Bob Rae to end bid for Liberal leadership: CTV

[madmax]

Harper wasn't very well liked on a national scale when he became leader of the CPC. He's done fairly well. He'd do better if he actually was likeable. That's where Ignatieff may have the edge.

I find little difference between Ignatieff and Dion. Ignatieff is the English version of Dion. He says and does just as many stupid things. So far, his biggest benefit has been hiding in the bush. Dion was very popular the less we heard from him.

Harper wasn't liked and still isn't.

Dion was an idiot and still is.

It isn't that Ignatieff isn't liked, it is that he is an unknown. Another unproven commodity. He will likely sleep with Harper if that makes you feel better.

[Poli-Sci Student]

Harper wasn't very well liked on a national scale when he became leader of the CPC. He's done fairly well. He'd do better if he actually was likeable. That's where Ignatieff may have the edge.

Maybe. Like I said, a long bomb.

[Mr.Canada]

Ignatieff won't fair any better than Dion. Harper is going to rip him apart. Mr. Ignatieff is an arrogant man who is out of touch with average everyday people. He has the Harvard arrogance, this won't play well with Canadians at all.

Plus he hasn't lived in Canada for 30 years than comes back 2 years ago to become PM. This man is way too arrogant and out of touch. This will become clear very soon.

Ignatieff will never be PM.

[jdobbin]

I find little difference between Ignatieff and Dion. Ignatieff is the English version of Dion. He says and does just as many stupid things. So far, his biggest benefit has been hiding in the bush. Dion was very popular the less we heard from him.

Is there anyone in the Liberal party that you think would have been good?

[jdobbin]

Ignatieff won't fair any better than Dion. Harper is going to rip him apart.

I guess we'll have to see. Ignatieff will have a number of things that Dion didn't have going for him: complete and full support from the party and the ability to articulate in either language.

He has also been quite effective in asking questions to Harper in the House and so far I have not seen Harper rip him apart.

[Mr.Canada]

I guess we'll have to see. Ignatieff will have a number of things that Dion didn't have going for him: complete and full support from the party and the ability to articulate in either language.

He has also been quite effective in asking questions to Harper in the House and so far I have not seen Harper rip him apart.

Granted he'll be a great improvement over Dion but this man is so pompous and out of touch. He's lived in Canada for 3 of the past 35 years, this isn't going to play well in an election. It's look like a greedy power grab by an aristocrat.

[jdobbin]

Granted he'll be a great improvement over Dion but this man is so pompous and out of touch. He's lived in Canada for 3 of the past 35 years, this isn't going to play well in an election. It's look like a greedy power grab by an aristocrat.

Come on. You wouldn't have been happy with any new Liberal leader. If Jesus Christ had run, you would have said that men with beards and mustaches couldn't be trusted and you thought the message of peace and caring was Communist.

[jdobbin]

Ironically, he is wrong again.

So, Harper was right to want to go in Iraq? Maybe he will bring that up in an election with Ignatieff.

[capricorn]

Or in the leaders' debate.

[Mr.Canada]

So, Harper was right to want to go in Iraq? Maybe he will bring that up in an election with Ignatieff.

Ignatieff also supported that war.

I would like John Manley to lead the Liberals. I would even consider voting for him if he led them. I believe he will be next after Ignatieff fails and he will. He just doesn't look like a PM imo. I firmly believe that Manley will be a Canadian PM one day.

[jdobbin]

Ignatieff also supported that war.

Which is why many Liberals didn't vote for him. He eventually had to say that the choice to stay out of the war was a wise one considering what the reasons were for it.

Harper never did that. He still thinks Canada should have been there.

I would like John Manley to lead the Liberals. I would even consider voting for him if he led them. I believe he will be next after Ignatieff fails and he will. He just doesn't look like a PM imo. I firmly believe that Manley will be a Canadian PM one day.

Manley doesn't have willingness to work hard to build up the party right now. The longer is he out, the rustier he gets as a day to day politician. Witness Turner. He was once a smooth campaigner and was completely rusty coming back.

[jdobbin]

Or in the leaders' debate.

If you mean about Iraq, Ignatieff's original stand didn't sell Liberals on him. Had he not done a mea culpa, I suspect he would not advanced in the party at all.

In Harper's case, he was hoping people forgot that he supported Canada going to war. He probably still thinks Canada should have gone.

[Mr.Canada]

Manley doesn't have willingness to work hard to build up the party right now. The longer is he out, the rustier he gets as a day to day politician. Witness Turner. He was once a smooth campaigner and was completely rusty coming back.

I don't disagree with you, he'll be back after the party has been rebuilt, if it ever happens, imo.

[Keepitsimple]

The Liberal Party, led by Senator Ian Davey, starting courting Ignatieff in 2004 - when he was still in Harvard and had been outside of Canada for 30 years. Since that time, instead of renewing the Liberal Party from the grassroots and inviting all sorts of new talent into the party, they have now crowned an elitist professor through backroom politics. Another professor....with next to no political experience.....who only recently had returned to Canada. Why can't Liberals connect with grass roots Canadians...is it any wonder they need the $1.95 so desperately?

[scribblet]

Ignatieff also supported that war.

I would like John Manley to lead the Liberals. I would even consider voting for him if he led them. I believe he will be next after Ignatieff fails and he will. He just doesn't look like a PM imo. I firmly believe that Manley will be a Canadian PM one day.

I also thought Manley would be the best leader, too bad it wasn't Rae LOL He has more baggage than Toronto airport -

It seems that all Bob Rae's arguments in his interview to forestall the "coronation" of Michael Ignatieff, are exactly the opposite of his arguments for why the coalition has a right to take over without going to the polls?

