My Thoughts On Jack Layton

Toronto Politics

4 minute read

August 23, 2011

I have never voted for the NDP party and likely never will, but I never had more admiration and respect for a politician than Jack Layton – and that includes every person I’ve ever voted for…

Think of a game of touch football with your friends where one of your buddies flies by you at warp-speed and catches a long touchdown pass that you were completely helpless to stop.  He smiles at you from the endzone, and although you want to hate him, you just can’t.

You wish he wasn’t playing, you hate his level of game, but you can’t hate him.  He’s just so talented and so good at what he does.

This is how I felt about Jack Layton.  He’s like a member of the opposing team that you know you’re playing against, but you respect him and wish he was on your side.

I have never voted for the NDP party and I never will, but during the last federal election I found it so hard not to pull for Jack Layton.

I’ve never seen a politician with more charisma and natural passion.

I’m a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, so I’ve bounced back and forth in federal and provincial elections between the Conservatives and Liberals, but I’ve never batted an eye at the NDP.  I’m a capitalist and a realist, and Jack Layton’s politics never struck a chord with me.

But even as I voted for Stephen Harper in the last election, I did so begrudgingly.

I watched every televised debate and became frustrated with Harper’s arrogance and his “I know better than you” demeanour.  It was like he didn’t feel like answering any questions on his “why” or “how” but rather just wanted to say, “Let me act, and don’t question.  I’ll do what I want.”

And there was Jack, smiling away.  His posture at the podium demonstrated his confidence and his smile showed voters that he is human – unlike many politicians and/or robots in office.

I wasn’t at all surprised when Canadians elected the NDP as the general opposition party, nor was I surprised when it was revealed where the votes came from.

Quebecers had grown tired of a party who did nothing but preach sovereignty and never had any actual ideas.

Long-time Liberal supporters grew tired of the comically awful party leaders that were propped up in front of them, not to mention their lack of leadership at any level over the past few decades.

Layton was not just a “default” option but rather somebody whose passion and vigilance was inspiring to those that had become fed up with their own party leaders.

Jack Layton was the hardest working politician I’ve ever seen.  As somebody that is lucky enough to have a job that I love, I know what it’s like to think nothing of becoming a workaholic and to do so with intent.  Jack Layton always seemed to be in twice as many places, talking to twice as many people, and his crowds were always twice as large.

Jack Layton spoke with conviction.  Do you remember what it was like to watch Stephane Dion fumble through a debate?  Did you ever take Michael Ignatieff seriously?  The former sounded like he had no clue how to run a party, let alone a country, and the latter made everything he said sound like a lie.

When Jake Layton spoke, I took in what he said.  I genuinely believed every word that came out of his mouth, whether I agreed with his politics or not.  He seemed like one of the only politicians one could ever truly “trust.”

I feel like Jack Layton would have made a formidable opponent for Stephen Harper, and don’t misunderstand what I’m saying – because I do believe that every party in power needs a strong opposition to keep them in check.

The Conservatives are most aligned with my political views, but we can never take ALL of a party’s suggestions to heart.

Just today, I’m reading about how Stephen Harper is going to re-table his “Organized Crime Bill” that is as ludicrous as it is unnecessary.  So the next time a 16-year-old chops a dime of chronic to one of his buddies in the school parking lot, he’s going to jail for two years?

Come on.  This is why we need strong opposition.

Even though I’m a Conservative supporter, there are always issues over which I’ll disagree with them.

A strong opposition leader will ensure that no one person ever truly rules with an iron fist.

I don’t believe in dictatorships, nor do I believe in absolute power.  A strong opposition party in Canada will ensure that both sides of the equation are explored.

As a person who works with the general public, meets and greets strangers, and is constantly put on the spot, I came to admire Jack Layton’s confidence and swagger.  In the last election, he took a more “fun” approach to his campaign and it made it much easier for voters to relate to him.  It was the first time I’d seen a politician take this approach since I’ve been following politics and it was inspiring.

When push came to shove, Jack didn’t back down, and he conveyed his party’s message in a coaxing albeit calming manner.  But I never saw Harper or Ignatieff smile, or at least do so authentically.

Jack Layton was the only reason that the last election was “interesting” at all, and not just another round of people telling lies to get elected.

I was shocked to hear of Jack’s passing on Monday morning.  It was announced at our sales meeting, and a colleague said to me, “One month.  Geez.  That’s serious.”

But I was even more shocked at the way Jack went out: by leaving a message to the country he loved and inspiring us one last time.

Not to get into a whole religious/spiritual debate, but I have no clue how he was able to go with such ease and confidence.  When my time comes, I can’t imagine I’ll display the same composure and dignity.

His Goodbye was the stuff that legends are made of, and I would imagine it contained a few choice quotes that will be recited for years to come.

Anyways, I had planned something else for today, but I sometimes make sense of things by putting my thoughts down on paper.  Thanks for letting me share.

Written By David Fleming

David Fleming is the author of Toronto Realty Blog, founded in 2007. He combined his passion for writing and real estate to create a space for honest information and two-way communication in a complex and dynamic market. David is a licensed Broker and the Broker of Record for Bosley – Toronto Realty Group

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6 Comments

  1. Graham

    at 8:53 am

    Well said David. I’ve never voted for the NDP either, but I agree with pretty much all you’ve written.

  2. calico cate

    at 10:04 am

    So very eloquently put, David. You captured exactly how I feel about him. I, too, would never vote for the NDP party but I would vote for Jack Layton in a heart beat.

    Thanks for this post.

  3. JG

    at 10:10 am

    Agreed.

    R.I.P. Jack –

  4. Chris

    at 1:33 pm

    thats beautifully written. thanks for sharing

  5. Krupo

    at 2:42 pm

    Not to mention Jack’s fight to keep the CityPlace lands as social housing before the project got underway. Who knows – maybe one day…?

  6. Claire

    at 4:14 pm

    I agree with all that you’ve said too. A big part of me is glad that he at least got to be leader of the opposition, even if it was only for a short time.

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