Posts Tagged ‘Ontario PC Leadership Race’
Reflections on Tim Hudak’s Victory
I think the thing I found most interesting about the PC Party race was that it was an actual race. There were divergences of opinion, fundamental policy differences and a demonstration of a wide spectrum even within the PC Party. Normally leadership debates are fairly dry things where everyone basically agrees on policy and is simply left arguing that they personally are the best person to lead their party.
That was not the case here.
Tim Hudak’s victory does undeniably signal a shift to the right for the PC Party. How far right or what that right is like is still unknown. I don’t buy the ‘he’s a younger Mike Harris’ simply because I believe Hudak is wise enough to understand that the Harris and Eves governments did make mistakes, some policies were not popular and in some cases caused a lot of hurt to folks. I don’t believe anyone would want to re-fight the divisive battles of the mid to late nineties and I believe Tim Hudak as leader recognizes that as well.
Unlike Andrea Horwath’s victory as NDP leader where many recognized that the baggage that came with the 1990-1995 experience in government had to be left behind because she was clearly not associated with that, and had a very different vision, Hudak will need to work on his image to ensure that voters in Ontario see him as his own man and are comfortable enough with who he is and what he is about to consider electing him Premier.
I was asked immediately after Hudak won and in the couple of hours that followed by some folks what my thoughts were on the outcome and more pointedly his ability to win. What I said was this, ‘If the party wanted to win a majority very easily, than Christine Elliott was the candidate to elect. However, what became clear during my time covering the race, and speaking with Conservatives is the party is farther to the right than she is, and more comfortable with a guy like Hudak’. Hudak could well win a majority government in 2011, but he’ll need to convince folks that the stuff on the front page of the Toronto Star today isn’t true first.
I completely understand why Mike Harris is so well liked by PC members, but PC members need to also try to understand why many issues based, and ’swing voters’ defeated them in 2003, if they are intent to form government in 2011.
Speaking with him both on and off camera on a range of issues I got a real sense that he is genuine and firmly believes what he stands for and speaks out for.
His task now is presenting himself to Ontario voters in a way that folks in the 416 and 905 can be as comfortable with him as folks in the 519, 705 and 613. I think he’s up to the task, it’s now just a question of how willing and able he and the people around him, and more importantly his caucus is prepared to work on that.
Personally, I am an undecided voter with no party affiliation who would love to see both the NDP and the PCs get to the point of being able to each offer Ontarians the kinds of policies that would allow either to form government in advance of the 2011 election.
2 Comments »Ontario PC Leadership Race Second Ballot Results
The Story? The unstoppable Tim Hudak.
Second Ballot Results:
Elliott 2903 (+ 175)
Hudak 4128 (+ 617)
Klees 3299 (+ 206)
Elliott dropped from the ballot. Her supporters second choices will be redistributed based on their second choices.
Tim Hudak received the lion’s share of Randy Hillier’s supporters second votes, with Klees and Elliott basically splitting the difference, both falling further behind Hudak as Elloitt is dropped.
At this point Frank Klees would need to receive 65% or more of Elliott’s supporters to beat Hudak. It should also be noted that many of Elliott’s supporters may not have cast a second option, partly because she was one of two perceived front runners, and secondly because her policies positioned her as an outlier.
While the folks who are tabulating the result tabulate, I will speculate that Tim Hudak will be the next Leader of the Opposition.
1 Comment »Laforet.ca Coverage of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Leadership Race Will Start Soon
We’re about a month away from the Ontario Progressive Conservatives selecting the next leader of the official opposition, and their candidate for Premier in 2011. It’s a four person race, by any one’s standards a wide open field that will come down in large part to folks second and third choices.
Around this point in the Ontario NDP leadership race in March 2009, working with Jeff Hume, I began covering the race and giving candidates an equal opportunity to get their message out unfiltered, while providing other bloggers with some original content to work with as they chose.
Currently, I’m in the process of setting up the remaining interviews with candidates, and hope to have footage to share from these one on ones soon.
As with the Ontario NDP leadership race, my coverage will be done with an open mind, fairness for all candidates and a simple goal – to provide bloggers with original content to work with, to provide a wider audience with introductions to the four candidates who will shape the future of the official opposition, and one of three leaders who will be in a position to form the next government in Ontario.
I have to say, I have sincerely enjoyed my new role as a political active, non partisan. Doing things like covering the Ontario NDP leadership race, focusing my activism on local issues that go well beyond the limits of partisan politics has been quite the experience as well. It is my hope that using new media tools to cover this leadership race will open up the process, the issues and the candidates to folks across Ontario.
Until there is footage of the sit down interviews with the Ontario PC Candidates to post, I am going to share with you a number of my favourite videos that Jeff Hume so expertly produced as part of our coverage of the Ontario NDP race to give you a flavour of what is to come.
Enjoy.
Greg Elmer – Professor of Media Studies at Ryerson University on New Media and Conventions
Campaigns Talking Get Out the Vote Strategies
Andrea Horwath – Just Before First Ballot Result Interview
Andrea Horwath Friday Rally
Emergency Policy Resolution on US Steel (Stelco) Layoffs
Andrea Horwath Pre Convention Interview
Peter Tabuns Pre Convention Interview
Gilles Bisson Pre Convention Interview
Michael Prue – Part One Pre Convention Interview – Michael Prue the Man
Michael Prue – Part Two Pre Convention Video – Prue the Candidate
