There is much to read, and much more still to be written about the wonderfully entertaining Liberal leadership convention on the weekend. Forced away from the TV Saturday afternoon by my two kids who desperately wanted to see the Superhero exhibit at the Science Centre (crazy expensive, but really fun) I timed it perfectly so I could subject them to final ballot counting and the speeches on CBC radio as we drove to the cottage that evening. Oh Canada, I love that you can still give me moments like that — a dark, snowy highway; gripping, real-life drama on the airwaves.
I worked for Bob Rae’s campaign when he won in Ontario, and it hasn’t worn off. I was for Bob all the way. Did they make a mistake not electing him? No, not at all. I hope he runs for Parliament and ends up in the cabinet. Yes, I am assuming the Liberals will win. I think they will win the very next election, regardless of when Harper calls it. All the many analyses of “which candidate makes Harper more nervous” are forcing distinctions unnecessarily. I would guess Harper and Co. were sick with nerves the entire weekend, while the Liberal party proved once again that they can fill a huge room with fascinating electable people.
Who should be even more nervous? Jack Layton.
Bob Rae would have been very bad for Jack, for obvious reasons, as he would have taken back all those disaffected Liberals Jack so masterfully stole since his rise to power. Dion is potentially worse news for the federal NDP, since his election wave came in green, and Ontarians hold nothing against him. The coming election should be a fascinating fight, and I hope the NDP is polishing some big guns, because they’ll need them.
Finally, to the guy who accused me of single-handedly giving Michael Ignatieff the keys to 24 Sussex when I split the NDP vote in Etobicoke-Lakeshore allowing a rookie to run against the great professor… I told you so. Canadian politics is bigger than you or me. Thank god.