Online Preferential Ballot

What if a convention were held in cyberland and bloggers and their readers could vote in a prefential ballot - which current Liberal leadership candidate would come on top?

Let's find out...

Vote early and vote often!

Evening Political Wrap Up

1. A new poll released by the CBC shows Ken Dryden in the lead among Canadians and Liberals at large. This is great news for Ken's campaign and only adds to this blogs argument that Ken is the best vehicle for victory for the Liberal Party. Oh, and this isn't the first poll that Ken Dryden has led. Back in February, Canada's most accurate pollster, SES Research, found Ken to be the top choice of all Canadians - check it out here.

2. The Ontario Liberals lost a seat tonight in Toronto (Parkdale-High Park). Despite all the attention paid to the riding and the nastiness of the campaign, this is a wake up call to the provincal Liberals - despite good times, improving public services and overall good government, the public still remembers what happened during the first year in office. Next November (election) won't be an easy fight. Election Results.

3. American Politics - The turnout campaign that Republican operatives used to help pull" Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) to victory in his tough primary fight was "a preview of the strategy that national party officials say they plan to replicate in the most competitive House and Senate races over the next 55 days, according to the Washington Post.

Globe and Mail Feature on Ken Dryden

Jane Taber wrote the Globe's feature on Ken Dryden today.

You can get a hold of it here.

Some good quotes:

" Mr. Dryden has emerged as the candidate with the heart and the passion and the enthusiasm about Canada and its future."

“I think he's more prophet than politician,” said Scott Reid, former PMO director of communications, who is not supporting any of the 10 candidates but who worked closely with Mr. Dryden in the short-lived Martin government. “He says things that are insightful and leaves an impression with people. He writes with a poet's pen as well. He is definitely a politician of a different breed.”

"Whatever happens, however, Mr. Dryden says the most critical decision delegates will have to make at the leadership convention in December is to elect a leader who they believe can win the next election. He doesn't buy the view of some commentators that the next election has basically been conceded to the Tories."

IF WE WANT TO WIN....

Letter to Editor at the Toronto Star

A great letter to the editor about the leadership race was published today in the Toronto Star.

Check it out here.

Will Harper choose Ideology over common sense?

Today the GM reported that the Technology Partnership Grants had a net positive impact on the Canadian economy of $32 billion or 8.6 times the cost of the program.

I'd say that's a pretty successful program that should be kept in place.

Will Harper once again choose the wrong policy choice just because he promised it during an election?

This would be strike two- remember the GST?

You can get the article here.

Do we want to win the next election?

As we Liberals come towards delgate selection, we have to ask one simple question:

DO WE WANT TO WIN?

If the answer is NO - if we, as an aggregate party, feel that it is not time for us to take control again of this country then we have plenty of options for leader:

1. Michael Ignatieff - A brillant man with a strong following from the powers that be. But honestly, will this guy sell? I honestly don't believe so. I have met him personally at a house party - heard him talk about some unity spine stretching across the country, blah blah blah. I'm pursuing a PhD, and honestly would like nothing more than to see an academic in the PM's chair again, but this guy isn't it. He hasn't been in the game long enough - you've gotta get bruised and battered before you can play the politics game.

2. Bob Rae - Once again, a brillant, experienced man who will bring the party back to its progressive roots. But again, when the most populous province remembers what it was like to be ruled by this man - we have to say for pratical purposes that this guy can't become leader. If we want to win, we need 60-70 seats in Ontario at the minimum - will a riding like Ottawa West-Nepean, or Whity-Ajax give this guy a chance? I don't think so. We have to be able to win ridings in the suburbs and rural areas where we lost in 2006.

3. Gerrard Kennedy - A fresh face, policy oriented and good looking, but unknown - if he's elected leader, the party won't have time to get him out there. An election looms in the spring. That gives this federal rookie only four to six months to prepare - if we want to win, Kennedy isn't the choice. If we want to win five years down the road - then he's our man.

4. Brison, Bennett, Fry, Hall-Findlay, and Volpe - These candidates shouldn't be in the race. While I like what Bennett, Hall-Findaly and Brison have to say - practically says they can't win. Fry and Volpe just need to quit - they bring nothing but wasted time to this race.

