According to Milan Markovic , the party must work quickly to avoid total collapse - and Alexa McDonough is holding it back. The federal NDP has a chance to make an impact on this upcoming election, and it's mucking it up. While provincial NDP leaders like Roy Romanow and Gary Doer have had considerable success in reaching voters, the federal party has, for the most part, had nothing new to say to Canadians. Although the NDP's commitment to discussing the plight of the poor and the need for healthcare reform is certainly commendable, it is also imperative for the party to articulate some clear vision of what it would do in government if given the chance- and to seriously address how it might be able to get to that position. At this point, one could argue that the possibility of the NDP coming to power is about as likely as Ralph Nader becoming the President of the United States any time in the near future.
Truth be told, the party is in crisis.
Everyone Pundit spoke with in its series on the future of the NDP, from Bob Rae to Lorne Nystrom, recognized this overwhelming circumstance. Everyone, that is, except for the one person who is in charge of revitalizing the NDP - Alexa McDonough. Or, alternatively, she could have exhibited her concern over the fact that she personally enjoys less public visibility than any other federal leader, including the Bloc Qu becois' Gilles Duceppe. Instead, McDonough indicated that her biggest regret as leader was the fact that her party was not able to win two by-elections in recent years. In this regard, one can not help but be reminded of Al Gore's infamous suggestion that he discovered the internet.