He came from the Jack Layton group and just tried to apply those campaign ideas without the charisma or history of a Jack Layton.
Dix allowed it all to happen too, as did those behind the NDP scenes, like Moe Sahota.
Most British Columbians know that political people from Ontario and Quebec have no idea where the Prairies are, never mind anything behind that mountain chain. On their maps it only says, 'Here there be demons.' They should have literally no input into the business of British Columbians.
Another part of the problem is that too many within the NDP are content with the jackal role of yipping and nipping at the heels of the real players. They are bound by ideology and cannot imagine a role other than being victims. A lot of those old hateful union types are still voicing a message of hate against the rich and powerful and management just for the chance to vent. The world has changed but they refuse to acknowledge it.
There were thousands of British Columbians aligned with Adrian Dix at the beginning of the campaign. Dix had what they needed, which was at least a promise of integrity and honesty in dealing with the future of BC. And momentum. And he had the best roster ever of strong candidates who were moderate, competent and smart.
But as the campaign heated up, those thousands were becoming disenchanted with the message. Yes, they all agreed with skills training and those messages, but what had turned them in the first place to the NDP was the atmosphere of greed, payoffs and corruption in the Liberal party. All those warnings about Run-of-the-River projects destroying once proud BC Hydro were starting to come true. BC Rail continued to linger and many were hopeful of a satisfying resolution. The billion dollar BC Film industry died under the Liberals watch. The constant scandals were tiresome and hurting everyone in BC except the insiders.
Christy's potential fight with the Northern Gateway pipeline through BC was only rhetoric. She knew all along that Harper will eventually push it through despite the wants of BCers, because it is for the benefit of Canada. (read Alberta)
And Dix couldn't waver from his personal integrity. He needed the mud put right in his hand and told a direction to sling it! Then it was suddenly too late. Miss Cleavage had won and everybody was shocked. No one wanted to get muddy.
And we are left with the prospect of wondering what would have happened if people like John Horgan, Mike Farnworth, Leonard Krog, David Eby and Spencer Chandra-Herbert had been allowed into the fight. These are smart, bright, with-it and politically savvy people with lots of expertise and something to say about it and would not have allowed the Liberals to set the agenda. You cannot muzzle people with that kind of talent. So the NDP is again on the familiar road that leads to NextTime. It might be a ghost town by the time they get there. Those thousands of new people who thought about the NDP had good reason to fear for the province, are still frightened.
What ever steering committee the NDP has needs to be 'Made in BC'. They need to regroup, toss out the perpetual victims who are too comfortable in the role, elect a new leader, and go for it.
Forget the mud though, start collecting sticks and stones, it's not mud wrestling, it's MMA without the fence.
Just sayin'.
