Wednesday, March 22, 2006

A New Kennedy

Maybe it's because the rules came out, maybe it's because the Ontario budget has been drafted, maybe it's because Martin Cauchon bowed out - but, whatever the reason, there is a ton of buzz around Gerard Kennedy today.

A profile article here. A new blog here. A trip to BC this weekend. And rumours of a stop over in Calgary on Sunday.

posted by calgarygrit at 3:03 p.m.

29 Comments:

  • Hey CG, I was at a riding association meeting last night (I live in Calgary) and there was lots of buzz about Kennedy. I really hopes he comes to cowtown as I really want to meet the guy. He seems like he's exactly what the party needs right now - but I'd really like to meet him. If he has more charistma than Dion and Ignatieff (not that they set a very high bench mark) then I think I'll throw my support behind him. He's a lot more exciting then all the stuffy ol' has beens that are considered front runners (I don't consider Stronach a front runner because I can't image a majority of the party ever getting behind her).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:45 p.m.  

  • Would be great to know just where the event in Vancouver is being held!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:00 p.m.  

  • Well, if there is anyone who can beat Ignatieff (or if you prefer, the guy that the media thinks is the reincarnation of Trudeau) it is going to be a Kennedy. I still think that Iggy would make the best PM (probably because I am one of those liberal over-educated types and I watched one of his documentaries in a graduate class), but I got to admit that Kennedy (that is just a fantastic political name) has a better chance of getting the job.

    To make use of the other line from Brokeback Mountain...this is a bitch of an unsatisfactory situation...I apologize for the language

    By Blogger Leny Vilekoskytch, at 4:07 p.m.  

  • The rumor is the office today is that Gerard and his people are thinking of having him announce from his birth place in the Pas in Northern Manitoba.

    The thinking is that this will set him apart from the other couple dozen of T.O. candidates and create the image of him being a candidate than can play in the west and rural areas of the country.

    But my office mates have been full of shit before so this could all be crap.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:09 p.m.  

  • Kennedy just lost a potential supporter. There was only one riding association meeting last night and I was there and the only time Kennedys name came up the very brief response was "who?" No one was interested in him, no one knew him and no one discussed him.
    I am not saying this to beat up on Kennedy but rather the deliberate distortion of the truth by people attempting to build up an impression of him on the internet.
    An impression that is not true.
    He may be a great candidate, he may be the messiah, but lying about things just does no one any favours. He was not activly discussed at the meeting, he was really not even discusssed and someone lying while taking cheap shots at other candidates, I am sorry, it smacks of the kind of underhanded dirty tactics that the party has suffered through so much for the last few years. I would have looked at Kennedy up until now. The last thing we need is another "Board" slagging others while lying about their own guy.
    Bye Bye Kennedy you are done, we do not want a return of THOSE bad old days. Kennedy supporters have been called about it on other blogs, now having personal experiance with it I can say Kennedy supporters are bad news and dishonest.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:13 p.m.  

  • saddened; Hear, hear. I fully plan to make my choice for Liberal leader based on which candidate has the least overzealous anonymous internet supporters!

    I haven't seen any anonymous posters claiming to be Volpe backers exagerating their candidate's support, so he's in the lead right now!

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 6:17 p.m.  

  • I'm a big Volpe supporter (he's FAR more charismatic than the other candidates, like Dryden and Rae).

    I was at that very same riding meeting last night and people couldn't shut up about Volpe-Mania and how it was crossing the nation!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:21 p.m.  

  • It is to laugh when a 'plant' comes on and pretends to be upset about supposed slagging, pretends that he's heard no buzz and pretends to be upset... Could 'Saddened' be pretending to be a liberal, too? or maybe he/she's been too busy stuffing envelopes for Belinda or Scotty to look for the truth.
    There are plenty of questions about all the candidates and their ideas -- but to come out and set up your personal slag on Kennedy with a well-scripted 'Nobody mentioned him' and spear people who hope to support his candidacy by saying "the deliberate distortion of the truth by people attempting to build up an impression of him on the internet."
    Where's the distortion? Some people are truly excited about him, as there are people for Ignatieff, Dion, Stronach and Dryden. It's part of the pre-campaign speculation. In many ways its good because it builds interest in the party. Yes, policy should be first, but the current leadership has decided a leader takes precedent. So at this point its speculation and some hyperbole, and from you grousing. When all the names that are running come forward then we can have some serious discussions about ideas and priorities and comparisons, but your tactic is a joke.
    Give it a rest, Saddened.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:28 p.m.  

  • SiC: Yes, the biggest beef everyone had with the board last time was that they overhyped their candidate on blog comments sections...

    Get real. You're obviously supporting another candidate and are trying to trash Kennedy (the very thing you're complaining about).

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:47 p.m.  

  • maybe moquitlam is spoofing someone complaining that someone is complaining about hype in order to throw everyone off track. or is he just complaining about someone spoofing a complaint about hype?

    however it adds, up the main points stands, the first post in the thread (hopeful) is so same old same old whether its straight up or a spoof itself.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:02 p.m.  

