Next Liberal leader

[Mr.Canada]

If the Liberals don't appoint someone who is right of centre the party is doomed. If Bob Rae is next leader the NDP and Grits will merge.

[Keepitsimple]

Funny how the Liberals could be said to be made up of "old white guys". Could of sworn I heard that before somewhere.

[Posc Student]

Funny how the Liberals could be said to be made up of "old white guys". Could of sworn I heard that before somewhere.

They're just plain old.

[PIK]

My bet is on Dominic LeBlanc. He has already ran once in the leadership but had to quite when his dad became sick with cancer and died. He's been around the Hill most of his life, wih his dad being a GG. He's a former lawyer, he's a good speaker, seems to have a good personality, good choice for a leader.

That would be a better choice.

[Posc Student]

Dominic LeBlanc would probably be a front-runner.

[August1991]

I also agree they need more than just a new leader. They need a vision. All the other parties stand for something. What do Liberals stand for? What is it they want to do when in power, other than enjoy being in power?

It seems obvious to me: the federal Liberals have to make a federal Canada exist. They have to bring diverse Canadians together in a way that doesn't hurt any part of the country.

Unfortunately, the federal Liberals got sidetracked into a "Leftist, share the wealth" ideology. Such ideology invariably puts one region against another. The Liberals were most successful under Laurier, King, St-Laurent when they avoided ideology.

I dunno. Maybe the reputation of the Liberals is so badly damaged that they can no longer play this critical role of regional power-broker.

Edited April 24, 2011 by August1991

[cybercoma]

I'm serious about Warren Kinsella, btw.

From his website:

The leadership wars, the policy vacuum, the lousy fundraising and recruitment, the lack of election readiness, the self-defeating culture within the party itself: all of those things, taken together, have taken us to this remarkable moment. Personally, I don’t plan to sit out the rebuilding. After sifting through yesterday’s polls, I announced to myself – and now to y’all – that it’s time for me to take another stab at elected office. Not sure where, or when, but that’s what I’m going to do. You read it here first, etc.

source: http://warrenkinsella.com/2011/04/kcccc-day-28-no-schadenfreude-here-well-maybe-a-little-and-some-soul-baring/

[punked]

I'm serious about Warren Kinsella, btw.

From his website:

He wont win office.

[cybercoma]

stranger has happened

[Bryan]

He wont win office.

School Trustee perhaps.

[August1991]

stranger has happened

At the moment, the federal Liberals have been reduced to Toronto, English Montreal and central Vancouver - with a few traditional ridings in the Maritimes.

At the moment and after the next election, MPs from Toronto will form almost half the federal Liberal caucus.

Do you seriously think (does Kinsella seriously think) that the federal Liberals need a leader (or anyone) who lives in downtown Toronto?

[Posc Student]

If you watch videos of what Dominic LeBlanc when he was running in 2008 for the leadership he talks about how the party has a problem and that they need to figure out why they have such a problem. He said they need to reach out to francaphones, rural Canadians, westerns, new Canadians and young people. He has also said that he's not a candidates from downtown Toronto and that the party has to be careful so that they don't turn into a book club from downtown Toronto.

[Topaz]

Next question, could the west, vote for the leader of the Liberals after Harper? I think they could if the guy was from the west. Harper , himself, doesn't really help the party because the majority of the voters don't trust him and they shouldn't, he lies. So, the only way for the Tories to get a majority is to have a leader that is trustworthy,and who is that? Whose the next leader for the Tories after Harper? Kenny? He's too much like Harper. Baird? Too overbearing and talks too fast and too much.

[capricorn]

"The idea of a natural governing party was one tossed around more by our opponents than by any Liberals themselves, but perhaps there were a few Liberals who started to believe it and sat back and rested easy," Trudeau said. "Honestly, we're having a little bit of trouble connecting with voters."

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2011/04/26/liberal-campaign-fails-to-connect-trudeau

Ignatieff and the Liberals have invested a lot into Liberal Express and open mike tours. Also, Ignatieff put in a valiant effort in the campaign. Did Trudeau really have to cast a shadow over it all with a comment which amounts to saying that all this work yielded little result? IMO Trudeau is not a team player and has hurt his future chances of being selected Liberal leader.

