Layton was a flaming socialist, but for him it wasn’t just political manouvering - he was a true believer. The most recent election result, where Layton took his socialist NDP to offical opposition status for the first time in their history, demonstrates that people will vote for someone who is charming and sincere in their beliefs, even if they don’t necessarily agree with all of those beliefs. He’s the leftist version of Ronald Reagan, another politician with a winning smile and firmly held beliefs. The NDP must be shaken to its core. Much of the NDP’s recent success was due to Layton’s personal popularity and there doesn’t seem to be an obvious replacement.
“...Layton was a flaming socialist, but for him it wasn’t just political manouvering - he was a true believer. ...”
Which makes him and others like him all the more dangerous. Gas chambers and camps were full of innocent people who were put there by “true believers”. Socialism kills. Always has, always will. They may not get around to it immediately, but it has to happen eventually.
Not gonna cry for the guy. His kicking the bucket means some Canadian kids might have a better future.
It remains to be seen if any one else in the NDP will acquire his prominence and national stature.
The NDP opposition is a historical accident largely because French Canada voted against the Liberals.
And the Conservatives have a stable majority government for the next four years.
whoa, wait. I’m Canadian, and jack layton (refuse to capitalize his name), was working day and night to ruin any freedoms and economy we had. He did nothing good, and to say he won and became official opposition? He did not win because of anything he did, he won because people were so sick and tired of the Liberals making threats to bring down the conservatives that they voted for anyone but Liberals, as a result, NDP gained votes as did the conservatives, heck, even the green party’s flake got a riding on Vancouver Island.
I am not saying I’m glad that a person suffered from a terrible disease, but I am saying I’m glad one of freedom’s great enemies is gone. I did wonder today what he said when he met God... “oh #$&*#, you’re real!”