No doubt the knives will come out in the Liberal Party, following the dismal showing in the election. Dion’s days are numbered, he is widely blamed for a lackluster campaign. Who will replace him?
I know the frontrunners last time around are most likely (Rae, Ignatieff, Kennedy). I would not totally count out Trudeau - I suspect the Party is grooming him for leadership. The fear of course is that Rae or Ignatieff, while worthy enough in some respects, lack charisma and have offputting characteristics - ensuring further Liberal defeats; a charismatic relative unknown (but with name recognition) may attract more voter interest. However, the Trudeau name is I understand poision in large parts of Quebec …
Damned if I know what they can do. I think Rae would lose Ontario, but I’m old and remember him well. Trudeau is years away, if ever. He hasn’t been tried, yet.
A fraud? I agree we have no way of assessing his skills to date; I am interested on what basis you are suggesting that he is a fraud? That is, after all, a fairly strong assertion.
John Manley. Strong experience in Cabinet (Finance, Foreign Affairs, Industry), he’s an Anglo so he fits the pattern, he’s from the right side of the Party which may make him more attractive to Conservative voters.
I’m sure he’s got some negatives and aside from being a Republican (in the Canadian sense) I can’t think of anything else since he’s been out of the spotlight for so long.
I really hope that one or more of the people who passed the last time round will run. Surely they can do better than Rae or Ignatieff. I mean, seriously, Rae? Somebody give Frank McKenna a call. I could live with Manley, too.
I suspect it won’t be Ignatieff, who’s an ass, or Rae, who remains unpopular in Ontario. Trudeau is young and unaccomplished.
Gerard Kennedy is a possibility, but I think that if they do replace Dion (not a guarantee) it may be someone who’s a dark horse today. I like John Manley, suggested by Kid_A.
John Manley is still in politics? I was under the impression that Martin had chased him out of the party along with most of the other big Chetien cabinet ministers.
Frank McKenna turned it down the last time around - not sure if anything’s happened to make him change his mind. Far fetched suggestions - Ralph Goodale? Anne McClellan? Lloyd Axworthy? Carolyn Bennett and Martha Hall Findlay are still around.
Out of all the others suggested thus far, I’d say Ignatieff.
I’d be surprised if Goodale were interested. He seemed pretty definite last time around that he did not intend to run. For the leadership of the Liberals, that is. He did in fact win his seat yet again last night and by a fair margin too.
I’d be more than surprised if Ralph wants the job. He’ll reliably do a very serviceable job in most any cabinet post you care to name, but I’ve never gotten the sense that he wants to sit in the big chair.
I seen this and spun my eyes like a pin ball machine ,and then figured you were talking about some one else, as to me there is only one Ralph in Canada that everyone would mention by first name. Then , nope not Klein, but Goodale.
For everyone else
I agree that Trudeau is being groomed for the future , but I can expect to see him getting his hands dirty in Quebec. The big chair may not be his ,but he might make a good Quebec lieutenant in the near term.
I wondered about something else , people had mentioned that Rick Mercer was playing it very straight in the televised returns, I wonder if he is stepping up to the plate in the East coast for the libs in the near future.
Poor choice of words on my behalf. I apologize.
He’s an English major, and a high school teacher. I think we have about 100,000 similarly qualified people in Canada.
I read an article the other day that said Harper in a Bush disciple. He is super pro free trade and will go along with the US/Can/Mexico alliance. Is that the impression in Canada?
Have you listened to Ken speak!!! Dull as dishwater! The man would make Harper look like Mr Charisma! Great Goalie or no… the man is a snore.
I suspected when Beaker… err sorry Manley “retired” he was just biding his time for the Chretien Martin war to end so he could sweep in to unite the party.
Problem is he has a new storm brewing between Rae and Ignatieff.
To be honest they should ride it out until May when they have the leadership review. I mean after spending all the money on their last leadership campaign and then the election the Liberal Coffers have to be getting quite empty.
Either way though, Harper gets a free hand to push the legislation he wants while the Liberals roll over.