Liberal Jockeying
Increasingly, it seems to be a common view that Stephane Dion will probably not be leading the Liberal party in five years' time.
Thus, the question: if not he, who? Certainly, we all know Ignatieff is waiting in the wings and Bob Rae's taking over Bill Graham's seat and so on. But what about the rest of the picture?
What about Justin Trudeau? He may be in parliament after the next election (Papineau, if you're interested in details). Could he be a credible candidate? (If so, would the public be willing to plum for another Trudeau? Perhaps just as importantly, would this prompt Ben Mulroney to jump in as well?)
Then there's Gerard Kennedy, who has dropped off the face of the planet after throwing support to Dion. He's been working in the Liberal backroom as a special advisor, and hopes to beat the NDP in Parkdale--High Park at the next election. He has experience in a provincial cabinet, and he seems to be generally well-liked, but he still lost by a significant margin at the last leadership election, and if Dion's ship sinks, will he go down with it?
Of course, we can't forget Martha Hall Findlay, who you can almost guarantee will soon be the MP for Willowdale. She placed a pretty terrible last in the leadership race, but as a no-name candidate with no money and no national stature whatsoever, getting any votes at all is arguably an accomplishment. I've heard good things about her as a speaker and tactician--anyone else have a view on her?
Who else do you see possibly making a run for it? Remember, no Ignatieff or Rae: they've been done to death. Who are the unlikely aspirants?
Thus, the question: if not he, who? Certainly, we all know Ignatieff is waiting in the wings and Bob Rae's taking over Bill Graham's seat and so on. But what about the rest of the picture?
What about Justin Trudeau? He may be in parliament after the next election (Papineau, if you're interested in details). Could he be a credible candidate? (If so, would the public be willing to plum for another Trudeau? Perhaps just as importantly, would this prompt Ben Mulroney to jump in as well?)
Then there's Gerard Kennedy, who has dropped off the face of the planet after throwing support to Dion. He's been working in the Liberal backroom as a special advisor, and hopes to beat the NDP in Parkdale--High Park at the next election. He has experience in a provincial cabinet, and he seems to be generally well-liked, but he still lost by a significant margin at the last leadership election, and if Dion's ship sinks, will he go down with it?
Of course, we can't forget Martha Hall Findlay, who you can almost guarantee will soon be the MP for Willowdale. She placed a pretty terrible last in the leadership race, but as a no-name candidate with no money and no national stature whatsoever, getting any votes at all is arguably an accomplishment. I've heard good things about her as a speaker and tactician--anyone else have a view on her?
Who else do you see possibly making a run for it? Remember, no Ignatieff or Rae: they've been done to death. Who are the unlikely aspirants?