I think the NDP have a serious problem. There's an article over on the Tyee on why a person is choosing to vote Green, and the comment section is just a complete demonstration of why the NDP needs to take a long hard look at itself. I think a lot of potential Green voters are would be Liberal voters who, for a bunch of very good reasons cannot or will note vote Liberal but would not vote NDP. Yet, the NDP are out in force saying that Green voters are vote splitters who will cost the NDP the election - and I have to wonder, if a voter wasn't going to vote NDP but Liberal, why the heck wouldn't that be a vote that the NDP should support? Even if it is a would be NDP vote that has gone Green, again why not support the exercise of democratic duty. In my view anyone who spends enough time to think about the parties, the candidates and then votes - has done their duty and should be supported in doing that duty. But apparently, not only are the NDP the party of NO, they're also the party of vote for us, or don't vote at all?
Finally.. a post from A.J. that makes no sense!
Disclaimer - I haven't decided who to vote for yet, there's actually many really bad scenarios that could happen with any party winning.
Political parties would be negligent if they DIDN'T try to convince you to vote for them, isn't that what campaigns are all about?! Why does the simple suggestion of strategic voting offend so many people? The Liberals tell us a vote for the NDP will destroy the province, isn't that just as offensive, and isn't that also telling us who NOT to vote for? Where have you read that the NDP Party is telling people to stay home and not vote if they don't plan to vote for the NDP?
Last election the NDP played nice, no negative ads and it cost them. Strategic voting is a thing, if any party didn't raise strategic voting they would be idiotic (keeping in mind that strategic voting doesn't appear to be widespread or overly effective). No one is holding a gun to your head to vote strategically. It's up to individual voters to determine if they'll vote for a third party hoping that finally this election they'll break through and change the landscape and be willing to take the risk of having the ruling party remaining in power for yet another term because of vote splitting. It seems to me the Green and NDP platforms are very similar (with Greens being even more green so to speak), so I'll have no sympathy for Green supporters if all their worst nightmares are realized with another Liberal win. I'm not even saying people should vote strategically, I actually never have, but the concept doesn't offend me in the least - what does offend me is the politicians themselves! Christie for her corruption, Weaver for his arrogance and gutter level comment in the debate "Oh, are you going to get mad at me and lose your temper like last week John?" and Horgan for slick policies soley designed to gain votes from target groups vs. a sound and thoughtful platform (although I suppose you could throw that charge against the Liberals too).
If the polls go south and Horgan gets desperate he should state that he'll offer the Environment post to Weaver (who of course will reject that outright) in a NDP government. If the NDP does win he should probably do that regardless to try and consume the Greens.