On December 3rd, 2006, Liberal Party delegates will get together to elect a new leader of the Federal Liberal Party.

The last eight leaders of the Liberal Party have all served as Prime Minister of Canada (including the 1st, 2nd and 3rd longest serving Prime Ministers).

Personally, I'm not impressed with Ignatieff at all. He's boring, has no charisma and lacks charisma (so does PM Harper).

The more I look at the field, the more I'm impressed with Bob Rae. His one premiership of Ontario shows that he is a traditional fiscal moderate (surprising given his Socialist background) - indeed, his fiscal conservativism is what made him an enemy of his own 'ideologically socialist' Party twenty years ago.

Any thoughts or comments?

I've only listed the top three candidates for the Leadership. As far as I can see, no other candidate has even a remotely credible chance of winning it.

I agree with you on Ignatieff, he is just another Harper who is in the race for complete and obvious personal ambition and nothing more. The problem with Rae is that he screwed Ontarians in their mind and a Rae victory will lose Ontario and hand Harper a majority. Dryden cares but lacks the knowledge and the charisma for the job. In all honesty the best candidate is Brison. I lived in his riding while at Acadia University and voted for him the two times I was able to. If you look at his record he has the best one for serving his people, an underated trait unfortunatley. He has won decided majorities in all 4 elections from the age of 28 to 38 as both a Conservative and a Liberal and in a riding that is deeply conservative. All this while being openly gay. He doesn't make that he is gay an issue, he talks strictly of politics and the country, when they had the vote for gay marriage he held a public meeting to see what his constituents wanted. We need leadership like that. He doesn't stand a chance to win, in large part because of his sexual orientation and that's wrong.

You are right though the race is between the few. Too bad McKenna, Tobin, and Graham didn't run, all would be far greater candidates, leaders, and Prime Minister.

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Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale

Brison is a minor player and a complete unknown in Ontario (therefore no good for the job). I would have considered a candidacy from Tobin or Graham to be a joke. Tobin is a camera-loving media whore without substance. Graham is just a toady for who ever is the Leader.

As for Rae, I think the issue is more complicated than that. Indeed, it was a careful and dispassionate assessment of his term as Premier of Ontario upon which I'm basing my support for his candidacy.

When Rae was elected Premier, his own Labour-socialist party demanded that he serve up the goods as a reward for their victory. Rae understood that the Socialists didn't actually win the election, they actually got in by default when the incumbent and the challenger imploded with horrifically bad election campaigns. So Rae ignored their 'wish list' (and so the leftwing threw a collective temper tantrum).

On the flip side of the scale, the Bay Street set screamed murder that a Socialist was elected and vowed to fight tooth and nail against anything - even opposing things they had previously supported or praised - if it came from Rae, they screamed murder every time.

Rae, actually delivered a fiscally moderate approach. Bay Street screamed murder anyway and the leftie-socialist set screamed even louder.

Either way, Rae turned out to be the only guy at the time who spoke with a level head, actually understood the issues and did the right thing. Everyone seems to have hated him for it, but methinks the hatred was entirely artificial (a mile wide and an inch deep) as it was so manufactured.

As it stands, Rae does have the charisma, the television ability and the affiability to be a decent federal leader. His popularity across Canada also shows that he resonates well outside of Ontario.

Hey I didn't say Rae did all wrong, but if you watch or read the news you notice that he is not liked more than he is, and his charisma seems more than it is cause his competitors have none. Did I not acknowledge Brison has no shot, I was merely pointing out he was the best for it.

What region are you from?

We need a Trudeau right now. Someone who is Canadian before anything else, someone who wants to unite our broken nation and work for every Canadian regardless of where they are from. Show me that leader, regardless of party, and they have my vote.

__________________
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale

If the Toronto media don't like him, they will pretend nobody in the country likes him.

Fact is, Rae leads the polling in every province save Ontario (2nd to Dion in PQ). That means the guy must be pretty likable and campaigns well.

And I agree, Rae's charisma looks good because of the complete lack of it in all the competitors. Dryden is the biggest let down - with a name like that, if he had even an ounce of charisma the election would be over already.

The city that would rank as Canada's 4th largest province (closing fast on the #3 position).

