The Vision guys would be crazy to leave now! Our Mayor is off trying to create his own "Friends of Sam Sullivan" team and is self-destructing in the process, and Ladner and Anton are getting their camps ready for battle. Why spend your time spewing "results for working people" at Jack's press conferences when you can gear up for 08 revenge?

Interesting and telling statement from Tim Stevenson. If Lorne Mayencourt is such an unpopular character, it is strange that Stevenson couldn't defeat him last time when the NDP was 10 points higher in the polls than they are now.

In reality, it wasn't Tim Stevenson but the incompetent VV keystone kops behind the scenes that caused the defeat of Stevenson. And lost the Wards vote. And caused Jim Green to lose the Mayorlty race. And lost council to NDP. and Lost Parks Board too.

And now another VV candidate (Louie) is being touted in a hypothetical by-election. Please. No more VV funcky hotshots running campaigns. Because losing all the time is getting really depressing.

Yes, Lorne Mayencourt is hated in his riding (50% of the votes he got were out of fears). So could it be that he may actually help Hedy Fry's re-election, or rather, Fry's replacemen's election by winning conservative nomination. I say the NDP candidate in that riding probably needs to watch out cuz we all know who are best at playing dirty.

Maybe someone in the smart money camp at Vision has put a bug in old Timmy's ear that, in 2008, the minimum bar requirement for candidates will be that they can't be nutbars and have to be able to do more than breathe.

Mayencourt elected out of fear? Hardly. You don't know the constituency FHK, they aren't afraid of too much in Burrard. Plus, to his credit, Lorne knows how to whip up support.

The stand alone issue is this: Vision didn't show up last time. Yes, they had money, but without Lonesome Larry, there was no cause. Nevermind what you hear, they all took one look at Jabba the Hut, and knew they'd be lucky to get across the goal line. They will have even more money in 2K8 and have a Board that will not allow for shitbag candidates and hire a campaign manager, who's reason for rising from bed every morning is to dump on his own people.

With Sam's implosion well past half into the tank, the NPA is only going to hurt that much more since he is surrounded, in key spots, by appartchiks who outside of their own advancement, have fooled Sam into thinking that he was their first or even second choice.
The internecine war that will break out soon enough will make the Clarke/Owen split look like a walk in the park--why? Because there are too many multi-faceted political interests that have sold their souls in believing that Sam has earned a second term. He hasn't and they don't really believe it either.

It would be folly for Mayencourt to give up a guaranteed paycheck until 2009 all for the pleasure of having his butt handed to him by the unbeatable Hedy Fry.

It's a positive for Vancouver that Louie is committing to stay, but that's not very surprising to anyone who has worked with him.

The city would do well with more local politicians with the depth he offers. Two aspects of his nature are knowing the ins and outs of an issue before leaping into the fray and keeping his mouth shut where others like Mayor Sam jump right in with stupid and sometimes violent rhetoric that turns off even his strongest supporters. Right Tsakimus?
Hey, I'm not flacking for him, In fact I don't even live in Vancouver, but if I did I'd encourage him to run for mayor. He's a winner!

Politely declining and actually declining are two different things.Wait this one out and see where Mr.Louie winds up.
With the NDP being at an all time low in the polls( where it belongs)Mr. Louie is no doubt politely sitting on the Royal fence waiting to the the impact of the Green Party on future polls.
Also this week, with the Liberals starting to implode,( read Mr.Dion is cannon fodder in the next election)Ms. Fry is not so unbeatable.
So Mr. Louie, as most NDpers do is sitting on the fence.'nuff said.

AGT, you didnt read my comments right, I meant 50% of his votes were out of fears of NDP screwing up our economy again. These people may not like Lorne too much, but they dont have other alternatives.

As for NDP trying to recruit Chinese candidates to run for their riding in Vancouver, other than Banana Kwan (whose support never included the minority communities anyway), I dont think they will have much success with it since NDP simply does not have the mainstream value that concerns us.

As for the link between Vision Vancouver and Jack Layton, before discussing that, let's review why Vision Vancouver was created in the first place. It is out of "respect" for Mr. Campbell who was appointed by the most corporate Liberal Party Prime Minister in recemt history to the Senate. Not to mention that Tim is unelectable as he is getting old, Raymond is sounding more and more like a mayor, and George is a conservative by heart.

But Vancouver Kingsway should be a winnable riding for NDP, if Adrian Dix can be persuaded to resign and run for that extra $30,000 paycheque in the federal election, NDP will no doubt secure the riding.

Surely these strategic geniuses are aware there's a general consensus out there that Vancouver-Burrard most likely won't make it through the current electoral boundaries redistribution in one piece?

"As for NDP trying to recruit Chinese candidates to run for their riding in Vancouver, other than Banana Kwan (whose support never included the minority communities anyway), I dont think they will have much success with it since NDP simply does not have the mainstream value that concerns us. "

and FHK speaks for the entire Chinese-Canadian community? if he thinks that, he's nuts. Quite
a few Chinese-Cdns. are NDP whether FHK likes it or not.

