Newfoundlander

I'm willing to bet that Rae put out their last week that he would be running to see what people thought. He received a lot of backlash and decided it was not smart to run. I think this is good for the potential candidates outside of the current caucus. I think many would agree that Nycole Turmel's weak performance as interim leader likely affected Brian Topp's chances, Tom Mulcair was saying that he was going to be in the House on the Monday after the convention to fight Stephen Harper. I think some Liberal members would be less worried about choosing an outsider knowing that they're well led in the House.

I've seen him referred to several times as a Green Conservative.

He was minister of the environment in Quebec and did not impose polluter pay on their hydro developments. He has also spoken out in support of the Muskrat Falls hydro development in Labrador and hasn't mentioned polluter pay for it.

I have to agree with Preton Manning a bit. Hydro developments have a lot of environmental impacts but Mulcair is all for them. http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Reform+Party+founder+Manning+slams+Mulcair+over+polluter+position/6762249/story.html

I'm not a fan.

Scott Brison I think would be my choice for interim Liberal leader, he's one of the few MPs I like.

I think had Bob Rae become leader in 2006 he likely could have gotten a lot of NDP supporters to vote for him in the 2008 election. I think there are many who would have thought that this was their chance to get a Dipper Prime Minister. That's not the case any longer though, I don't see how Rae could improve the Liberals in the polls.

The west and rural areas could be big, especially for lesser knowns.

David McGuinty will have the Ontario Liberal organization behind him. This election will also be one member one vote.

Do you really think all the new members knew that though?

I think basically anybody. Rae hasn't done anything as leader. Ted Hsu would be an interesting choice.

No, what I'm saying is he said at the end it would be decided at a convention if they would move forward with cooperation.

It wasn't till the end that I started hearing him say that it would be up to the grassroots to decide whether they cooperate with other parties. While he supposedly wouldn't have been able to cooperate with other parties without the support of the grassroots, had he said from the beginning that he'd put forth a proposal to the members on cooperating with other parties he may have been able to win more support.

None of them have made much of a name for themselves, though that's not necessarily a bad thing. I had never heard of Nathan Cullen and only knew Brian Topp from the Globe and Mail and they came second and third. I was actually surprised when I read David McGuinty's biography a while back because it turns out he has accomplished more in his life then just being the brother on Dalton McGuinty.

What?

Because they're both old and realize it's time for the next generation to finally take over. As well that was never an official rule.

How many people did you think thought that Peggy Nash, Paul Dewar, Brian Topp and Martin Singh were strong names?

Dominic LeBlanc has supposedly ruled it out but he seems to have more substance than Trudeau and can perform well in the House. David McGuinty will probably run and he use to go head to head with John Baird so he'd probably be able to perform well in a debate. Bob Rae has made sure over the last year that Liberal MPs don't have an opportunity to speak or become well known so it's hard to know how strong members in caucus are. While they could be long shots there are people outside the caucus who will run, David Bertschi's speech to the Economic Club of Canada was supposedly strong from comments I saw. How many people would have thought Nathan Cullen would be the best debater in the NDP leadership race when it started, or that he would finish ahead of better known MPs like Peggy Nash and Paul Dewar?

Possibly. I don't know how strong he'd be with policy stuff but when it comes to giving a speech he's much stronger than Mulcair and Harper, holding his own in a debate would be tougher.

All I brought up was how the NDP took a hit in the Praries. I'm sorry that you're such an incompetent partisan that you're unable to see that.

Well they lump all three together so we don't kow how they're doing in Manitoba. Mulcair could have given his opinion without criticizing the premiers of three provinces.

Ok then.

Well there has been speculation Dexter may call an election this Fall and he never ruled it out.

LeBlanc has supposedly ruled it out anyways and there has been much speculation that Trudeau has a leadership team organized.

Mulcair's personal popularity and the NDP took a hit in the Prarie procinces, and they're now statistically tied with the Liberals there. It will be interesting to see if this is just a short term thing or if the NDP are finished in the three provinces, if so they can't screw up anywhere else.