Green-Democrats: I stand by my blog post.

I've recently been asked to join a Facebook group called "NDP-Green Cooperation - NOW!", and I feel compelled to prevent people from coyly snooping through the backpages of my blog to find out what I've said before on the subject (this is me being sacrastically egocentric).

Firstly, one of the founders of this group is a good, good friend of mine. We've worked on campaigns, we've attended fundraisers, we've shared thoughts on politics a number of times. The fact that he's behind this gives it some credibility, but it goes only so far.

I suggest the focus of these folks should shift towards a criticism of Elizabeth May's endorsement of Stéphane "11%" Dion. That's his popularity rating. I've consistantly attacked Elizabeth May for her disengenuous, passive-aggresive posture to the NDP over the term of her Leadership. To carry this on, if you are the leader of the 5th/4th place party, which has a popularity of ~10%, endorsing the leader of another party who's personal popularity is at 11% is not the greatest strategy for winning. That's her problem though.

It happens to be the problem of anyone suggesting co-operation between the NDP and the Greens. Nothing to do with polls, the Green party endorses Stéphane Dion. The cold reality is that when your party leader makes a deal, or makes a statement it paints a red streak on every Green's back, whether they like it or not.

The NDP does not endorse the Liberal party, what it stands for (or indeed doesn't these days), how it operates, or where it and the Conservative party want to take Canada... and yes, they are one and the same thing. In fact the very founding of the CCF and NDP was based on the idea that these cats couldn't represent mice. The Greens aren't mice. The Greens aren't cats. Does it matter? Ask a Green. What does matter is that they've gone on record, through their leader, that they think a cat is their pick to run the country.

I'm not convinced that strategic abstention from the election is worthwhile for either party, nor do I think it's fair to the voters to eliminate options in the context of an election. Most of all if the NDP endorses the Greens in any way, the NDP would be endorsing Dion "The Great Abstainer" (just tell me when you find a nickname that you like).

I've checked-in on this topic before. I've previously focussed on the prospects of eventual merger, with the assumption that nothing was going to happen for this election, and certainly nothing was going to happen in terms of trading ridings.

The current dialogue is focussing on trading ridings.

If the Green party membership is serious about co-operation. Take it to convention and duke it out with your leader. I mentioned I don't think the party is closed to merger, but May and Harris have done too much to sabotage that future.

Greens: you have your own leader to ask questions of, Stéphane Dion is your baggage.