Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Who was it? Mrs. Volpe?

Andrew Coyne is running a series of polls on Liberal leadership.

The most interesting is the "who should win from the Liberal perspective?". Currently, McKenna, Manley, Dion, and Ignatieff are all doing quite well.

But, with nearly 700 votes cast, there has been one single vote for Joe Volpe.

Even Belinda's got 28.


UPDATE: He's up to 3 votes! Can I presume the Wappell household has visited Andrew's site?

posted by calgarygrit at 1:51 a.m.

34 Comments:

  • My personal choice is Michael Ignatieff.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:00 a.m.  

  • Stronach has traits that would make her a possible candidate for party leadership. She's accomplished, she stands up for what she believes in (or takes bribes depending on how you look at it), and is relatively young and fit and thus charismatic. Depending on who else is up against, she can pull this off quite well.

    Depending on when the next election is held though, I don't know how well she'd fare with voters. Even some Liberals aren't too fond of her "flip-floppery." That one awkwardly-timed switch has given quite a few people a bad taste for her.

    Whatever, we'll see.

    By Blogger Peter, at 2:30 a.m.  

  • I am absolutely loving the fact that Joe Volpe only has 1 vote.

    I do have question, though - now that he's no longer in cabinet, is he against gay marriage again?

    By Blogger Ryan Ringer, at 2:37 a.m.  

  • The BIG problem with Stronach is that she isn't ---ummmmmm-
    to bright. I'm not refering to her crossing the floor, I'm more refering to the fact that when she is answering questions for the media she just doesn't sound very intelligent.

    I remember when she was running for the CPC leadership and she was on TV in Vancouver and was asked a question. She didn't know the answer-OF COURSE-- and she just mumble-fumbled along.

    But she does have nice legs though.

    Horny Toad

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:41 a.m.  

  • STEPHANE DION!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:07 a.m.  

  • He's up to two now! Maybe he voted for himself.

    By Blogger Red Tory, at 3:26 a.m.  

  • The two best names I've seen so far are Stephan Dion and Gerard Kennedy. Both would make fantastic leaders.

    To be fair, if somebody is setting up a pool and they listed the top 5 candidates (McKenna, Ignatieff, Manley, Tobin, Cauchon), I would put $500 on "the field".

    I really believe that the first outsider who excites the grass-roots who left under Martin and starts pulling a "Howard Dean" on the party, will win.

    I think either Dion or Kennedy could do that.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:40 a.m.  

  • It needs to be someone who can repair the devastation left by Martin's team.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:11 a.m.  

  • Well, at least Joe reads Andrew Coyne's blog...for me, I really think we need a Westerner to run, but seriously, I'm split between Dion or Ignatieff, right now...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:24 a.m.  

  • I'm not sure any prospective outsiders will want the Howard Dean label - in the end, Dean lost, and lost pretty badly, to a consummate party insider.


    Really? Dean Lost? Wow - I missed that. You miss my point. Obviously nobody will want to be labled as the "Dean Candidate" but Dean did two things that GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO WIN [Remember, Dean was at 1% support less than a year before the primaries]:

    1. He broke all of Clinton's fundraising records with small donations of $20-100. He showed that it could be done. This is one of the two largest problems the Libs have (the lack of a donor base for small donations)

    2. He really engaged the grass roots and brought new people into the party. His use of the 'net and blogs changed US politics. He actually stood for something.

    I really think that for the Libs to rebuild, both of these things must happen. It doesn't mean that a McKenna can't win without doing it - of course he can - I just don't know that the party will be any better after the race.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:36 a.m.  

  • If Dion ran, you'd have to be insane to back Ignatieff.

    They're both academics with similar policy positions. But at least Dion has political experience and has lived in the country over the past 20 years.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:04 a.m.  

  • You want a Westerner? It's a shame that Anne McLellan doesn't have a seat anymore, because she would have been my first choice. I agree that the LPC should be looking outside the usual circles, which is why Ignatieff is a logical choice. But Anne would be a dream come true. She has that Alberta spirit that the LPC so badly lacks.

    I know plenty of federal and provincial Liberals in Alberta, and none of them is happy with the LPC in its current, or past, form.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:14 a.m.  

  • Gerard Kennedy. Born and raised in Manitoba. Attended University of Alberta. Opened first food bank in Canada (in Edmonton). Every party wanted him to run for them in Alberta. Instead, came to Toronto to run the Daily Bread Food Bank. Every party wanted him to run for them in Ontario. Probably best Ontario Minister of Education ever (or at least the last 20 years). Bilingual. Good Guy.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:21 a.m.  

  • Anne McLellan has fucked over my family more than any MP. Sure, it wasn't personal. We've just been on the right side of every wrong decision she's made. If she runs, I'll make it my personal goal in life to see her lose.

    Stephane Dion kicks ass, but he's perhaps just too passionate. Does he have the leadership skills? Maybe. Is he Machievellian enough? Probably not.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:23 a.m.  

  • Forgot to mention, Gerard has Scottish/Ukrainian ancestry. Would be able to muster very strong support in Alberta. Met him when at U of A. In a day, he could have a team in every riding in Alberta.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:47 a.m.  

  • "Stronach has traits.... She's accomplished..."

