Fractured on the left; chaotic on the right. What’s a poor voter to do?
Our favourite, harried, Vancouver-centric podcasting politicos at The Cambie Report return YET AGAIN, this time with coverage of new entrants to the mayoral race. Big feet stomping into the scene…and renewed vigour in the debate on all the issues. (ie. housing)
My idiosyncratic precis follows, without any guarantee of accuracy or completeness. Starting with the announcement from federal NDP MP Kennedy Stewart (almost formerly of Burnaby South)…
Cambie Report (28:46): a Precis
Kennedy Stewart Announcement and Mario Canseco Thoughts
Stewart’s Main Focus — Issues highlights
Focus on housing – ruining our city, major stressor
Economy – must work for all; big money and lobbyists must go
Climate & environment – stop profiteers who leave messes behind
Opiod crisis
Other remarks
Fractured progressives??? – not completely true, large numbers are concerned about NPA gov’t
NPA => Harper Conservatives who will make life worse for everyone but themselves
Running due to many calls from business, workers, renters, owners
Running to unite progressives and keep NPA out of City Hall. Make city more affordable
Questions:
Long history in academic work on city politics including a textbook
Focus like a laser on housing
Podcaster Observations:
Running as independent, somewhat puzzling
Who will run as Vision mayor candidate?
Light on policies in questioning
He has a big profile – only Bremner may rise to his level
Progressives are still chaotic; right is chaotic in a different way
Mario Canseco:
NPA spikes Bremner? Fracture of center-right. Fracture of Centre-left.
Bremner thoughts: lots of member signups may not be enough when going city-wide; polling shows negatives for him; questions about his lobbying in the past (may have been NPA Board rejection rationale)
Chernen?? – no focus on housing; appeal may be limited to traditional LaPointe-type voters; hard calculation to estimate old-NPA vote base against possibly fractured centre-left vote.
Stewart: Canseco’s poll (why?); still some reference to Vision (KM pipeline); Vision supporters seem to favour Stewart; is anti-pipeline base enough?
Other Lefties? Partisan mind-set is diminishing due to compelling independents;
Non-Resident voting poll
Campaign financing poll – a factor in mayoral defections
The Vancouver civic election unity movement – deadlines coming; Diane Watts’ fate, lessons here for Adriane Carr and Kennedy Stewart
Further thoughts on Mr. Stewart HERE and HERE. With thanks to Dan Fumano in PostMedia outlet the Vancouver Sun:
So if any Vancouver voters are confused at this point about what the ticket will look like in October, perhaps they shouldn’t feel too bad, considering the fact that Stewart, who has a PhD from the London School of Economics and is currently on leave from SFU’s School of Public Policy where he has taught about democracy, acknowledged that the whole rapidly changing scene is a bit muddy right now.
At Thursday’s news conference, Stewart told reporters: “I’ve spoken with all the parties, and I’ve just decided (running as an independent) is the best way forward. Their processes are a little unclear to me and they keep changing.”
In an interview following the news conference, Stewart told The Vancouver Sun that the political landscape in Vancouver right now, less than six months from the election, “is so tumultuous, you don’t even know what’s going to happen the next day, with the NPA, and with Vision also, and COPE.”
Shauna Sylvester is sticking in the mix — note THIS campaign event set for Saturday May 12, 0930 – 13:00. Its purpose is to ” . . . kickstart our people-powered campaign”.
Adriane Carr remains quiet, but seems to be simply waiting. Like all others, I’ll bet she’s spending time estimating potential voter numbers and outcomes, which in her case would seem to end up at: council? mayor? nothing?
Ian Campbell: From our “Coming Out Of Nowhere” Department: Mr. Campbell, the hereditary chief of the Squamish Nation, may consider a run with Vision Vancouver for Mayor of Vancouver.
With thanks to Charlie Smith in the Georgia Straight:
In a phone interview with the Straight, the 44-year-old hereditary chief and elected councillor of the Squamish First Nation said that he’s seriously considering seeking the Vision Vancouver nomination for mayor.
“We’re all in the same canoe but there are many different paddlers,” Campbell said. “So I think the idea of we’re a large village—we’re a family made up of many diverse players—that excites me on how we can inspire.” . . .
Vision Vancouver councillor Andrea Reimer is one of Campbell’s strongest supporters, noting that he has been “negotiating some of the most difficult discussions in this country in an urban conext with both the provincial and federal governments”.
