July 6, 2010 - 8:40 am |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
Tung Chan has become a hot political commodity in recent months.
For a man who the majority of Vancouverites have never heard of, Success CEO Tung Chan’s political appeal is at an all-time high.
On one end of the political spectrum, the federal Conservatives continue to make overtures to Chan about the possibility of running in Vancouver South against Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh, who as many readers are well aware, only won his seat last time around by 20 votes. That riding has close to a population that is close to 50 per cent Chinese, making Chan an ideal candidate with profile within the community that makes the difference on deciding a winner and a loser.
On the other is the moribund NPA, which from what I have been able to piece together, is getting desperate with regards to finding a sacrificial lamb to go against Mayor Gregor Robertson and his 70 per cent approval rating.
If indeed Chan is at all interested in politics, taking the Vancouver South offer seems like a no-brainer. Until of course you factor in the hectic and unforgiving travel schedule of a BC MP, and realize that the amount of individuals willing to make such a personal sacrifice are few and far between. Rumour is that Chan is not naturally inclined to be able to handle the Ottawa/Vancouver commute week in, week out.
This then leaves the option of running to become Mayor.
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May 23, 2010 - 2:43 pm |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
I want to preface this commentary with an acknowledgment that an administration without effective political opposition operates without a true understanding of what it feels like to face off against alternatives.
That being said, I am truly getting a kick out of the bloggers (three in particular) that are getting into a lather of fury over the popularity of both Vision Vancouver and Gregor Robertson amongst the municipal beat reporters around town.
The frustration that they are spewing only confirms that the Vision Vancouver juggernaut is real, in as much as is possible within the municipal political realm.
I don’t have the energy to craft a well-thought out, cogent post on why that juggernaut exists, nor do I have to quite frankly. Rather, I would like to perform a political brain dump on the state of Vision Vancouver and the rest of the civic political scene at the halfway point of the term.
May 17, 2010 - 11:14 am |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
Gregor Robertson's critics are feeling the pain of watching the most popular Mayor in Vancouver history continue to gain momentum - in spite of their best efforts.
It is no surprise that this article over the weekend would cause the usual suspects to writhe in agony.
And it is also no surprise that those very critics would immediately follow up with a post attempting to discount the accuracy of the data and lamenting the fact that the media also likes the Mayor – a lot.
And while it may be a grim day for supporters of the heir apparent to Philip Owen-Sam Sullivan-Peter Ladner, Suzanne Anton (hmmm…maybe that isnt’ the kind of lineage she would necessarily want to promote in public), it is a strong endorsement for the current administration’s direction.
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May 11, 2010 - 12:12 pm |
Posted by Jonathan Ross
Park Board Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon is playing politics with an issue that is supposed to be close to his heart.
I read with interest Park Board Commissioner Stuart Mackinnon’s blog post from last Friday, which levied criticism at an article published in the Vancouver Courier on the same day, entitled “Green commissioner opposes Beaver Lake plan”.
In his rant, Mackinnon accuses the Courier of getting the details of his political machinations wrong, and goes on to advocate for an overall stewardship plan for Stanley Park.
Well, I have done a little digging about the specifics of what exactly happened, and it is clear that Mackinnon is playing politics with an issue area that a) is a huge component of the core principles he campaigns upon and b) is one that he and his political higher-ups feel as though has been fumbled.
Mackinnon’s rebuttal to the Courier is not only inaccurate, but is also without the proper context regarding priorities and motivations. Here is a clearer account of this whole affair.
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