Mulcair underperformed in the debate because he was muzzled by his party. The image makers thought they needed to banish "Angry Tom". They failed to understand that we need a "Lion of the Left" and Mulcair was/is uniquely positioned to be that person.

In the middle of the election the NDP knives were already out for him, it was as though the NDP thought "holy cow, we might actually win this.....RUN AWAY!!"

THe adoption of the LEAP manifesto, pretty much guarantees irrelevancy in 2019 and beyond. I hope at some point a calmer hand will grasp the tiller.