    Bzzzt. Being the one in 15,000 sperm is not an accomplshment.

    By Blogger deaner, at 11:49 a.m.  

  • I'm considering getting a bunch of us to buy Liberal memberships just so we can get Volpe elected as Liberal leader.

    With that guy as leader, the Liberals would be stuck in opposition for a LONG time. :)

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 12:13 p.m.  

  • _Gerald Kennedy would be a good choice - in 10 or 15 years though.
    _The big problem is that not one single Liberal (in or out of office) was willing to run for the Federal Leadership only 2/3 years ago. Oh wait, yes there was one single Liberal who ran!

    By Blogger CQ, at 12:38 p.m.  

  • Bimbo Belinda! All the way!
    (from a conservative point of view)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:02 p.m.  

  • I think Dion would be an incredible choice...he may not have charisma, but one of the lessons the Liberals should learn from this past Monday is that charisma isn't everything.

    An interesting choice would be Stronach, if only because she brings out the Conservatives' collective worst impulses. I suspect that if she were leader, they'd have a hard time refraining from really vicious personal attacks. Whether they're deserved or not (I lean towards the latter), they'd still reflect pretty badly on Conservatives and probably give Stronach a good shot at becoming PM.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:17 p.m.  

  • Everyone is forgetting Allan Rock.

    But that is folly, because he has yet to make a decision.

    www.tdhstrategies.com/home.html

    He is far ahead of Volpe or Stronach or Dryden, even if he has been out of the country for 2 years.

    By Blogger TDH Strategies, at 1:25 p.m.  

  • Um, if you want to hype a candidate, please let me know if that candidate is fluently bilingual. No, Laytonesque French doesn't count. If they don't speak French then fuggetaboutit.

    The Liberals need to re-invigorate in two regions: the Prairies and Quebec.

    The challenge: to find a candidate that can excel in both regions.

    The problem: the big, inside candidates hail from Ontario and the Maritimes. Who is up from the West? And I do not see any Quebec candidates who will be able to speak to the Prairies. Is Stephane Dion one?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:33 p.m.  

  • I could go on about all the positive credentials of Gerard Kennedy, Ontario Education Minister but instead I just urge those interested in learning more about him to visit:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerard_Kennedy

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:47 p.m.  

  • Kennedy would be a great pick, his problem might be that he is too nice a person.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:04 p.m.  

  • I voted for Joe as the Tory wet dream candidate. I mean, just how perfect would that be? The very thought of it sends me into giggles.

    If you Grits have any sense, you will pick Dion. He and Cauchon are the only one's who would be credible against Harper.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:04 p.m.  

  • "Kennedy would be a great pick, his problem might be that he is too nice a person."

    Well, I understand there are some unemployed former advisors to the Geatest Prime Minister of All Time (tm) looking for work...they could certainly a**hole-up any candidate real quick...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:13 p.m.  

  • I hear Buzz will soon be looking for work.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:58 p.m.  

  • Wow, even in victory conservatives are angry bitter little people.

    Kind of sad.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:24 p.m.  

  • Bitter??
    I was laughing when I wrote this. It is called humour.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:27 p.m.  

  • Wow, there are a lot of anonymous trolls on CG's blog.

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 4:31 p.m.  

  • Could the Liberals please select a leader who speaks French. Much as I detested Martin's tendency to babble, the man can hold his own en francais.

    If I have to listen to a French language debate between Harper & McLellan/Tobin/Stronach/other non-speaker, I may just jump off a bridge.

    Ours is a bilingual country; anyone who can't be bothered to learn the language of a third of the residents is not qualified to lead the country.

    The Last Trudeaumaniac

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:59 p.m.  

  • Brian Tobin or Stephane Dion were front and center in my mind. But I really like the suggestion of Gerard Kennedy.

    It would be ideal to have a Western (bilingual) leader, but Tobin, to me, brings all the right qualities.

    Volpe is a walking joke, Belinda is a vapid opportunist, Cauchon has an unfortunate name, and Rock is not that likeable.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:28 p.m.  

  • I think you people are definitely over-estimating Gerard Kennedy as a candidate. He is my MPP, and so I have followed his career for a good while.

    I think the real problem with him is McGuinty - he is a senior cabinet minister in a very unpopular Ontario government. As for his being the "best education minister ever" I have yet to see him champion any big reforms or anything.

    Also, when I was 14 and he visited my school, I stumped him with some of my questions. Incidentally, he is not a particularly engaging speaker, and in the all-candidates debate came off as being extremely tired.

    On the other hand, I personally would benefit from him being PM, because... he'd probably run in my riding and because I know a lot of the men behind the men behind the education ministry.

    Oh... also... he LOST to Dalton McGuinty, and he lost for a reason. Positioning (in the ideological sense).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:13 p.m.  

  • Anonymous in Parkdale-High Park

    Mr. KnowItAll, the reason Gerard lost is because the fifth ballot voting was at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning. He was ahead in each of the four previous ballots. Most of his supporters lived in the GTA area. The majority of the other candidate's supporters (McGuinty, Duncan, etc.) were from outside the GTA and were staying at hotels around Maple Leaf Gardens. Some of Gerard's supporters had to go home. That's history. If the fifth ballot had been at 10:00 p.m., ...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:45 p.m.  

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