Most often heard is, the party membership (public) has a right to be involved and the membership should insist that it be a democratic decision not a coronation, that history has shown us that coronation never works very well. talk about a hyprocite !

Edited December 9, 2008 by scriblett

[jdobbin]

The Liberal Party, led by Senator Ian Davey, starting courting Ignatieff in 2004 - when he was still in Harvard and had been outside of Canada for 30 years. Since that time, instead of renewing the Liberal Party from the grassroots and inviting all sorts of new talent into the party, they have now crowned an elitist professor through backroom politics. Another professor....with next to no political experience.....who only recently had returned to Canada. Why can't Liberals connect with grass roots Canadians...

The Liberal have always attracted people who have served outside the country. Pearson and King come to mind. Think they did our country well but then I'm sure partisan Tories think they were terrible prime ministers.

Ignatieff has as many years in the House of Commons as Harper did when he became leader. However, you consider that next to no experience.

is it any wonder they need the $1.95 so desperately?

Seems to me that Ignatieff had no problem paying off his debt under the new rules. He will likely be able to reform the financing of the Liberals now that he is in office.

I expect that finance reform is among the things that top the list with the Liberals and they will move quickly on it.

The only reason Harper moved on election financing was because his party was hoping to cripple the Liberals before anyone other than Dion was in power. It was just another example of his zero sum, kill all who oppose politics. It is cynical because if he really wanted to save $30 million, he would have done so with a smaller cabinet. He has gone from 26 ministers to 37. Yeesh.

Edited December 9, 2008 by jdobbin

[punked]

I also thought Manley would be the best leader, too bad it wasn't Rae LOL He has more baggage than Toronto airport -

It seems that all Bob Rae's arguments in his interview to forestall the "coronation" of Michael Ignatieff, are exactly the opposite of his arguments for why the coalition has a right to take over without going to the polls?

Most often heard is, the party membership (public) has a right to be involved and the membership should insist that it be a democratic decision not a coronation, that history has shown us that coronation never works very well. talk about a hyprocite !

Nope he wanted them to ELECT delegates which is the way the liberals pick there leader and have them vote for the leader. Just like we ELECT MPs and have them pick the leader. Looks the same too me. You know like the last race, you dont get the leader on the first vote no matter who fractured the vote is. You need 50% of the delegates to vote for you, like in our government. WHAT A HYPOCRITE trying to have a representative democracy everyone knows the liberal party like the government is a dictatorship..........wait a minute.

[Jobu]

Has anyone ever been elected leader of a country that he has lived in for less than 10% of his adult life?

I don't mind Ignatieff, at least what he stands for, but how "in touch" can a guy like this be?

I can't imagine this will play very well in an election.

[Smallc]

but how "in touch" can a guy like this be?

If you live in Alberta, are you in touch with Ontario? Quebec? Newfoundland and Labrador?

[Poli-Sci Student]

If you live in Alberta, are you in touch with Ontario? Quebec? Newfoundland and Labrador?

This is one of the major problems with Canadian Politics. It's pretty hard to "get" all of Canada. I wouldn't even begin to pretend that I do, and politicians that do are usually lying.

I'd like to see a politician who admits he maybe doesn't get Quebec, or Alberta, but is willing to learn.

[Mr.Canada]

The Liberal have always attracted people who have served outside the country. Pearson and King come to mind. Think they did our country well but then I'm sure partisan Tories think they were terrible prime ministers.

Ignatieff has as many years in the House of Commons as Harper did when he became leader. However, you consider that next to no experience.

Seems to me that Ignatieff had no problem paying off his debt under the new rules. He will likely be able to reform the financing of the Liberals now that he is in office.

I expect that finance reform is among the things that top the list with the Liberals and they will move quickly on it.

The only reason Harper moved on election financing was because his party was hoping to cripple the Liberals before anyone other than Dion was in power. It was just another example of his zero sum, kill all who oppose politics. It is cynical because if he really wanted to save $30 million, he would have done so with a smaller cabinet. He has gone from 26 ministers to 37. Yeesh.

The Tories

I hated Pearson because he replaced our true Canadian flag with that Liberal rag, it looks just like the Liberal logo. King was good, back when a Liberal was a liberal and not a socialist.

The Liberals have a serious problem jdobbin. They have no policy and no plan. They stand for nothing and are smooshy and demoralized atm.

They are a broken party that needs to be rebuilt. They will loose more seats before they gain imo.

[Smallc]

This is one of the major problems with Canadian Politics. It's pretty hard to "get" all of Canada. I wouldn't even begin to pretend that I do, and politicians that do are usually lying.

I'd like to see a politician who admits he maybe doesn't get Quebec, or Alberta, but is willing to learn.

That's what I was getting at though. Its not like living here can make you in touch with the entire country.

[punked]

I hated Pearson because he replaced our true Canadian flag with that Liberal rag, it looks just like the Liberal logo. King was good, back when a Liberal was a liberal and not a socialist.

The Liberals have a serious problem jdobbin. They have no policy and no plan. They stand for nothing and are smooshy and demoralized atm.

They are a broken party that needs to be rebuilt. They will loose more seats before they gain imo.

Where

Honestly where do you think the Liberals are going to lose seats

[M.Dancer]

Where

Honestly where do you think the Liberals are going to lose seats

Ontario. The erosion started a few elections ago and in every election they lost a few more.

Maritimes...they tend to swing...

[M.Dancer]

I hated Pearson because he replaced our true Canadian flag with that Liberal rag, it looks just like the Liberal logo.

I seriously doubt you were alive at the time...given he did not replace a Canadain Flag....