Required Reading:Don't Let Anyone Run on Your Left

Great opinion piece in the Vancouver Sun (the Vancouver Sun!!!) that compares the recent BC election and the New York City Democratic  primary which saw the front runner crumble before Bill de Blasio who ran on an unapologetic left wing platform.

There are lessons here not only for BC but also for the federal NDP.  And it may be that Obama's people finally go the message which is the reason for him hanging tough on the budget issue right now.

Here, in part, is what political strategist Mira Oreck writes:

"Rather than a race to the centre, de Blasio offered a confident and courageous vision that spoke to New Yorkers, from the upscale brownstones in Brooklyn to public housing projects in the Bronx. He called for “an act of equalization in a city that is desperately falling into the habit of disparity.” De Blasio’s campaign blasted TV ads across the city describing him as “the only candidate that will raise taxes on the rich to fund early childhood education and after school programs.”

"It’s not often you hear a candidates say they’ll raise taxes and see their poll numbers rise.De Blasio’s primary campaign broke new ground...

" Rather than hurting him, however, de Blasio’s Tale of Two Cities surprisingly earned him more votes than his opponents in areas where the average income was upward of $170,000.

"His vision of a city that addresses income inequality spoke to people across the social spectrum.

She continues:
"A Tale of Two Cities rings true not only for New York City, but also for cities across the United States and increasingly for Canada. In British Columbia, where one in four children have lived in poverty for over a decade, every progressive campaign must place inequality — and the solutions to it — at the core of their message.

"De Blasio’s campaign proves that a strong, clear and unapologetic position on addressing inequality can draw support."

Are you listening Tom?