Ken Dryden enters the leadership race
Well we are now into double digits in terms of Liberal leadership potentials. Now I don't realistically expect there to be 10 leadership candidates still by December. As with any race, I suspect someone will drop out and then throw their support behind someone else (in addition to John Godfrey).
There is no doubt Ken Dryden probably has the greatest name recognition, but more so as a great hockey goalie rather than a politician. Now that doesn't mean someone who is a great hockey player cannot be a great politician, but I don't think his record in hockey should play a role in determining how fit he is to be leader or not.
I don't know a lot about his policies other than his stand on childcare. While childcare is certainly a major issue, I don't think it is an issue one can solely rely on to win an election. Therefore I reserve my judgment on him until I've seen all his policies. I think he has great potential to win the leadership race and possibly even become PM. Although he does have a few weaknesses he needs to work on. His French is not great and if we want to return to government, we need to gain seats in Quebec, therefore he should work on brushing up his French. Also he is not the greatest speaker, although not as horrible as Bob Skelly was back in the 1986 provincial election nor does he face an opponent with speaking skills on the level of Bill Clinton. Still he would probably be best to brush up on them.
He won't likely be my first choice, but I haven't ruled out supporting him on a later ballot if he has good policies. I am keeping my options open here for now.
There is no doubt Ken Dryden probably has the greatest name recognition, but more so as a great hockey goalie rather than a politician. Now that doesn't mean someone who is a great hockey player cannot be a great politician, but I don't think his record in hockey should play a role in determining how fit he is to be leader or not.
I don't know a lot about his policies other than his stand on childcare. While childcare is certainly a major issue, I don't think it is an issue one can solely rely on to win an election. Therefore I reserve my judgment on him until I've seen all his policies. I think he has great potential to win the leadership race and possibly even become PM. Although he does have a few weaknesses he needs to work on. His French is not great and if we want to return to government, we need to gain seats in Quebec, therefore he should work on brushing up his French. Also he is not the greatest speaker, although not as horrible as Bob Skelly was back in the 1986 provincial election nor does he face an opponent with speaking skills on the level of Bill Clinton. Still he would probably be best to brush up on them.
He won't likely be my first choice, but I haven't ruled out supporting him on a later ballot if he has good policies. I am keeping my options open here for now.
posted by Monkey Loves to Fight at 5:02 PM
22 Comments:
Dryden is the perfect choice for Liberal leader. No one can understand a word he says - a real bonus when the party has no policy beyond wanting power for the the sheer sake of power.
What do you mean the party has no policy beyond wanting power. Off course they want power, I think every political party does including the Conservatives. But the Liberals do in fact have a policy, I believe it was 80 pages long and I am sure they will have one again next election.
You must mean the policy about re-opening the constitution. You know, the one Paul Martin wrote on the back of a taxi chit en route to the debate but can't be found anywhere in the so-caled Red Book.
That was a sort of policy. Sort of.
But if you mean environmental policy - well, it has to be a bit more than self-servcing blather to be policy. Or a crime policy, which also has to be abit more than re-hashed self-serving blather in order to constitute policy.
The NDP has policy. Liberals have empty promises.
The Liberals did not call for opening the constitution, in fact I think the Conservatives with their elected senate and call for adding property rights to the Charter called for opening the constitution. Getting rid of the notwithstanding clause at only the federal level as the Liberals proposed can be done by a simple vote in a parliament according to section 44. Now I am not against re-opening the constitution if there is provincial consent since I do support senate reform and I do support property rights being in the Charter.
I agree on environment the Liberals could have done more. But we are looking at new leaders, not past leaders and the new leaders can correct the mistakes of the past leaders.
Their crime policy is probably a weak spot as I don't believe the hand gun ban will do anything, but at the same time I don't support mandatory minimums for drug offences either as the Conservatives propose.
Off course the NDP has a detailed policy. When you don't have a chance at forming government, you can promise the moon. When you are party who can form government, you have to be more realistic in your promises.
Miles,
I don't see how any of the 9 candidates can bring the party togther, and win the next election. The Liberals might need more time to work out the internal problems they have. Dryden would be a great safe choice, who would be a good caretaker until a more suitable candidate is found.