  • maybe moquitlam is spoofing someone complaining that someone is complaining about hype in order to throw everyone off track. or is he just complaining about someone spoofing a complaint about hype?

    however it adds up, the main points stands, the first post in the thread (hopeful) is so same old same old whether its straight up or a spoof itself.

    at least anon 4:21 has a sense of humour.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:04 p.m.  

  • sorry for the double post. the [X] campaign told me to do it and say IU supported the [Y] campaign.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:06 p.m.  

  • Kennedy LOST the leadership of a provincial party and we are thinking he is the saviour of the Liberal Party of Canada. Please! Enough! He may be a nice guy but how can he make it in the cut and thrust of Question Period? We don't know. Can he handle himself in a media scrum with the Ottawa Press Gallery? We don't know. The Liberal Party of Canada has never elected as its leader someone who did not have experience in a federal cabinet. Think about it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:19 p.m.  

  • ^

    I agree!


    Belinda Stronach almost 6 months at the cabinet table show her to be a proven leader and a stateswoman.

    Here Here for Belinda!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:28 p.m.  

  • What would Volpe-Mania look like?


    If for one would like to see!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7:29 p.m.  

  • Terry Mercer and Warren Kinsella are both promoting him. He must have something to offer. Back when Terry and Warren were around, we won elections.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:58 p.m.  

  • Gerard is still hard at work as Minister of Education. See today's newswire:

    http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2006/03/22/c4579.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html

    If Gerard becomes leader of the federal Liberals, it will be because of this kind of positive spirit and focused commitment.

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

  • I ask, and I am sure Gerard would second the request, that all those who desire Gerard to lead the Liberal Party, immediately refrain from negatively criticizing others.

    Please, if you need to build up Gerard (or make others aware of your excitement of Gerard seeking the leadership), do not do it at the expense of tearing down someone else.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:18 p.m.  

  • just to clarify anonymous at 5:19 the liberal party has had a liberal prime minister without cabinet experience and that was the hon. alexander mackenzie. coincidently he appointed himself minister of public works the same day he became PM. however, If you mean elected by the membership you are correct.

    i would argue that kennedy is more then qualified to be in the leadership contention. he has proven himself to be an excellent education minister in ontario (particularly in qp), as well as an outstanding member of provincial parliament. to argue that he can’t handle media would be an incorrect statement. do you really think kennedy would still be minister of education if he couldn’t deal with the media, particularly in ontario where the teacher’s unions are extremely powerful.

    as for taking pot shots at kennedy for leadership … that’s a little unfair considering two other candidates have lost leaderships in the party … what makes them the saviours.

    by no means am i a kennedy supporter but i think he has a lot to bring to the leadership race.

    give him a fair shake!

    By Blogger fresh, at 10:21 p.m.  

  • saddened in calgary:

    I hadn't heard of the guy until the meeting last night and I chatted with some people about him, so I looked him up.

    Saying there was lots of buzz and I want to meet him hardly constituties whatever the heck you were accusing me of.

    Heard buzz = want to meet him

    heard buzz ≠ "underhanded dirty tactics"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:34 p.m.  

  • Hopeful.
    No you did not. Either you were not at the meeting (which is my guess) or you are grossly misrepresenting what was said.
    My point is there was NO buzz. None NADA zip nil zero.
    So you coming on and saying that there was lots or even any is just not true.
    I am not saying anything about Kennedy, but very clearly we have a supporter of his who has no problem with lying about it.
    I do not like those tactics.
    moquitlam, I was at the meeting and a delibrate attempt was made to not talk about leadership candidates except in a very general sense, I am not a plant. My point is that no one really talked about anyone, an attempt was made to avoid lobbying for anyone and to just deal with business and deal with stuff for the AGM. I really resent hopeful GROSSLY distorting events. To be honest there was NO BUZZ about anyone, it was avoided, delibratly, so unless there were 2 riding association meetings in Calgary last night (which there were not) hopeful was telling fibs.
    There is another AGM tonight, I will not be there so maybe there will be alot of buzz about someone but I will call the president tomorrow and chat with him, hopefully gord gets re-elected, and ask him about buzz and then I can tell you.
    In the interest of fairness there was one last week and Kennedys sister was there and she certainly tried to create some buzz. People were interested that she was there and she seemed very nice and quite the looker as well. So if someone had said there was buzz there it would have been ok,last night no buzz.
    Tonight I will find out and let you know.
    Truth be told there is to much dscussion going on aboout trying to defeat someone running for president who has been going around the province offering people positions that should be elected at the AGM. I do not think this person knows that you cant offer people elected positions, it used to work that way but it sure is not anymore. How do you offer someone a regional chair position when that is elected by the presidents in that region, none of whom like the person doing the offering.
    This is confusing.

    Vote for Volpe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:51 p.m.  

