Convention Vs. Leadership Debate

(Before I start, I'd like to thank The JF of From the Mind of a Netjin for adding my blog to his list of links.)

From the EnMasse discussion forum, here's something interesting from the Globe and Mail's Jane Taber (behind a subscription wall, sorry).

There is not much love lost between the Liberals and the NDP these days as each party eyeballs the other warily, worried about that left-of-centre vote.

So it is a delicious coincidence that both parties will be in Quebec City next month on the same weekend: Sept. 9 and 10.

The Liberals will be in town for a leadership debate, which is to be held on the Sunday. The NDP is holding its convention with Leader Jack Layton delivering his keynote address on the Sunday. Will he be upstaged by the leadership debate?

The Liberals had planned to hold their debate at the Hilton Quebec, which is linked to the Quebec City Convention Centre. The NDP is holding its event at the convention centre. The Liberals had already booked the Hilton but had to move to the Cabaret du Capitole as a result of the conflict. Were they muscled out by the NDP?

Well, I'm going to the NDP Convention, but I'm wondering if I could somehow find time to watch the leadership debate, in the spirit of "know thy enemy". Come to think of think of it, could I even get in without a Liberal membership. If not, then I'll forget about it. After all, I take the oath of membership on the back of my NDP membership card, unlike some people, very seriously.

I think this could be an interesting opportunity for the NDP. The article asks the question: "Will [Jack Layton] be upstaged by the leadership debate?", but it is very possible to make the question: Will the leadership race be upstaged by Jack Layton? I mean, Layton may be able to use the leadership race as a "prop" in his speech. I can also see other possibilities.