Isn't it obvious? I'm from the centre of the universe - indeed, right smack in the very heart of it, a hundred yards from Maple Leaf Gardens...

Oh God, a leaf fan, well I won't ever question it if you say something ridiculous, all is explained. We get real good media coverage here cause it doesn't lean one way or the other cause neither side likes us so its straight down the middle. I will agree with you in my mind, of the front runners Rae seems the best choice, but I am scared of Ontario if he wins. I hope you are right, you live there so I will cautiously take your word. You are right on about Dryden too, but really any former Hab great would be good for the job eh.

__________________
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale

I was reading the Globe and Mail comments the other day and someone from Alberta made the "centre of the universe claim", you better watch out, they're going for your title. Coincidentally he wanted Rae to win cause he thinks a majority for Harper will follow. Should be interesting.

__________________
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale

While I agree with you about Rae (I even voted for him here in this poll), I think we are not in the majority. Most voters here in Ontario only remember the way we got screwed when the NDP were in power. They remember 'Rae days', strikes, and the massive cuts to health care and education by the 'Common Sense Revolution' that swept the province right after the NDP.

I know that Bob Rae was not the entire NDP, but he was the most visible aspect of it. He's been tasked for special projects by both the federal and provincial governments since he was premier, and I have always been impressed by his approach, and his concern for all citizens. He'd have my vote, but most people around here would rather give the Conservatives a majority than see him as PM, IMHO.

If I was a political campaign manager, I'd rather try to sell Rae in Ontario than try to sell Ignatieff to anyone, anywhere. Artsie-intellectual types from Toronto are like Americans nominating N-E Liberals. They may appeal to the base, but they won't sell.

they need to get their act together cause the last thing canada needs is a conservative majority. i like Rae thus far. i sure wish Louis Arbour was running

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Canada = Mad Cow Disease
USA = Mad Cowboy Disease

At a time like this we need a strong candidate to stop a Harper majority, I agree. I don't see much from these candidates, I hope I am wrong.

__________________
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale

I like Gerard Kennedy the best because he is a centrist candidate who won't rock the boat. His only weakness right now is that he has nearly no representation in the province of Quebec.

He will benefit if Ignatieff can't get anymore support than he's got now and if people end up listening to Bob Rae but bailing out on him at the last minute because he's not a true Liberal Party member.

This poll leaves out candidate Stephane Dion who did manage to pick up 17% support from delegates although he'll have a tougher time in the rest of the country.

Ignatieff is the frontrunner, but I think Kennedy is positioning himself the best to be able to pull off an upset.

I wish Brian Tobin were running.

It is my impression that Bob Rae is the most likeable of all the candidates. Perhaps what he has going for him this time is that he doesn't have anything to lose so he can say what he wants, but as a politician he's far more orally gifted than Ignatieff so far.

I don't think he has much of a chance. He seems too young, too inexperienced and way too left wing (he represents the leftwing of the Liberal Party).

I'm thinking it is Rae that is best placed to pickup any 2nd or 3rd ballot defections and thus, he's the strongest challenger to Ignatieff (who seems very stiff).

I think this is one of Rae's best assets. I hate the entrenched power elites that dominate political parties. They are the real enemy. Rae is obviously not connected to this set the way Ignatieff is.

Dion doesn't stand a chance, so I left him off the poll. Dion I think is running for a couple of reasons: 1) to represent Quebec inclusion and 2) to bolster his own politica position as the Quebec lieutenant (and thus, a guarenteed senior cabinet position in any future Liberal Government). This is a common reason for running.

Btw, I'd never vote for a Liberal Party under Kennedy. The only thing I hate in the Liberal Party more than the Quebec corruption is the Liberal Party leftwing which are a bunch of socialists that don't have the guts to run as actual NDPers (because they'd lose their safe seats).

I wish Tobin or McKenna had ran, either would have been far and away better than any of the candidates there now. You can't knock them for not running, citing wanting to be around their families, and both have done a lot of good in their careers, but right now I wish one would change their mind.

__________________
Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way.

"There is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation" - Pierre Trudeau

“No one is more enslaved than a slave who doesn't think they're enslaved.” - Kate Beckinsale