# matt\_mcl has another kick at the political can... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216 "2002-03-26T18:39:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/41 "2002-04-20T23:58:44Z")
I’m not sure if this is kosher, so, mods, if you like, delete this. Campaign contributions from Canadian citizens can be sent to: New Democratic Party - Quebec section 7-1700, boul. St-Joseph est Montreal, QC H4C 1C2 and made payable to “Duncan Robertson, Official Agent for Matthew McLauchlin”. All campaign contributions under $200 are entitled to a tax rebate of 75%. For more information, you can contact the office at (514) 590-0036 or [npd-qc@email.com](mailto:npd-qc@email.com) (note: npd, which is French; not ndp). Thank you so much to everyone who expressed interest in donating. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/42 "2002-04-21T00:08:02Z")
Major political junkie checking in… Out of curiosity, what are your chances of winning? Is Verdun-Saint Henri-Saint Paul-Pointe Saint Charles an NDP stronghold, competitive, or what? And how did you become the NDP candidate, is there a primary? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/43 "2002-04-21T00:26:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Big Kahuna Burger \* > \*\*Major political junkie checking in… > > Out of curiosity, what are your chances of winning? Is Verdun-Saint Henri-Saint Paul-Pointe Saint Charles an NDP stronghold, competitive, or what? And how did you become the NDP candidate, is there a primary? \*\* In Canadian politics it’s usually a toss up between either an interested person asking about if anyone minds if he or she runs, or alternatively a political party asking individual if he or she would please run. Active campaigns to decide who will represent a party at the local level do occur, but are few and far between. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/44 "2002-04-21T01:10:10Z")
When I learned **matt** was running again, I looked up the stats for Verdun - St. Henri in the last election. The results were: Liberal - 51.3% Bloc Quebecois - 29.4% Progessive Conservative - 6.5% Canadian Alliance - 5.1% NDP - 2.5% Green Party - 2.3% Marijuana Party - 2.3% Communist Party - 0.4% Natural Law Party - 0.3% ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/45 "2002-04-21T01:19:25Z")
I was nominated by election at a meeting of the Verdun/St-Henri/St-Paul/Pointe-St-Charles Riding Association. ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/46 "2002-04-21T01:21:17Z")
Now, that was _ **NOT** _ nice… Matt - just ignore that nasty **LaurAnge** - kick ass! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/47 "2002-04-21T01:23:34Z")
BTW, I’m much more confident of my percentage chances this election. Since it’s a by-election and I’m 1 out of 7 ridings instead of 1 out of 301, I’ve gotten a lot more financial, logistical, and people-power support from the party this time around. Also, I don’t believe as many other left-wing/protest-vote parties will be running this time. and people aren’t as scared of the Bloc Québécois or the Canadian Alliance. I believe I can get a substantially higher portion of the vote this time around. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/48 "2002-04-21T01:24:44Z")
I appreciate the thought, Happy, but LaurAnge is not nasty 😉 I forgot to add that I’m one of only two returning candidates. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/49 "2002-04-21T01:48:33Z")
I didn’t mean to be nasty at all! Someone asked whether his riding was an NDP stronghold, and so I gave you guys the statistics that I had been interested in finding! I do think **matt** ’ll do better this time, and even if he doesn’t, I really don’t think it has any bearing on him. The truth is that the Liberals and the B.Q. are more popular parties. And just because he may not win is absolutely no reason not to try as hard as he can. Things need to be taken slowly, people’s minds can’t be changed in a few years. Heck, I voted for the NDP in Westmount, where there was less than no chance of it making a difference, but it still **mattered**. \*LaurAnge now feels really bad ☹ \* ---
**Author:** ![Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Big\_Kahuna\_Burger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_Kahuna_Burger)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/50 "2002-04-21T01:51:56Z")
How well exactly did **matt** do in the last election? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/51 "2002-04-21T02:03:02Z")
I got 1 003 votes, good for 2,5%, coming in fifth. ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/52 "2002-04-21T02:30:35Z")
Durn. Gonna do it again, so that someday we can say “Yeah, we knew the prime minister waaaay back when…”? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/53 "2002-04-21T02:41:13Z")
Hej Matt! I’m coming to Ottawa and Montréal for my holidays, perhaps around the end of June/beginning of July (though I have to be in town for the Toronto dopefest)… do you accept retroactive contributions? In person? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216/54 "2002-04-21T02:43:39Z")
And all it takes to double last election’s return a really good evening out negotiating with the Mary Jane party’s candidate. More seriously, although the NDP is not likely to win in this by-election, and generally wins few seats in a general election, it does an excellent job at sometimes forcing one or more of the major parties to move toward its positions in order to attract people who would otherwise vote NDP. Often the NDP brings serious social issues to the attention of the public and the major parites. It performs a very valuable role as the conscience of the House of Commons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/matt_mcl-has-another-kick-at-the-political-can/100216.md?page=2)