More results / Quebec
Well, I haven't made any post-weekend comments yet (more so because I've been sick and busy than lack of interest), but we're slowly starting to see the last results pour in! Okay, so there's been one riding report since Sunday, but it's something.
And also, Kennedy's showing in Quebec: I don't know how any Kennedy supporter can accept this, and try to spin it positive. We can all give some reasons for it ("Kennedy's not well known in Quebec" "His french wasn't up to par"), but it's pretty disappointing. I mean, were there no Kennedy supporters who could win some delegate spots in some ridings?
But I still don't think this is the death blow for him. Quebecois like to vote for winners and people from Quebec. There's a reason why the Conservatives magically doubled their vote count in Quebec overnight last January (and then they did that a few more times as well) Those are the main reasons why Rae, Dion, and Iggy did well there in terms of delegate counts. But once people start to realise that this Kennedy dude isn't some no-name politician from Ontario, that he has real ideas and a real vision for the country, they will support him and love him. I mean, if you made everyone in Quebec vote based on the policies they liked best, I'd be willing to bet that Gerard would be on par with any other of the leadership camps in terms of Quebecois support.
So now the challenger for the campaign will be to get that message out, and once that's done, I'm confident people in Quebec will be just as receptive to Gerard as people in the rest of Canada have been.
5 comments:
I agree. Some have blamed his lack of success on his difficuties communicating in french, or that that he could not get any headway among Quebec's political and media elites, but I've argued that the only reason he did so poorly is because he did not manage to get his message accross to Quebeckers, mainly due to organizational problems in his campaign here in Quebec
I agree pure organizational problems and very, very few form 6's filed due to this.
Some of this poor organization is due to the fact that organizers didn't realize that he really was a top contender and they backed the other 3 in the top 4.
Now, that everyone in Quebec knows that he is a serious contender, hopefully, he will gain more support in Quebec.
The problem now is how does he go forward from here? There is no further need for an organization or a structure such as was required before Super Weekend. There is no more need to make sure delagate seats are filled, or to 'get out the vote' in every riding. That's what was needed and that's what was missing (except in one particular riding). Now, the delegate numbers are set and determined, and that sort of organizing is done.
What he needs is an intensive Media and PR campaign, run by a PR guru, and as many 'meet and greet' with delegates as he can get, in order to win as many delegates that are willing to be won over.
Kennedy has an attractive platform (although vague on some of the issues), and no reason why left leaning Quebec delegates would not vote for him.
For the next 2 months, he needs to be HEARD, as loudly as possible, as often as possible, or he wont make a dent in Quebec.
The media seems to be confusing a 1.7% delegate count with Kennedy's popularity in Quebec. There is a huge difference between partisan politics (signing up and bussing in Liberals) and public opinion.
He failed at the former; can't help but succeed at the latter.
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