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Over a third of the Ontario Liberal caucus has come out to publicly support Gerard Kennedy in the federal leadership race, something which will no doubt bode well for his Ontario campaign numbers given the organizational strength of the Ontario Liberal Party. Twenty four MPPs have put their names forward and I believe there may still be one or two more yet to be announced. If nothing else, it'll pad his wikipedia endorsement page a bit. Another name which was missed last week my many is long time Liberal MP Charles Caccia who spoke in favour of Gerard's environmental platform last week.
In other endorsement news, David Orchard has been signing up his kool aid drinkers to Liberal memberships across rural Alberta. A few of those he's signed up say they suspect he'll be endorsing Stephane Dion shortly. If true, this would certainly land Dion a few extra delegates, although for a lot of Liberals the David Orchard endorsement is kind of like the Ralph Klein endorsement: it's more hassle than it's worth. Given this track record, it's pretty obvious Orchard will come with a list of demands for whichever candidate lands him.
In other endorsement news, David Orchard has been signing up his kool aid drinkers to Liberal memberships across rural Alberta. A few of those he's signed up say they suspect he'll be endorsing Stephane Dion shortly. If true, this would certainly land Dion a few extra delegates, although for a lot of Liberals the David Orchard endorsement is kind of like the Ralph Klein endorsement: it's more hassle than it's worth. Given this track record, it's pretty obvious Orchard will come with a list of demands for whichever candidate lands him.
posted by calgarygrit at
2:45 p.m.
17 Comments:
most recent SES Poll for Ontario
Lib 43
Con 35
Not from Ontario but it seems that the McGuinty government has made real improvements in Education and Healthcare. You know, the things that actually matter.
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Dan McKenzie, at 3:40 p.m.
Orchard, that's interesting. As a Dion supporter I'm of mixed feelings. Probably means more delagates, as you say, but at what price, and plus the guy just seems loopy. I wonder if he'll want a written promise Stepane won't merge the Liberals with the Conservatives?
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Jeff, at 3:41 p.m.
David Orchard delivers bodies and delegates to whoever he supports.
And Dalton is cruising to victory. So nyahh.
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bigcitylib, at 3:41 p.m.
Legitimate question:
If Gerard Kennedy is only ex-Ontario cabinet minister running in this race, why doesn't he have the support of 2/3 of Ontario Liberal MPPs?
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ALW, at 3:51 p.m.
It's still an early point in the race and it's difficult to tell just how many will support Gerard in the end. By my count he has at a bare minimum 28 of his colleagues already onside. Well over a third of the caucus. You also have to remember that there is a strong blue grit faction in the caucus, many of whom weren't so nice to Gerard at the 1996 Leadership convention.
Also if you're going to ask this question alm you'd have to ask, "why does Gerard have more members of the Federal Liberal caucus onside, than members of THAT caucus, Dryden, Brison, Dion, Fry and Bennett combined?"
And fortunes, I guess Kennedy brought Caccia back into the fold.
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Dan McKenzie, at 4:12 p.m.
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Dan McKenzie, at 4:15 p.m.
I forgot Senators, but you catch my drift.
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Dan McKenzie, at 4:16 p.m.
Yeah, I have to say my sympathies go out to the Dion team if Orchard comes on board.
I have a real failure to understand Liberals who are excited to have Orchard join the party, I mean it was so good for the PC's after all eh.
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Aristo, at 5:29 p.m.
The only hope is if Orchard endorses Volpe
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Aristo, at 5:30 p.m.
From the title of your post I was hoping that Kennedy was starting a show where we could watch his candidacy in real time. Maybe he could save the United States at the same time.
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rob, at 5:42 p.m.
Rob; I'm still waiting for the Kiefer Sutherland endorsement...
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calgarygrit, at 7:17 p.m.
24 seems like a good chunk. I've only heard of 6 or 7 other MPPs endorsing anyone so of the Liberal MPPs involved in the race, that's a good faction.
A lot probably want to stay neutral for various reasons.
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calgarygrit, at 7:18 p.m.
Good news for GK. The only akward question for him is why a few big-wig cabinet ministers, who presumably know him better and work with him more often than anyone else (politics-wise, of course) are backing others.
But I think Dan MacKenzie hit the nail on the head: GK was (and, I would presume, still is) a fairly polarizing figure within the Ont. Lib. caucus, and that would include the cabinet. For him to do as well has he has in the endorsement area is pretty good.
I still think Dion ate his lunch at the last debate, however :)
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Jason Hickman, at 8:03 p.m.
"il y a trois candidats – trois seulement – qui se démarquent : Stéphane Dion, Michael Ignatieff et Bob Rae."
From Michel C. Auger after the Moncton debate.
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nuna d. above, at 8:13 p.m.
I wonder if Orchard's demands will include re-opening NAFTA and not merging with the NDP...
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Ryan Ringer, at 9:16 p.m.
Either Ignatieff or Kennedy will win Orchard's support, in exchange for signing an agreement to ban all cross-border commerce with the United States ("no truck nor trade with Jesusland") and creating a Red Ribbon commission to review the British North America Act.
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The Invisible Hand, at 10:01 p.m.
Wouldn't it be grand if David Orchard was signing up delegates to throw behind Joe Volpe's ethnic armies. It would be a Liberal dream team of crazy delusional cult of personality followers, and ethnics. And Volpe and Orchard working a crowd together with Orchard sputting conspiracy theories about the United States, and Volpe accusing Conservatives of being the KKK. That doesn't just deserve a convention victory, it should be a sit-com!
By
Chris, at 8:15 a.m.
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