Jagmeet Singh abandoned the ‘online left’— and it's catching up to him and his party

2 years ago by streetfestival to c/ndp

Jagmeet Singh and the NDP sit in the shadow of the Liberal Government, caught between criticizing those in power while also attempting to claim agency over bills being passed.

Today, the NDP sits in the shadow of the Liberal government, caught between criticizing those in power while also attempting to claim agency over bills being passed. Most peculiar of all has been Singh’s retreat from online spaces. In 2023, he deactivated his TikTok account citing privacy concerns, but the shift in the tone of his content went beyond that.

His once fresh, relatable, curtain-tearing content had been replaced by generic campaign videos of Singh reading scripts word-for-word that feel like they were copied directly from the platform section of the NDP website. It became boring, uninspired and — most importantly — ineffective. Polls now project a loss of seats for the NDP in the next election.

One thing is for certain: we are closer to a Singh exit than we are from his arrival. Come October, he will have been party leader for seven years — he will certainly not be leader in seven years. So, has his choice to abandon his online roots damaged the future of his party?

Whatever the future of the NDP holds and whoever its next leader will be, it is clear that it remains a party in desperate need of reimagination — the exact same issue that Singh was brought in to solve.

theacharnian 26 points 2 years ago

There is such appetite in this country for proper left wing policies that it's entirely mind numbing why the NDP leadership is acting this way.

We have serious problems in areas where a left wing party could play amazing ball. And instead, we're letting Bitcoin Trump-lite monopolize the anger game, when we could be putting forward bold progressive policy ideas that are way beyond what the liberals could ever coopt.

path: 0 12102329, hotness: undefined, score: 26, children: 1
drewaustin 6 points 2 years ago

This right here. There is an appetite for a real party with actual progressive policies. But I guess we'll have to go with Liberal light.

path: 0 12102329 12112046, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
Sundial 17 points 2 years ago

It's pretty disappointing to see how people who are disappointed in the Liberals completely skip over the NDP. I feel they did a poor job of differentiating themselves from the liberals and lost the opportunity.

path: 0 12097067, hotness: undefined, score: 17, children: 1
drewaustin 6 points 2 years ago

With anti-democracy Lucy Watson being made national director, the party will be more and more like the Liberals from a policy standpoint. So I guess voting Liberal just skips the middle man?

If the party actually allowed itself to be ruled by its grassroots, then maybe things would be different, but it is fervently opposed to being accountable to its members - and largely even their own bylaws.

path: 0 12097067 12101008, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
Nuke_the_whales 12 points 2 years ago

I feel like this guy has been hiding under a desk, waiting for the election to pass. He's so ineffectual and has not been a factor this election at all. Haven't heard much out of him.

path: 0 12095363, hotness: undefined, score: 12, children: 7
Pilferjinx 3 points 2 years ago

His charisma game is very weak. NDP needs a leader who people can't ignore.

path: 0 12095363 12102550, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 6
jerkface 4 points 2 years ago

Does Bernie Sanders have charisma? Sometimes the unvarnished truth is all you need, especially to motivate progressives

path: 0 12095363 12102550 12105333, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 5
Pilferjinx 2 points 2 years ago

I want to agree with you wholeheartedly but I think the vast majority of voters don't even know a candidate/party's platform and especially those policy's intended effects. Basically, it's a popularity contest on how the leadership is perceived. I wish it was different because the NDP has by far the best platform for most Canadians

path: 0 12095363 12102550 12105333 12106292, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 4
jerkface 2 points 2 years ago

So we can't get the governance we need and deserve because we're too apathetic and disengaged from governance. The facts of the situation aren't enough to motivate voters so you want to (if stated uncharitably) trick them into doing what's good for them with someone who talks good. Maybe we just don't deserve good governance.

path: 0 12095363 12102550 12105333 12106292 12109745, hotness: undefined, score: 2, children: 3
ILikeBoobies 6 points 2 years ago

I’m fine with his worker first policy since it’s the NDP

My problem is him abandoning the rail unions

Edit: He remedied this

path: 0 12116864, hotness: undefined, score: 6, children: 0
steever 5 points 2 years ago

The party needs a fresh start. We’re out of money, toeing this weird line between criticizing the government but also propping it up, and haven’t made ANY gains from crumbling liberal support. The legislative wins from the supply and confidence agreement don’t seems to be bearing any fruit. Everything feels stagnant, leadership change will hopefully give the party a chance to redefine itself and assert that it is the true left wing alternative to PP, and the liberals.

path: 0 12121699, hotness: undefined, score: 5, children: 0
SubArcticTundra 4 points 2 years ago

It's still encouraging to see that Canada has a Third Party

path: 0 12097343, hotness: undefined, score: 4, children: 0
ndp
ndp

@lemmy.ca

login for more options
1099
590
456

https://www.ndp.ca/ 🍁 https://www.npd.ca/

For those that seek a future that brings together the best of the insights and objectives of people who, within the social democratic and democratic socialist traditions, have worked through farmer, labour, co-operative, feminist, human rights and environmental movements, and with First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, to build a more just, equal, and sustainable Canada within a global community dedicated to the same goals.

This community is not managed by NDP staff.

Reminder that the rules for lemmy.ca also apply here. See the sidebar on the homepage: lemmy.ca.

Be "always soft on people, hard on the issues."

go to feed...