bradm Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) (Taken from another topic, but put in its own to avoid topic drift.)I hate the NDP.Given that, I'm interested in your (and others') thoughts about Bob Rae as a candidate for Liberal leader. I saw him interviewed on "The Hour" last night, and liked some of it, especially his explanation for his move from the NDP to the Liberals (which, while it seems opportunistic, actually happened eight years ago, as he felt the NDP wasn't being the kind of centrist party it should). I also like that he has actual governing experience (having been premier of Ontario), and that he acknowledges his mistakes; the fact that he made the mistakes, though, makes me wary.Aloha,Brad Edited April 25, 2006 by Guest Add "leadership" to topic subject. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Speaking of Snake oil. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Given that, I'm interested in your (and others') thoughts about Bob Rae as a candidate for Liberal leader. Oh.My.God.s - u - i - c - i - d - e .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_rawk Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I also thought he handled himself well on The Hour. I'm happy that he is in the running ... he governed as a Liberal while at the helm of Ontario government, and became an official Liberal not long after. Nobody was more pissed off with him during his premiership than NDP supporters, and yet in Ontario the NDP has had to wear him ever since.I'm definately glad that he is out there now to be properly affiliated with his natural party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 Seriously though... I caught him on the Hour last night. He's a well spoken man, and a concensus builder. Certainly going to tap the Harris haters with his comments about Harris' attempts to clean up the mess Rae left him, but that aside...The Liberal leadership platform is Propaghada 101... have lots of leadership candidates with lots of Camera time on the news, so when the "NEW, YOUNGER LIBERAL party" comes to your door, you might actually recognize some of the names running. I assume thata why anyone with a runaway chance of winning the race decided not to run (McKenna, Stronach, Tobin)Totally a fair play, for a party who thrives of celbritism... but I'm rooting for the NDP to leapfrog the Libs, and for the NDP to start complaining about the Green Party splitting the Environment vote.For the Record, I dig that Kennedy guy... seems like with a little backing he might actually have the guts to get some stuff done. And he's really good and being consistant with Liberal "middle speak." Quite charming.... GO SABRES!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 If a blue-eyed devil like Harper can be our Prime Minister, who is to say an ex-NDP disaster like Bob Rae can't defeat him in an election (provided he wins the Liberal leadership)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 YES!! Who IS to say? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 the blue-eyed devil hasn't had the chance to be the disaster yet. i really think that rae's reputation could cause some damage to a liberal party that's trying to rebuild on a positive foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradm Posted April 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I'm also thinking that a lot of people in Ontario will have a bad feeling about him for what he did (i.e., what they rightly or wrongly perceive as mistakes he made) while premier of Ontario. And, despite having changed parties almost a decade ago, I think a lot of people will still think of him as a hard-left NDPer, which will also reduce his changes of winning.Aloha,Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 His Iggy's right hand man... they were Roomies at the U of T... he won't win, but if the Libs do, he's got a cozy job waiting for him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 i'm sticking with 'suicide'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 I really think that Rae's reputation could cause some damage to a Liberal party that's trying to rebuild on a positive foot.[color:purple]Damn democracy, letting the man join the party and wanting to lead it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) it has nothing to do with him wanting to lead it, but everything to do with the rest of the liberal party wanting him to lead it.i just think it would be a stupid move.. they're the ones wanting to rebuild. Edited April 25, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 (edited) With all due respect Birdy... I think he's there to put more of a spotlight on Iggy, even if it's in a Simon and Garfunklesqe role. He certainly won't have the respect of the entire party, let alone 50% on his own.But I will agree the party is in shambles... it was like that before Rae got there. "You never know what spring seeds have sown!" Edited April 25, 2006 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 even so, there's a large percentage of the voting population who are quite vocally anti-rae. but if they wanna play strategy, go for it, i just think if it were me, i'd want to bring his sheer unpopularity to the discussion table. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 is he 'known' outside ontario though? ontarians don't like him, but what about the rest of the country? i think it'd be great if he got to a second or third ballot then threw his weight behind someone else he supported.... a giant chess game.ad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 yah.. but who holds the vote? not manitoba.. ontario and quebec. plus i'm sure the CPC will do their best to get that ndp-rae image of him out to the rest of the country. he's not a hard target... at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 yah.. but who holds the vote? not manitoba.. ontario and quebec. plus i'm sure the CPC will do their best to get that ndp-rae image of him out to the rest of the country. he's not a hard target... at all.Yeah, I know all that. But I was talking about the vote for the leadership of the party, not for the country... Definitely not a hard target given his time leading Ontario, but that's not to say he won't have good ideas in this race. I think he knows he can't win and is just in it to raise some policy ideas and put a fresh face on the party. More power to him, I say. I haven't paid much attention to the liberal leadership race yet, besides Iggy and Kennedy.AD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 me either...but i would think/hope that 'leadership of the country' is of the utmost importance when chosing 'leadership of the party'. that is, if they want to win. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AD Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 yeah of course, but first you gotta get voted in by the delegates, who might not be as strongly represented in ontario as the federal ridings... that's what i was going at, in a convoluted manner..anyone know how the voting will work and where the delegates will be coming from, in proportion?ad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothedShredder Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 We have 7 months to work all that out. Well 6, and then you should have your rankings set... I'm just Crystal Balling the whole Rae/Iggy ticket. But my money is on Kennedy/Stronach (I know she's not running, but I think she'll endorse Kennedy in more ways than one). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted April 25, 2006 Report Share Posted April 25, 2006 hehehehehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamilton Posted April 26, 2006 Report Share Posted April 26, 2006 I think Bob Rae is quite popular in B.C., having lead the Air India inquiry. I didn't pay much attention myself, but the experts all seem to agree that whatever the outcome, he did an excellent and admirable job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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