Yes, but what use is one endorsement against the thousands of "new members" that the federal Liberal Big Guns are signing up to ensure that their apprenticeship program for Christy goes ahead as planned?

Thousands of make-believe members, i.e. Indo-Canadian family members that never knew they were members of a political party or ESL students whose English is to always say yes to everything and easiest word in the English dictionary to use. Will they come out and vote without having to be offered beer - Young Liberal trick.That is typical Liberal politics. Big Guns will become unloaded squirt guns.

Federal Liberal is doing what they do the best: signing up bogus memberships. I won't be surprised if they just signed up someone's dog to NPA.

Well if there's one accomplishment that the NPA can be proud of, it's that they finally got Philip Owen and Jennifer Clarke batting for the same team...they both strongly support Sam Sullivan and the real deal grassroots NPA.

The unity's just three years too late.

All that matters is who has more members signed up and available to come to the nomination meeting.

This again makes for a very strong case for primaries in Canada, and open primaries specifically.

Larry Campbell and Christy are both members of the same party federally now. In order to be a true liberal you have to tax to live up to your principals...or lack there of.

"Liberals....the have what it takes to take what you have" Vote for Sam.

I think if there is one thing we should have all learned after New Orleans/Hurricane Katrina it is that the nuts and bolts of governing matter. Politicians should focus on doing the basics, like ensuring that levys and dykes are in proper working order. When these things fail and disaster strikes, they should ensure that the people they have hired to handle the crisis things are competent.

Where does this come in in the Vancouver election? Christy Clark would ensure none of the equivalent things for Vancouver. She is nothing more than a photo-op politician, a gladhander of the worst order. She knows nothing of the hard work of the nuts and bolts of governing. I have no doubt that were she elected, she would spend her entire term focusing on high profile issues that guarentee her coverage on the 6 O'Clock news, while completely ignoring the boring day to day issues.

People like Christy Clark are in politics for all the wrong reasons. She is a joke and I am very dissapointed to see the number of federal Liberals, who should know better, backing her.

Something else that might be worth considering here.....

Mr. Sullivan carried the water for the KnowWards folks.

And some of those same folks are pretty closely aligned with Ms. Clarke's former supporters in the NPA, I believe.

Which reminds me, what ever happened to that big bill coming due that Mr. Sullivan was letting everybody, including the Vancouver Sun, know about when he ran into all those post-referendum legal difficulties?

Does a Jennifer Clarke endorsement really help Sam Sullivan? Not one bit. In fact it may further alienate potential support among NPA types who are still bitter about her shoddy treatment of Phillip Owen.

Bottom line is that the NPA will never be successful in winning back city hall until its membership/volunteer base grows and relfects the diversity of Vancouver. Sure a small, narrow sub set of the west side, penny loafer crowd may not like the influx of chinese and indo canadian members even if those communities do represent over 50% of the population of Vancouver. To bad for them. Vancouver has changed and it is time the NPA changed with it.
Christy Clark is the only candidate who is attracting new people and new ideas to a revitalized NPA and she should be commended for it. As a lifelong Vancouverite, I think Christy Clark will make an excellent mayor and a fine leader for our city. Besides, without her in the race, the NPA would still be wallowing 20 points behind Jim Green and his rag-tag crew of dissidents. With her in the race, the NPA is at least competative and possibly set for a victory in November.

Hmm, let's see if I've got this right...

Ms Clarke is now backing the side that opposes Ms. Clark, who has left Mr. Campbell's provincial team to run against the other Mr. Campbell's hand-picked successor. The latter Mr. Campbell is also now batting for the same federal team that is backing Ms. Clark in her run for mayor. And Mr. Owen (no, not the one who bats for the feds, I mean the former mayor, the one who previously ran against Ms. Clarke for mayor), has now sided with her to oppose Ms. Clark's run for mayor.

Does anyone else get the feeling that this little feud is all about a really, really exclusive club that has nothing to do with most of us at all?

It is not surprising that Jennifer Clark is supporting Sam Sullivan. Jennifer didn't win the last election, and she can't stand the idea of Christy actually being able to win the next election.