I agree winning the next election won't be easy, but I still think it can be done. Lets remember had the 11 closest ridings the Tories won went Liberal instead, the Liberals would still be in power. Only a small number of swing voters needs to switch to bring the Liberals back to power. Now getting a majority government is off course a whole different thing. I think a majority government for either party is not likely, but certainly the Tories at least have a shot at it, whereas the Liberals would need the Tories to screw up very badly.
As for uniting the party, I think it will be easier than before. Just as the Conservatives were able to bring the two factions (PC and Alliance together) it is generally easier to unite a party to defeat your enemy than to keep a party in power united. Fractures usually occur with parties in power, not parties in opposition.
As long as there's folks who are willingly blind as you, Miles, there's always hope for the Liberals.
Anonymous, just as no one could have predicted the last election, the same comes for the next election. The Liberals aren't automatically going to return to power, but the Conservatives could just as easily lose.
Miles,
I agree with you. Harper has the edge but it is in no way a lead pipe cinch.
Like I said- as long as there's folks who are willingly blind as you, Miles, there's always hope for the Liberals.
No it is not a matter of being willingly blind. It is about values and certain people in this country believe in a Liberal vision over a Conservative vision. We are not wilfully blind, if anything we are quite the opposite. The fact we recognize the dangers of neo-conservatism as seen in the United States and are well aware Harper admires it even though he is now trying to distance himself from it to gain power is not wilful blindness. I could argue voting Conservative is wilfull blindness, but I won't since I respect the right for people to support the Conservatives even if I disagree with them.
Liberalism is rotting your brain, Miles. You've devolved to using token words like "neo-conservatism" and conjuring evil American-demons from shadows.
What's next? A shaman's dance around the bonfire of entitlements, chanting "Harper... we curse the evil one! Holy Brison... save us from the neo-cons!"
No Liberalism isn't rotting my brain. Neo-Conservatism is an ideology that promotes smaller government on the economic side (which I generally support although I prefer tax cuts for the poor over the rich), aggressive foreign policy (which I oppose), and social conservatism (which I also oppose). It tends to be very rigid in ideology and bases its decisions based on ideology rather than facts.
As for my attacks on the United States, they are the most powerful nation who acts like a complete bully. When they start showing respect for smaller nations like Canada, I'll quit attacking them.
If Liberalism was rotting your brain, would you be the most competent judge of the progress of the disease or would others who are more grounded in reality be better suited to that role?
Anonymous - Your attitude towards those with different viewpoints is absolutely disgusting. I don't agree with the Conservatives, but I respect people's right to support them. It is because of people like you that I left the Conservatives due to your holier than thou attitude.
But I am holier than thou, Miles. You support the most corrupt political party in Canadian history; I don't.
Anonymous thats your opinion. Other parties including the Conservatives have had their fair share of corruption. Besides I could accuse you of supporting a homophobic party, but I won't because I don't believe all Conservatives are homophobes, even though some are, just as I don't believe all Liberals are corrupt.
You're right, Miles... no-one can ever match a Liberal for sheer "holier than thou"-ness.
By the way, your party did accuse the Conservatives of being a homophobic party (amongst other things) in every recent election.
Here's a question for you... if it were true that conservatives were racist, sexist, homophobic, fascist, stupid, inflexible, angry, and self-righteous, etc etc... shouldn't their arguments be easy to deconstruct? Someone who is making a point out of anger, ideology, inflexibility, or resentment would presumably construct a flimsy argument. So why can't the argument itself be dismembered rather than the speaker's personal style or supposed hidden motives? Why the evasions?
I can see the headlines already: Liberals choose new leader: Mumbles replaces Dithers.
Better than this headline: Crosses burning in Westmount: Hedi says she meant Westmount, Kentucky.
I never said the Conservatives were a homophobic party. I said they have many homophobes within the party, which they do and I said the Reform Party who dominate (notice I said dominate, not make up a 100% of the conservatives, but the majority) were a homophobic party. The Progressive Conservatives who make a minority of members in the Conservatives weren't homophobic.
If only those reform, niggers from Alberta could be more like fine, upstanding Progressive Conservatives. Like Elsie Wayne.
Miles, you can go on beating your self-created strawman argument all you want. You don't need my endorsement.
As I said, as long as there's folks who are willingly blind as you, there's always hope for the Liberals.
Those of us who choose to use our brains instead of sitting on them won't be voting Liberal anytime soon.
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