It's tough being a progressive in PG-PR-NR but I told myself when I voted on Saturday that it is one less vote going to Zimmer, and that there is a fair % of people in my, and your, riding who are left leaners. That gives me a bit of hope and sends a message that we're here. Maybe.
I’ll comment if only to say I share your thoughts. Especially about Northern BC being a political afterthought. Sadly I believe it boils down to where the party’s prefer to campaign and spend their money. Why spend all that time and energy trying to unseat a 15 year incumbent (whose voters distrust anyone but their preferred team) when there are other more approachable ridings? I’m not saying it’s the right way to go about it but I believe there’s some truth to it.
I think this is somewhat correct but I'd make the case you're maybe missing the point just a little bit.
Placing the blame for the progressives lack of success in the PG ridings is not the solely (or even majorly) on the shoulders of the parties, in my opinion. Our community bears responsibility for A) bringing good candidates to the table and B) rallying to support them.
Kiel Giddins won because he ran an incredible campaign. Yes, the party backed him but he had a VERY strong social media team, he knocked on doors (and posted about knocking on doors) almost every evening and every weekend, and his talking points hit party messages while nailing the problems of the communities in the North, and he sought endorsements from key influential figures. From my window into his campaign, that was him and not the provincial Conservatives (who I would say were almost a detriment to his campaign in PG).
I didn't vote for him but I hold his campaign as the golden standard for how a new name should run in PG and I haven't seen a progressive emerge with such force with MAYBE Kerr for the Greens in 2019 (which I do believe is why she grew the party presence so hard).
Fair points. Totally get what you’re saying. A strong campaign team is vital to any candidate.
If, in the case of pg progressives for example, the community does not bring “good” candidates forward, then what is there to do? Without A there is no B. Nevermind that it’s ultimately the party’s decision on who runs for them (see Chris Beach who jumped the gun a bit). Or with Kerr boosting the greens, why stop? Lack of direction? Throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks?
All rhetorical (unless you have answers? 👀) because without a solid group of people working together, I dont know how to answer them myself.
That question is a bit like asking how to make a band without a good singer.
As best I can tell, there is no workaround. A key ingredient for a successful campaign is a bomb candidate - and if the progressives can’t supply one, we won’t win.
Beach is a Conservative wearing a Liberal mask, in my opinion - the Liberal vetting team did a good job in sniffing that out. I believe Kerr stepped away from politics because being a good candidate is exhausting - she ran two excellent campaigns (one federal and one provincial) for a party that has no chance of winning. I think that’s about as much as we can ask a person.
To directly answer your question, the best I can do is to try and encourage smart, stable, and talented people around me to consider running and if they do, wrap them in as much of my support as I can.
Especially when there are so other ridings that are liable to swing red or blue depending on effort this election. Hitting a home run does far more in a tie game than a blowout
It's tough being a progressive in PG-PR-NR but I told myself when I voted on Saturday that it is one less vote going to Zimmer, and that there is a fair % of people in my, and your, riding who are left leaners. That gives me a bit of hope and sends a message that we're here. Maybe.
I’ll comment if only to say I share your thoughts. Especially about Northern BC being a political afterthought. Sadly I believe it boils down to where the party’s prefer to campaign and spend their money. Why spend all that time and energy trying to unseat a 15 year incumbent (whose voters distrust anyone but their preferred team) when there are other more approachable ridings? I’m not saying it’s the right way to go about it but I believe there’s some truth to it.
I think this is somewhat correct but I'd make the case you're maybe missing the point just a little bit.
Placing the blame for the progressives lack of success in the PG ridings is not the solely (or even majorly) on the shoulders of the parties, in my opinion. Our community bears responsibility for A) bringing good candidates to the table and B) rallying to support them.
Kiel Giddins won because he ran an incredible campaign. Yes, the party backed him but he had a VERY strong social media team, he knocked on doors (and posted about knocking on doors) almost every evening and every weekend, and his talking points hit party messages while nailing the problems of the communities in the North, and he sought endorsements from key influential figures. From my window into his campaign, that was him and not the provincial Conservatives (who I would say were almost a detriment to his campaign in PG).
I didn't vote for him but I hold his campaign as the golden standard for how a new name should run in PG and I haven't seen a progressive emerge with such force with MAYBE Kerr for the Greens in 2019 (which I do believe is why she grew the party presence so hard).
Fair points. Totally get what you’re saying. A strong campaign team is vital to any candidate.
If, in the case of pg progressives for example, the community does not bring “good” candidates forward, then what is there to do? Without A there is no B. Nevermind that it’s ultimately the party’s decision on who runs for them (see Chris Beach who jumped the gun a bit). Or with Kerr boosting the greens, why stop? Lack of direction? Throwing things at a wall and seeing what sticks?
All rhetorical (unless you have answers? 👀) because without a solid group of people working together, I dont know how to answer them myself.
That question is a bit like asking how to make a band without a good singer.
As best I can tell, there is no workaround. A key ingredient for a successful campaign is a bomb candidate - and if the progressives can’t supply one, we won’t win.
Beach is a Conservative wearing a Liberal mask, in my opinion - the Liberal vetting team did a good job in sniffing that out. I believe Kerr stepped away from politics because being a good candidate is exhausting - she ran two excellent campaigns (one federal and one provincial) for a party that has no chance of winning. I think that’s about as much as we can ask a person.
To directly answer your question, the best I can do is to try and encourage smart, stable, and talented people around me to consider running and if they do, wrap them in as much of my support as I can.
Especially when there are so other ridings that are liable to swing red or blue depending on effort this election. Hitting a home run does far more in a tie game than a blowout