Christy has the support of many of the people who have helped to build the NPA -- people like Duncan Wilson and May Brown -- and Janet Fraser and Lorie Rix, who both worked for Phillip. She also has the support of multicultural communities -- bringing something of signficant value to the NPA.

She has the support of people who have worked in the Liberals (federally and provincially) and the Conservatives and NDP.

She is a refreshing person who has brought life and vitality back to the NPA -- someone who can reach out to all of the members, including Sam Sullivan.

All of you negative folks (if you are in the NPA) who are writing in this blog should remember that it is very important to follow Sam's lead -- Sam has been very classy and has said that, should Christy win, she has his full support.

The way you guys are talking makes it sound like you are from some other political organization!

Christy Clark is taking a big risk by taking this on, and she is doing it because she feels that she can help Vancouver and help the NPA.

There will be hundreds of us who will feel the same come September 24th.

Go, Christy Go!!

By the way, racism against the Indo-Canadian community will not be tolerated. I am confident that the NPA will ensure that everyone is an eligible voter who casts their ballot. If you guys want to play the race card, I hope you know that you are playing with real fire. This is 2005, not 1895!

Go Christy GO's comments tell me he or she has lived in a cave for the last decade or is new to politics. My Indo-Canadian friends were disgusted with tactics of some organizer signing up their family without their knowledge. I raised the Indo- Canadian community as an example because these were the tactics used by the Liberals during the race to succeed Jean Chretien for Leader - proven fact. You will be playing with fire if these tactics are continually used because it treats ethnic communities as robots - I pride the fact Canadians are free to think for themselves and do what they want, not do as they are told because these slimey tactics simply state people from these communities are too stupid to do and think for themselves and they are a bunch of robots. Is that not racism a la - inner city America.

milo and Name have put things so well there's really nothing much I can add.

I do think it's obvious that Christy Clark's run for Mayor is simply not serious at some fundamental level. It's political gamesmanship, or political gameswomanship if you will. Even if she goes the distance and is elected, which I think is quite doubtful, it will still be just a game, a stepping stone, another brick in the wall, another political trophy on the wall, another bullet in the resume. Christy has no more interest in Vancouver City Hall that I do.

uh...

first, adam t: good points, cc has is a big old hack.

second, while i'm a green man myself, i'll say that sullivan definitely deserves the shot.

third, i really like jennifer clarke. she's a genuinely nice person, and she really means well, bashing her is silly for so many reasons.

I Like Jennifer and I don't mind her supporting Sam and I have Nothing Against Jennifer. I Think That Christy will win the Nomination in my view. Christy has the bests intrests for Vancouverites to Build a Stronger, More Economical and Diverse Vancouver. Christy is the best woman to lead Vancouver in anyway. Thats why I'm Supporting Christy 100%!

By the Way, I'm a %100 Mindless Chearleader for Christy because I work for her.

Can any of you Christy spinners on this blog name a single accomplishment of substance she has had, other than being electable?

If I recall from newspaper accounts, Ms. Clark has never had a job outside of politics:

First job was as a political aide for the opposition Liberals after they won 17 seats in '91.

Second job - political aide to Transport Minister Doug Young in Ottawa.

Then returned to B.C. to run for the provincial Liberals - in the runup to the election described herself variously as a "transportation consultant" and a "public servant" - convenient metaphors for "I've been a politican all my life."

From there, she was elected in '96 and we know the rest of the story.

Clark and her husband Marrisen are masters at the PR game and I'll be the first to admit she is electable - but what does that say about the quality of the people we are electing? Should we not be looking for people who wouldn't have to say that their best, highest-paying job is as a politician?

Have we not seen this movie before in the guise of another Clark named Glen?

Christy has worked hard, very hard, under the media spotlight. What have you done, Mr. Observer? Are you suggesting that it is harder work to be a janitor or a CEO than to be a high profile politician? Because if you do, you are nuts.

I don't like Christy Clark, but I'm only voting for Sam Sullivan on one condition: he fires Colin Metcalfe. Colin's poison is just what Sam needs to gain defeat from the jaws of victory.

Quit "shitting in the bed" , Colin!

