I believe the BC NDP are lacking in big policy ideas. And none of the top three candidates for leader are “change we can believe in”. The NDP will fight the next election with the same slogan they have used in the past: “We’re Not the Liberals!” The best candidate to lead that campaign is Mike Farnworth.

Adrian Dix has a history of bad judgement calls and I doubt that he is capable of getting a significant number of non-voters out to the polls (even Obama couldn’t repeat that for the mid-term elections). Horgan simply has nothing to prefer him over Farnworth.

Farnworth has the best presence and media-friendly style. He has the most endorsements, so he’s in the best position to get the election machine finely-tuned. And I heard rumours that Farnworth has a decentralized leadership style, so I think there’s more potential for a policy renewal under Farnworth. (Why wasn’t leadership style discussed openly in the campaign?!)

I don’t think Dana Larsen would make a good leader, and I only agree with about half his policy proposals, but I think he has potential to shake up the party. I’d like Larsen to have a good mandate, so I think NDP members should give Larsen first-place on the preferential ballot. Assuming that few members will actually do this, Larsen will come in a respectable forth place and be eliminated after the first round, then the second-place preferences for Farnworth will be counted.