.
If you think through his joint nominations plan...it's apparent that there's so much "wiggle room", it's almost dead-on-arrival. So why would he propose such a thing? I think he's more NDP than people give him credit for. Not only did he manage to keep Pat "let's merge with Liberals" Martin out of the race...he also intrigued probably thousands of Greens & Liberals into joining the NDP.
For all those reasons, Nathan Cullen remains my #1 ranked candidate. Kind of my way of saying: "This guy will be an NDP Prime Minister - one day". But I fully recognize that my #2, Thomas Mulcair, ran with the intention of becoming an NDP Prime Minister - today.
He has repeatedly said its the end not the means that matter the most. His joint nomination plan doesn't scare me at all. That is OUR CHOICE. He is my #1. Period.
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