Come on, Observer, Christy Clark accomplished lots in Vancouver. In one sweep, her 2002 Education policies accomplished:

- The elimination of half the VSB's multicultural support workers/translators and cuts to ESL services.
- Overflowing intermediate and secondary classes with more special needs students and fewer supports, prompting a boom in costly remedial/private tutoring services.

Families at our mid-city school of 350 wrote 300+ letters to Ms Clark as part of that year's NPA/ COPE-supported SOS campaign, most of them in Chinese, Punjabi, Vietnamese and Philipino. They won't soon forget her shocking response. She dismissed the concerns as political and refused to even discuss them.

Then came threats to hot lunch programs, day care, new Grade 10 exams, skyrocketing university fees, etc.

But no doubt, it will be refreshing to see a political race that finally forces Ms Clark to respond to all those thousands of Vancouver families, however belatedly. We're still waiting patiently...

For Christy Clark and Mark Marrisen, everything is a game. They don't care if they have to back stabing anyone to get ahead.Personal ambition is their goals, the rest just stepstone and road kills.

I support Sam 100%

All these people who "support Sam 100%" and say he "deserves to win," how many people did you sign up for him? Because that's all that matters in politics - how many people can you get out that prefer your vision. Everything else is trivial. Sam must know this after being in politics for so long. We'll see how much his side wants this when we see how hard they worked to support him.

Can someone explain what Ms. Clarke means by saying she is "CONSIDERING RUNNING for the nomination of the Non-Partisan Association to be Mayor of Vancouver - and... seeking input from Vancouverites BEFORE MAKING A FINAL DECISION" [emphasis added]? With respect, what on earth does that mean? When will she make her final decision? On what basis will the decision be made?

And I should have spelled Ms. Clark's name without an "e".

Christy's "final decison" was after talking to people this week. So I would expect it very soon.

I signed up 128 new memeber for Mark Marrisen because he promised a job in Ottawa

Colin Metcalfe should quit fighting the last federal election battle through Sam Sullivan.

Colin should be happy that his friend Stephen Harper won most of the seats in BC, even if the Tories were slaughtered within the boundaries of Vancouver.

Remember that there is a larger purpose to all of this.

If Sam and Christy are working together as a cohesive team, the NPA will win.

If Colin tries to take everyone down -- through lies, innuendo, and overkill, everyone will lose.

The NPA needs everyone on the boat.

Jennifer Clark endorsing Sam Sullivan?

What a kiss of death.

jjd - What I am suggesting is that people with careers outside of politics tend to bring more substance to public life than people who are lifelong politicians. Is being a CEO a more difficult job? In some ways yes - and I'd take David Emerson, former CEO of Canfor and head of the airport authority, over Clark 1000 times.

And I'm still waiting for you to identify something she's accomplished other than being elected.

Ask David Emerson which job he finds more challenging - Canfor CEO, or the one he has right now.

It is sad how so may people who are interested in politics are willing to suggest that political work is "easy" or "cushy". They obviously haven't really been around it.

http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/000272.html

"I think government is going to be able to find another politician but Hamish is never going to be able to find another mother." - Christy Clark,
September 16, 2004.

So I guess Clark's interview less than a year ago was nothing more than a spin of hot air. Then again, perhaps a Port Moody mother naively thinks
that being a mayor of the third largest city in Canada would allow her to spend more time with her son.

When selecting someone to fix my plumbing, I tend to select experienced plumbers. Similarly, when selecting a politician to lead my government, I prefer experienced politicians.

I will never understand people like Observer who claim people who come from outside politics are better politicians or leaders. Jean Chrétien never had a job outside politics but he slayed the deficit and crushed separatists - he was a legit leader and a legit PM. Scandals? Sure, but show me a government that doesn't have them.

jjd - Emerson may indeed find politics more difficult than his previous job - but his previous job makes him that much more qualified to take it on. I'd much rather have someone with experience in the real world than someone who's only experience is in politics.

And Jen, agreed, Chretien was a career politican - I think he was also a lawyer, but for a very short time. He was an aberration.

Look, I'm not running for office so my own credentials aren't at issue here - Clark is putting herself up for an important position. It would be nice if she could offer some experience outside of politics. Like David Emerson, like Carole Taylor, like Wally Oppal, like Paul Martin... Do you get it now?

Ryan - you are right, Christy quit the provincial government because of her son.