[punked]

If you watch videos of what Dominic LeBlanc when he was running in 2008 for the leadership he talks about how the party has a problem and that they need to figure out why they have such a problem. He said they need to reach out to francaphones, rural Canadians, westerns, new Canadians and young people. He has also said that he's not a candidates from downtown Toronto and that the party has to be careful so that they don't turn into a book club from downtown Toronto.

He also lost to a New Democrat in 1997 could happen again. The Atlantic numbers are looking crazy for the NDP right now.

[Bonam]

I don't recall the Liberals throwing out any leaders?

Err, check your memory? Their two most recent ones: Martin and Dion.

[punked]

Err, check your memory? Their two most recent ones: Martin and Dion.

They threw Jean out as well. So that is the last 3.

[KeyStone]

After a strong start it now looks like the Liberals may have a bad election and Michael Ignatieff will be gone in no time. Who's going to be the next to lead the Liberals though? They need someone who will stay on for a number of years and possibly a number of elections in order to rebuild. They also need a leader who will bring the party back to the centre. There doesn't really seem to be a clear leader for the Liberals, or really any party, but who within the current caucus or outside the caucus could be the next leader?

I don't really see anyone stepping up.

Rae has too much baggage in Ontario. Findlay is too presumptuous (win a seat before running for leader). Kennedy has a rep for treating people around him like krap. Trudeau is a music teacher who has stretched the Trudeau name as far as he can.

Maybe Leblanc, but he isn't great.

I don't think it matters. Mulcair is going to absolutely dominate as soon as he becomes NDP leader.

[Posc Student]

He also lost to a New Democrat in 1997 could happen again. The Atlantic numbers are looking crazy for the NDP right now.

Unlikely but you never know.

Findlay is too presumptuous (win a seat before running for leader).

Why should she have had to win a seat before running for leader? Mulroney had never held a seat when he became leader and look how well he did in the 1984 election, and Chretien wasn't an MP when he became leader. Someone from outside the party might be exactly what they need.

[Posc Student]

Andrew Coyne!

[ToadBrother]

Andrew Coyne!

Heh... I like Coyne, and tend very much to his style of conservatism. He's been a pretty major critic of the Tories contemptuous treatment of Parliament.

[Posc Student]

Heh... I like Coyne, and tend very much to his style of conservatism. He's been a pretty major critic of the Tories contemptuous treatment of Parliament.

I really like him to, from what I've seen of him I'd say we are pretty close ideologically.

He tweeted today about having a fiscally conservative government that invested in social programs that was green and so on and I thought it was great, it's why I thought of him as a leader. He's mentioned before to about how Canada may need a new party that is in the centre, but why create a new centrist party when you can use an already strong name like the Liberals and just rebuild.

[ToadBrother]

I really like him to, from what I've seen of him I'd say we are pretty close ideologically.

He tweeted today about having a fiscally conservative government that invested in social programs that was green and so on and I thought it was great, it's why I thought of him as a leader. He's mentioned before to about how Canada may need a new party that is in the centre, but why create a new centrist party when you can use an already strong name like the Liberals and just rebuild.

Coyne would be a perfect fit for the job, but I have a feeling the Liberals are not ready for someone like that.

[RNG]

I really like him to, from what I've seen of him I'd say we are pretty close ideologically.

He tweeted today about having a fiscally conservative government that invested in social programs that was green and so on and I thought it was great, it's why I thought of him as a leader. He's mentioned before to about how Canada may need a new party that is in the centre, but why create a new centrist party when you can use an already strong name like the Liberals and just rebuild.

Like the Conservative parties in both Saskatchewan and BC, sometimes there is so much baggage that it is time to re-brand. I think that may have happened to the federal Liberals already. Perhaps they will become the new Social Democrats, or whatever.

[Mr.Canada]

From what I know of the Liberals,at least half of its MP's have had a privelaged life.

These are people that are used to having life handed to them on a silver platter.

NDP merger talks?

I hate the LPC but still.

Working hard in school and achieving professional success doesn't equate to leading a privileged life.

To be an NDP supporter does that mean they drop out of school and shun professional success?

The LPC is far too arrogant to merge with the NDP unless Rae becomes leader, then it may happen. If it does, the right side of the LPC will be going to the Tories.