LibDems in Canada

How can we have the NDP merge with the Liberals with POD 1961, when CCF became the NDP? This might make the Tories blue earlier :D, but otherwise effects?
 
How can we have the NDP merge with the Liberals with POD 1961, when CCF became the NDP? This might make the Tories blue earlier :D, but otherwise effects?

I doubt it's possible. Set aside the policy issues (both parties drift left and right at various times) but the Liberals support the individual good and the NDP the collective or group good. It's a completely different way of looking at the world, regardless of whether or not their policies are similar. It's why the Tory Party (when it was Red Tory dominated) saw their voters go for the CCF over the Liberals despite the far more left-wing policies and it's why NDP voters (the strong ones, not the Liberal left leaners) sometimes voted Conservative and never Liberal. Of course that's faded these days, but back in 1961 much of that still applied.

For practical reasons, the Liberals had no need to merge with anybody and the NDP have never liked the Liberals. In the UK it was two weak parties, here it would be one strong and one weak party—another reason not to go through with it.


Now if we're talking crazy, a Reform-NDP merger would be awesome.
 
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