BUT - if we want to win, then I think the options come down to two of the leadership candidates:

KEN DRYDEN (obviously) and STEPHANE DION

1. Dion - Honestly, I like this guy. He's a political scientist who knows what he's talking about. His focus on a sustainable economy, national unity and Kyoto is exactly what I'm looking to hear. But he's missing two things - the ability to contrast with Harper and the ability to attract crowds.

I've said it over and over, that to win the next election, the Liberals need someone who can stand on the stage with Harper and offer a completely different product. Dion is smart, but his accent is quite strong and I think Canadians will just tune him out.

2. Dryden - And so, we are left with good ole Kenny. Why can we win with Ken? Three simple reasons.

a. He has high name recognition and a strong reputation - People know who Ken is and once they hear him speak and set out his vision, they will see an honest, sincere politician not out there trying to simply win 40% of the vote, but a man who honestly believes that government can do good in this country and that 100% of Canadians can get behind his idea of what Canada can be.

b. He can raise money - The Liberals are desperately falling behind in the money chase. Ken is the only guy who can go into rural Canada and draw large crowds. While they may come out because of his sporting past, they'll stay to hear about his ideas. The key is getting people to listen and Ken is the only candidate who has the gift in this race.

c. He has the right policies - Ken contrasts clearly with Harper's visionor lack there of. His description of a "pinched, small" Conservative ideology is strong and I think it will resonate with Canadians if he is given a stage onto which to shout it out. Imagine what we could do if the people running Iggy's or Rae's campaign were running Ken's. Imagine putting Kinsella's strategic mind behind the image and voice of Dryden.

If we want to win - if we want to stop Harper's closedminded idea of Canada - then we have to select a leader who can lead us there.

Ken Dryden is the one - listen, watch and read - learn about the candidates and imagine them during a campaign. Once you do that, you'll understand that winning this time isn't really an option, it's a necessity and Ken's the candidate to do it.

Toronto Star Profile of Dryden

The Toronto Star profiled Ken Dryden today.

Overall, I thought the piece was positive - casting Dryden as the conscience of the Liberal Party. But more to the point, I think it touched on exactly what the Liberal Party should be looking for - a clear contrast to Harper.

As the NDP distinguishes itself (albeit in an unconventional and I believe stupid way), Dryden would be the perfect counter punch to Harper.

First, he'd keep the left flank of the Libs in place (something only Bob Rae and perhaps Kennedy could do). Second, he is the complete opposite of Harper (minus the charisma).

He believes in a big Canada; Harper a small, as Ken himself says, pinched on.

He believes government is in the business of doing good, for all people; Harper only focuses on the 40% needed to win.

He is loved by Canadians; Harper clearly isn't.

He is respected - when the Liberal brand is under seige, Ken is the only candidate able to rebuild the party around his leadership, set a bold agenda for the future and take the country back.

In my opinion, he's the only candidate who can win.

You can check out the profile here.

Let's Copy the Republicans...

The Republicans have started a new website with a mock newspaper detailing what would happen if the Democrats take over Congress.

I think its a really insightful idea - mixing their messaging with humour.

We, meaning the Liberal blogsphere, should do something similar regarding what would happen if Harper wins a majority.

You can check it out the PDF here.

Dryden Outlines Vision

As already identified, Ken Dryden released his full policy vision today in Ottawa.

The document is a fairly comprehensive outline of what kind of government Dryden would lead. This forward looking, progressive document strengthens my resolve to see Dryden elected leader.
You can get a copy of Dryden's platform here.

One of my favourate quotes from the document:

It would be a government excited at the possibilities of Canada, of what we are now – more than we know – and of what we can be. It would be challenging. We have been given a lot – our land, our space, our resources – we have been given a lot by our ancestors – peace, stability, materia wealth, a “live and let live” society with the richness of two founding languages and many cultures, with its understandings and institutions, and instinct for getting along. We have been given a past and a present that have set no limits on our future. We are a country still in the making, still in the becoming.