Liberal leadership contenders (Canada federal)

[winston]

First, I'm thrilled to pieces that Bob Rae is not entering this race again. I'll say it - I like him. I've met him a few times and seen him speak, and I think he's a very good poltician. Unfortunately for him, he will never fully in the forgiveness of a lot of Ontarians. I think he'd do a fine job as PM, but because of his history it just isn't in the cards for him.

I'm glad that there's time now for a fresh start. They have an opportunity to rescue themselves from the in-fighting that's set them back since the Chrétien years. I'd love to see them come together and be strong again, with a charismatic leader. They need someone who can rally them, and rally the rest of the country.

I definitely think that at some point this job will have Justin Trudeau's name on it, whether that will be next year or down the road. One thing he has going for him is his insane popularity. People love him, and I find it hard to fault him on his actions. Even when he screws up (the 'piece of shit' comment) he's quick to make the situation right again. I wonder if the country (read: the west) is prepared for anothe Trudeau. I think Western Canada is going to continue to be a lost cause for the Liberals for awhile regardless, so I don't know how much that needs to factor in.

I really liked Gerard Kennedy when he was in the race, and I wish the numbers had fallen on his side against Dion's. That was a terrible time for the Liberal party and after Dion was elected they just never found their stride (although I was loving every minute of the coalition). Kennedy hasn't done much to stand out for me in the years since, which is disappointing. I'm curious about whether he'll jump back in.

I'm poking around for information about Carolyn Bennett. I really like her, but so far I'm not finding anything about her jumping in again this time.

Here's what wiki has to say about the declared and undeclared so far, fwiw: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Canada_leadership_election,_2013

I'm underwhelmed by the declared candidates.

[Deleted]

I also love Bob Rae., but I agree 100% that he will never be electable federally - too many Ontarians HATE him. I like to think he learned from his mistakes in Ontario so that he'd be great, but it won't happen.

I actually loved Dion - he just was NOT charismatic at all. He was smart and would have been fabulous if he had the personality.

I agree wtih Kennedy - I like him.

I think Trudeau WILL be PM at some point, but not this election cycle.

I like Deborah Coyne - I'd like to see a mix of public & private health care - if it is done right, it could alleviate some of the issues we currently face. And I'd trust a Liberal over a Con to keep it fair. She won't be popular with farmers over supply management (and I grew up on a dairy farm, so I do feel qualified to comment on that).

I also like Martha Hall-Findlay but I'm not sure if she is electable.

I almost feel as though the Liberals need a non-Liberal to enter. Someone like....Peter Mansbridge. Not him, necessarily - but a non-political person.

[Deleted]

Random question - do you have to be born IN Canada to be Prime Minister?
I think the answer is no.

[winston]

I think Dion was interesting, and I understood where his support came from, but for me he was just never PM material. So basically I completely agree with you.

I'll be interested to see what all the Trudeau fans do if he doesn't enter the race this time, and I'll be very interested to see where he throws his support. Whether he runs or not, he's a game changer if he wants to be.

I need to look up a little more about Deborah Coyne, but I'm not a fan of privatizing health care so that's actually a bit of a deal breaker for me. Granted, my views are coloured by our own experience. We've just spent over $60,000 in the last three years on fertility treatment - help for health issues that are no fault of our own. We do well financially, so while it's been a hardship, it's been manageable with sacrifice. I can understand why this falls into the private realm rather than the public - people view fertility treatments as an unnecessary luxury. But I have a difficult time applying these views to vital health care. And while I understand how the combination systems work and that services are still available to everyone, my fear is that it becomes a class system, and I don't like the idea of better care for people who happen to have more money. But I confess that I'm socialist to the bone when it comes to education and health care, and I think that any great country needs to ensure equal opportunity for all of its people to these two things. I want to see the health care system improved, of course, but I think that allowing some things to be privatized is a very dangerous move.

It would be interesting to see an outsider come in, but it would have to be the exact right person. Ken Dryden was a flop, as much as he was a name. I do love Peter Mansbridge.

You do not have to be born in Canada to be PM. In fact, the PM isn't even in our constitution - it's a position that's been made valid by custom. Any citizen can become a Member of Parliament, and since the PM is only elected by MPs, it can be absolutely anyone that the majority chooses. Does this open up another possible candidate for you?