But it was not because of the hard work. Christy Clark is not afraid of hard work.

And she definitely never said she was going to stay home and be barefoot and pregnant.

The issue for her was the commute to Victoria.

Think about it. Think about taking a crying infant, and then, within a couple short years, a temper-tantrum toddler, with you on the ferry and the float plane to Victoria a couple of times per week, and the kid never knows which bed he is going to be sleeping in. As a minister -- unlike a backbench MLA -- she had to be in Victoria all year long.

On many, many weekends, as a minister, you have to do a fundraiser in Prince George, a school opening in Kelowna, or a cabinet retreat in Prince Rupert.

You either have to take your son with you to all of these things, at the risk of having the media say that you are using him as a prop, or trust that your husband is going to keep care of him properly at home -- I don't know about you, but many mothers would be driven to distraction worried about that.

Now, take all of this and put it into the Vancouver context. Yes, the workload is the same as a cabinet minister. But, you would be driving at most 10 minutes to work, and when you attend to the obligatory events in the evenings and weekends, you are again never more than half an hour away from home. Your kid gets to sleep in the same bed every night, 365 days a year.

Many women have to work long, hard hours. Christy, if she becomes mayor, will have to do the same.

But the only time that little Hamish would have to be uprooted from his home would be when he has to go to summer camp.

I have a question for you all.

Let's assume Christy wins the nomination and beats Jim Green in November. If I have my terms right, hers would expire in late 2008.

Then let's also assume that Gordon Campbell chooses (or is forced to choose) not to contest another provincial election. The next would be sometime in 2009.

So, assuming that all, and that Christy immediately jumps into the BC Liberal leadership race, could anyone keep this "Hamish needs a mother nearby" crap going?

He's 4 now. He'd be 7 in 2008, 8 in 2009. Not 13 or 14. An argument could be made he'd need a mother nearby then almost as much as he would now.

Just how much time would Christy have at home if she was Premier of the province? Imagine the hours and imagine the travel of that job.

But, mark my words, that is exactly why she is running. She could become Mayor of Port Moody in a walk, and she would certainly be near home.

But two of the last three elected Premiers were not mayors of Port Moody, they were mayors of Vancouver. The Mayor of Port Moody gets almost no region-wide or province-wide media attention, whereas the Mayor of Vancouver is perhaps the second most well known politician in the province.

That's why she's peddling these ridiculous lines about needing to move to Vancouver to be near fellow mothers with young children.

I doubt she will even move if Sullivan pulls out the upset and wins the nomination. But her only reason for doing so would be to seize the biggest launching pad to the Premier's chair she can find.

The total lack of anything even resembling a policy plank on her website says it all. She wants this for nothing more than where it will get her in the future, period.

I would be very, very surprised if Christy ran for Premier. The only way that Gordon would leave would be if he was headed for defeat. Christy would then have to think about what it would be like to be Kim Campbell or Rita Johnston.

Every hockey player dreams about being Wayne Gretzky. But I think Christy and the job of Mayor of Vancouver were made for each other.

She will be the dynamic person who can make us all proud of our city.

Jim Green? What a has-been baby boomer loser. It is time for our generation to take over.

Am I missing something here with all the Colin Metcalfe bashing. Admittedly, I don't know the man, but how on earth does writing a private letter to the NPA complaining of - from an outsider's point of view - suspicious campaign tactics by Ms. Clark's team amount to "lies, innuendo, and overkill"?

Christy Supporter,

Chretien wasnt headed for anywhere near defeat before he was forced out. But he was shown the door anyway.

I'm sure Christy and her Martinista henchman husband would be salivating at the opportunity of forcing Campbell out early.

It could happen.

Bobby - the answer is clear: What Colin stated in his letter, and his comments to the press amount to lies, innuendo and overkill. His anti-Indo-Canadian racism is on display because he immediately suggests that just because some people of colour joined, they must be "non-citizens" breaking some kind of rules, and his anti-woman attitude was also on display when he warned of the party being "taken over" by Mark Marrisen and Gulzar Cheema.

If Christy Clark wins, Mark isn't the person who takes over, it is Christy. Colin has known the two of them for a long time, and should know that Christy wears the pants in that family.