Up until this afternoon I did not really know too much about John Horgan, candidate for the leadership of the BC NDP; he was an “unknown” quantity to me. “That MLA from the island” was how I thought of him.

Two things changed for me. First I received an email from Harry Lali, MLA for Fraser Nicola saying that Lali was endorsing Horgan. Next I read a piece by Vaughn Palmer that made me chuckle when I read a quote that Vaughn Palmer used from a press scrum with Horgan. So I knew it was time for me to go and find out more about this MLA from Vancouver Island.

This afternoon I went and did just that; I met with John Horgan and asked him point-blank, “Why would anyone want you to be leader of the BC NDP?”

To see how he responded, watch the following three minute long video.

As a sort of caveat for Horgan, there is a significant difference between how he acts when talking to you in person and when I thrust a camera in his face. Talking to John Horgan in person is fun. He laughs and is very amusing in a folksy kind of way. I liked his friendly way. However, Horgan, is much like George Abbott in that his folksy charm does not come through on camera.

Regardless of everything, I believe that Horgan provides some pretty compelling reasons for him to be the successful candidate in this leadership contest.

I still have to have a one to one with Mike Farnworth before I decide who I will publicly endorse but I do have to say that John Horgan presented a pretty compelling case for why the BC NDP should support him.

What are your thoughts?