Winning is everything in politics because if you don't win, you can't make any real changes.

Vision Vancouver knew that if it wanted to win the recent civic election, it had to neutralize COPE and the Greens to reduce the number of candidates running against the NPA. They formed a partnership and the strategy worked. The NPA was obliterated.

Now, Vision will have to destroy COPE and the Greens altogether as civic entities if it wants to retain power for itself. And make no mistake: Vision has no real interest in sharing power.

If Vision wanted to share power, Mayor Gregor Robertson would have appointed COPE councillor David Cadman to the board of Metro Vancouver, and COPE councillor Ellen Woodsworth to the new homelessness-action committee.

If Vision park commissioners wanted to share power, the obvious move would have been to elect COPE commissioner Loretta Woodcock as chair of the board. She's a two-term commissioner and was part of the Vision-COPE-Green alliance that won the election. But instead, Vision commissioners voted rookie Vision politician Raj Hundal into the position.

Here's what I think is happening:

* Vision wants to isolate Cadman and Woodsworth, depriving them of any opportunities to boost their profiles. That's why they weren't put on high-profile committees.

* Vision will do the same to Woodcock until she throws in the towel, quits COPE, and joins Vision, at which point she will be elected chair of the park board.

* Woodsworth might capitulate and join Vision, but Cadman will remain as a holdout and stay with COPE, confident that the public will keep reelecting him.

* The lone Green party park commissioner, Stuart Mackinnon, will serve one term on park board and either join Vision or try to seek reelection as a Green.

* Vision will run full slates for park board and city council in 2011, with Hundal moving up to seek a seat on council with Vision.

How can COPE counteract this and survive to preserve a genuine left-wing voice in civic politics? It should make a deal with the NPA's Suzanne Anton to second her motions.

The same thing should happen at the park board, with Woodcock seconding motions from the NPA's Ian Robertson. This will cause these motions to be debated and create a legislative record for the NPA to use against Vision in 2011.

COPE doesn't have to vote for the NPA motions, just second them. It will boost the strength of the NPA and reduce Vision's appetite to crush COPE altogether. COPE could stop seconding the NPA motions if the Vision contingent puts Cadman on the Metro Vancouver board, puts Woodsworth on the homelessness-action committee, and elects Woodcock as chair of the park board.

If the NPA is stronger by 2011, Vision will need the help of COPE and the Greens to retain control of the city. And that will ensure there continues to be one and possibly two civic parties (COPE and the Greens) that don't rely on developers to fund their campaigns.