CFN – An odd amount of discussion this weekend about the future of the Federal Liberals. One author was blazed in headlines saying they were dead. I received an email from a up and coming Grit here in this riding sharing the link and voicing an opinion.
I can’t blame many Liberals for feeling….lost.
Years of infighting have torn the party apart and hurt it much more than anything Stephen Harper could do. Even the killing off of party subsidies; as anti-democratic as that is; should not hurt the party if it gets its act together.
No more settling on choices for leadership between factions. The best person should be chosen; not only one who could lead, but one who can beat Mr. Harper at his own antics. You don’t need an effete intellectual like Michael Ignatieff. You need someone with some fire in their belly and a winner.
Frank McKenna said he might consider coming back for one run. It’d have to be a party with its ducks in a row to get the now successful TD Banker to come back to politics, but if the Liberals want to regain their footing Frank is an example of the type of leader that it’d take to have a real shot.
Dalton McGuinty had rumblings about his being the guy,but he missed a majority by one seat which has blocked that ascent. He did mount a near historic comeback against Tim Hudak; but does he have the charisma and fire to defeat Mr. Harper who by the time the next election rolls around will have been PM for nearly ten years?
Mr. Harper’s legacy is nearly completed. He united a party and fought the battle until gaining his Majority. Regardless of personal politics or support of his methods it’s been a huge political achievement. The only thing left for Mr. Harper is to win another majority and cement any doubters.
In his years of power the media have veered hard to the right following Federal ad dollars and an aging population that have less interest in sharing their nest eggs and a younger generation that rarely can spell politics never mind actually participate.
The wild card is of course the NDP and Thomas Mulcair.
If Thomas Mulcair doesn’t become leader of the NDP that is the note that should ramp up Liberals across the country. Mr. Mulcair could be a leader for any of the big three parties in Canada. He can speak . He’s smart and has fire in his belly a plenty. A cross between a Jean Chretien and Jack Layton and someone that if he achieves the leadership of the NDP could garner enough cross over support to threaten Mr. Harper in the next election.
That would spell trouble for the current Liberal position.
2012 will be interesting indeed; for the future of the NDP, the Liberals and the next election.
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Not bad. Quite an improvement on your term papers, you actually make some sense. lol
At least I don’t have to raise my hand and call you sir to get your attention now 🙂
Good piece, Jamie. Courageous move by McKenna, if he makes it. And good for the country. Harper’s heavy-handed ideology is doing serious damage to Canada.
PJR I think it’d be courageous if Liberals pulled together to try and convince Frank to run.
Should they get the ducks in a row and look for a leader to sell it, or get a leader first to get the ducks in a row?
I think Mr Harper or whoever heads the NDP would be happy to have Mr. Dalton McGuinty as head of the federal Liberals, nuch like anyone looking at their bills lately.
Yes indeed.
I sure hope he’s wrong, but I fear he isn’t. The federal Libs for sure deserved to be kicked into third place. I hope their time-out will give them time to grow up and regroup.
I meant yes indeed to your last, admin. Eric, I can’t see McGuinty making the jump.