While NDP leadership hopeful Jagmeet Singh is being praised for his adept handling of an obnoxious heckler the other day, it was his comment about his next steps if he wins the leadership that has many NDPers concerned.
Singh suggested that if he wins, he would be in no hurry to run in a byelection to gain a seat in Parliament and take part in the debates in the Commons.
Leadership rival Charlie Angus jumped all over that in the last leadership debate, suggesting that choosing Singh could actually hurt the NDP in the short run.
Singh must realize that being the leader of a political party without a seat in Parliament is like stepping up to the plate in a baseball game without a bat in your hands.
The new leader will inherit a party that had the wind knocked out of their sails in the last election, which undoubtedly, led to the ouster of Tom Mulcair as leader.
One insider told me that the NDP wants a dynamic leader who can recoup some credibility with voters and you can’t score political points while you’re on the outside looking in.
Singh’s supporters dismiss the concern and point to the fact that he is the consensus frontrunner.
Maybe so, but Maxime Bernier was the frontrunner heading into the Conservative convention, and how did that work out?
Bill Kelly is the host of Bill Kelly Show on AM 900 CHML and a commentator for Global News.