  • I posted and it did not show so if this ends up a double post I apologize.
    Hopeful, what I said was that there was no buzz and saying there was is a willful distortion of the truth. Matter of fact the chair tried to limit discusion of the leadership topic as they were concentrating on the AGM. Candidates running for Provincial pres were there and the discussion focused on that and the attempt to restore democracy to the LPCA. Seems there is a candidate for pres going around offering people potitions that he has no right to offer as they are elected by, say the regional chairs and the full board so offering people the positions is crap.
    In any case what I object to is someone looking at the AGM scheduale and claiming there was a lot of buzz at a meeting when it is not true.
    There is another meeting tonight will there be a lot of BUZZ then too?
    I will phone the pres and ask him tomorrow, hopefully Gord is reelected.
    If you had even said last week it might have worked because Kennedys sister was AT an AGM and that did create some buzz, she seemed very nice and was very nice to look at as well.
    You just picked the wrong meeting to lie about.
    and moquitlam I did not slag Kennedy I just expressed contempt for SOME of his supporters for lying.
    Nor did I build up any other candidates, but that has now changed
    Sign me up for Volpe Mania!!!!
    Make it a Volpe Day!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:07 a.m.  

  • crap it did double post I think
    Sorry everyone!




    That said
    One more chance

    VOLPE FOR STORNAWAY!!!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:08 a.m.  

  • First time poster, longtime fan of the blog

    Seriously saddened, you have a complete lack of credibility, you do not even post under a real name. You should really post under a real name if you are going to comment on what is going on in Calgary area AGM's.

    Sincerely
    Linda Holmes

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:54 a.m.  

  • Volpe Mania is kicking off this weekend with a rave in downtown T.O.


    Bring your "E", or whatever drug you like and join Joe and his crowd as we get crazy to some mad house beats.

    There are seriously not enough squids alive on this earth to provide enough ink to write all the stories that Volpe Mania is going to generate in the coming weeks.

    In fact I expect the democrats will use Joe Volpe as a centre piece of the 2008 Presidential Elecion. Joe Volpe and his Mania has coat tails so big that cross borders.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:05 a.m.  

  • Linda
    I will when hopeful does.
    Why do I have none but they do?
    I was actually at the meeting I can tell you what people were wearing.
    Can hopeful say the same.



    Vote for Volpe!!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:31 a.m.  

  • What Vople-mania? having known Joe through various campaigns back in the early 1980s, somehow I think he'd be flattered by that assessment. A solid MP and good organizer (knocked the useless Roland DeCorneille from his post) he taught at Henry Carr High School and, last I heard, was quite happily married. Hey, a Teacher as PM! There's a thought!

    Belinda Stronach has six months in Cabinet and she's referred to as a "stateswoman"? Belina may have much to offer, but she is hardly Madeline Albright, Indira Gandhi or Golda Meir, or even Hilary Clinton. Let's see some passion, let's see knowledge of the issues.

    Gerard Kennedy can handle himself in Question Period. Education is likely the toughest and most high profile provincial cabinet post. In Ontario, the transfer payments from Ottawa are minimal. Unlike his NDP counterparts in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, Ontario's Education Minister finances the system through provincial money. Progressive Catholic (I took Communion with him at Holy Name Church in Toronto back in 1988). Like Trudeau, willing to challenge Church hierarchy (no, not the same context, but still important) and the Catholic school boards for capitualting to Mike Harris' policies.

    Looks pretty solid to me.

    David Imrie - dave.imrie@gmail.com

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:07 p.m.  

  • Young Liberals prez backing Scott Brison for party leadership
    (Liberal-Leadership)
    Source: The Canadian Press
    Mar 23, 2006 14:33

    By Jennifer Ditchburn

    OTTAWA (CP)_ The president of the Young Liberals of Canada is throwing his support behind MP Scott Brison for the leadership of the party.

    Richard Diamond said he met with most of the prospective candidates and decided to back the former public works minister_ and former Tory.

    ``He's always demonstrated that he's bright, capable and energetic, and I think he speaks to a generational change that is really need right now if we are to appeal to young voters,'' Diamond said.

    Diamond's support is significant because the Young Liberals make up a strong voting bloc during leadership conventions. About one-third of all delegates come from student clubs across the country.

    Diamond said he would lobby fellow young Liberals to support Brison, but his endorsement doesn't automatically signal the backing of other members.

    Former prime minister Paul Martin's team was very adept at securing the vote of young Liberals, many of whom ended up working with him on Parliament Hill. But his team was also criticized for setting up ``paper clubs'' on university campuses_ clubs that only existed to send voting delegates to the convention.

    Brison, and potential competitors Belinda Stronach and Ken Dryden will be trying to woo other young Liberals this weekend in Ottawa during the youth wing's executive meeting.

    Diamond said Brison's relatively short history with the Liberals should not be a deterrent. Brison was a Progressive Conservative MP until 2003.

    ``His vision is much more Liberal than many members of our own caucus,''
    Diamond said.

    ``In the time that he has been a member, he had demonstrated the he is a true liberal. He believes in prosperity and that should be balanced with a social conscience and a progressive social agenda.''

    Brison has yet to formally announce he is running for the leadership. To date, only businesswoman Martha Hall Findlay and MP John Godfrey have revealed their intentions.

    Liberals will choose their leader on the weekend of Dec. 2-3.

    INDEX: POLITICS
    (c) 2005 The Canadian Press

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 6:17 p.m.  

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