"As for the link between Vision Vancouver and Jack Layton, before discussing that, let's review why Vision Vancouver was created in the first place. It is out of "respect" for Mr. Campbell who was appointed by the most corporate Liberal Party Prime Minister in recemt history to the Senate."

Not to mention one of the worst PM's since Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

"Not to mention that Tim is unelectable as he is getting old, Raymond is sounding more and more like a mayor, and George is a conservative by heart.

But Vancouver Kingsway should be a winnable riding for NDP, if Adrian Dix can be persuaded to resign and run for that extra $30,000 paycheque in the federal election, NDP will no doubt secure the riding.

Would Adrian Dix foot the cost of a by-election
that would have to be paid by the taxapayers? Would the federal NDP?

I certainly dont speak for the Chinese community, I simply speak for the majority of CANADIANS. But unless NDP can elect a Chinese MP into the parliament who doesnt sleep with the party leader, then they can start talking speaking for the Chinese community. Otherwise, NDP will continue to ignored by the majority of Canadians, let alone the Chinese community.

On the issue of Adrian Dix, if he does decide to run federally and resigns, at least he will be campaigning within his own constituency, unlike someone who resigned from his Ontario cabinet seat to campaign in BC, funded by Canadian taxpayers. Adrian, unlike Gulzar Cheema who also resigned for his MP race as a Lib, is a prominent MLA who will be able to score a high-power position within NDP caucus and will also help NDP win. If he does decide to go federal, he will be able to do much more than what he is doing now provincially. Otherwise, NDP may as well just put up a decoy and give the riding to Yuan Meng as a present.

The majority of citizens (some of whom still show up for elections, though with diminishing enthusiasm) aren't interested in the minutiae of prospective candidates ceaseless strategizing.

The last time I participated in a game of musical chairs it was with a handful of kids. It's a game that doesn't work with more than a few players.

Tories, Liberals, the_other_Liberals, NDP, NPA, COPE, Vision?Vancouver, oh and let's not forget the Greens. How do these people remember in the morning who they are? What exactly is it all intended to serve?

Just asking.

"I certainly dont speak for the Chinese community, I simply speak for the majority of CANADIANS."

The majority of Canadians have never heard of FHK
let alone the Chinese community.

"But unless NDP can elect a Chinese MP into the parliament who doesnt sleep with the party leader, then they can start talking speaking for the Chinese community. "

Kinda racist there, isn't it? As in

Elect one of our own and we'll get everyone who are the same as us to support your party.

"Otherwise, NDP will continue to ignored by the majority of Canadians, let alone the Chinese community. "

The NDP is largely ignored by the majority of
Canadians which includes the Chinese community.

"On the issue of Adrian Dix, if he does decide to run federally and resigns, at least he will be campaigning within his own constituency,"

Not technically true since Kingsway does extend out beyond Dix's provincial riding.

"Adrian, unlike Gulzar Cheema who also resigned for his MP race as a Lib, is a prominent MLA who will be able to score a high-power position within NDP caucus and will also help NDP win."

Win what? Being opposition? They are already opposition.

Cheema took a gamble and lost, and that cost the
taxpayers money as a result. The other interesting
part was that there was a Conservative member who
ran his federal Liberal campaign.

"If he does decide to go federal, he will be able to do much more than what he is doing now provincially. "

Not much more. The only real thing he'll be able to do is what he does now.

All he can do is talk and get paid more to do it.

and waste taxapayer money in a by-election as a result.

Its funny how people always complain that their local MP or MLA is always muzzled by the party policy and does nothing more than float the party line. With Maynecourt you have a guy that is not afraid to take a different path and speak out for what he believes in.

Personally I think Maynecourt got himself re-elected in his riding and he should consider running federally where some of the issues he seems more passionate about are less likely to get ignored like they do Provincially by both parties.

Do we really think Hedy Fry is someone worth keeping around? Maybe she should take a trip up to Prince George to burn some more crosses.

That's Lorne Mayencourt, not Maynecourt. If you vote for Maynecourt, you'll be supporting the wrong guy. :)

A few notes:

1. Mr. Tsunamakis finally contributed something worthwhile to a discussion on here: the source of all these controversies surrounding Sullivan is difficult for the outsider to fathom, but for those among us who recall all the retributions following the nomination victory, things are a little more clear. The two big questions: 1) can the Sam get it together over the next 12-16 months? and 2) if Sam does not get it together, will anyone have the guts to challenge him for the NPA nomination? We all know that Ladner won't, but one wonders if there might not be another 'liberal' pretender...

2. Good point that Burrard won't last long, but that change won't be for two years still, and the NDP will be in a tough fight for both of those seats (ie. winnable, but tough). It should just push the Vancouver NDP more to where they should be. Also, if he's healthy, I'd be shocked if Jim Green does not run for one of these seats (and it won't be Point Grey and it won't be Gregor's seat and it won't be Kwan's seat...).

3. Dix would never go federal, the guy is probably going to be the next provincial leader (after the 2010 leadership race).

4. Louie, Stevenson and Chow: Louie probably won't run for mayor (I think they'll bring in a ringer, and I had it from Green personally that it won't be the condo king); Stevenson likes being a councilor and he'll stay there for as long as the good people of Vancouver will have him; Chow won't bolt to the NPA any time soon.