Sunday, June 19, 2011

Mark Your Calendars

Liberals have voted to pick a new leader sometime between March and June 2013. I was personally hoping for a shorter timeline but my sense from yesterday's conference call is Liberals are ready to get to work rebuilding the party in the interim. I think it's a little naive to assume no one will think about leadership for a year and a half, but this should at least cool the speculation for a bit.

Assuming Rae stays as interim leader right up until the vote, that would give him between 21 and 25 months in charge of the party...not much different from the 29 months Ignatieff held the post, the 24 months Dion was in charge, or even the 26 months Paul Martin was LPC leader.

7 Comments:

  • In comparing Interim Leaders and Leaders, there is a difference that length of reign does not account for. Every Interim Leader has been a facilitator or compromise whereas every Leader has not.

    By Blogger thescottross.blogspot.com, at 7:11 p.m.  

  • Get the full rundown of what happened at the Extraordinary Convention here:

    http://www.newliberal.ca/496/live-the-2011-extraordinary-general-meeting/

    By Blogger Corey Hogan, at 12:51 a.m.  

  • I say Ted Hsu for leader in 2013!

    By Blogger Jordan, at 9:27 p.m.  

  • Martin > Dion > Ignatieff > Rae ..!!!

    The next leader will most likely have to continue the rebuilding of the damaged Liberal brand, because Canadians are not going to just flock back to the Red Tent.

    The next leader should have a shelf life of 8-10 years because that is how long the Liberals should expect to occupy the dog house.

    Don't mean to be harsh, but that's most likely the reality of the situation.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:15 p.m.  

  • I assume Rae's strategy is to look more competent than any of Martin, Dion or Ignatieff, be statesmanlike in the face of the initial campaign skirmishes, arrange an end-of-summer vote, and then push for the right to throw his hat in the ring as of May 1? But under the rules adopted, could that strategy win?

    By Blogger matt, at 11:46 a.m.  

  • I still think Rae is going to want to run, too.

    His theory may be that the Liberals can't drop any lower in the polls, and that NDP support might wither under the spotlight.

    If the Liberals start to move up in the polls and make their way back to the high 20s, does Rae get the chance to enter the race?

    By Blogger Michael Fox, at 5:27 p.m.  

  • The Liberals are already back in the low 20's and I don't think Rae will be allowed to run and I don't think he will want to.

    Rae knows just as well as anyone that he's to old, and if he entered the race he'd lose. Someone young needs to be chosen and I think Liberals have finally figured that out.

    By Blogger Jordan, at 10:20 a.m.  

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