Friday, October 17, 2008

Meet The Press

For Immediate Release
October 17, 2008

Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion to hold a press conference in Ottawa

Date: Monday, October 20, 2008
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: National Press Theatre, 150 Wellington, Ottawa, Ontario

posted by calgarygrit at 1:39 p.m.

26 Comments:

  • I'm pretty sure this won't be about the Green Shift.

    By Blogger Dr. Strangelove, at 2:38 p.m.  

  • A Dion press conference is ALWAYS about the Green Shift.

    Even if it isn't about the Green Shift.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:49 p.m.  

  • So Dion will step down. Leadership convention in May. Dion stays as interim leader.

    By party rules, that means DSM in late March and membership cut-off by the end of this year. Which means an all out sprint to sell forms over the next 2 months. Which means Rae and Iggy have this one in the bag because they've been organizing against Dion for the past 2 years.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 2:58 p.m.  

  • Not if McKenna and/or Manley decide to run. Not that I think they will although I hope they do. I really want someone with some economic gravatis to step-up. But yes, abscent those two it'll be either Rae or Ignatiaff.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:16 p.m.  

  • So we either get Bob Rae leading the party during a recession, or Michael Ignatieff the original grandfather of the carbon tax.

    Given those options, I'd just as soon stick with Dion.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:19 p.m.  

  • He's gonna green shift his ass outta Stornaway

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:27 p.m.  

  • The next LPC Leadership campaign - as described by some Blogger or other.


    "Wide Open Race

    I'm shocked at McKenna's decision to bow out of the Liberal leadership race, but this is certainly great news for the Liberal Party in my opinion. The prospect of a McKenna coronation was extremely unappealing to me for a wide range of reasons:

    1. It would scare off a lot of prospective candidates. Now, many dark horses might be more inclined to run.

    2. McKenna's association with the Martin people would have inevitably led to a "Martin candidate" and a "Chretien candidate". With McKenna (and Manley) gone, the prospect of the party uniting behind the winning candidate has been increased dramatically.

    3. Reading several books and articles on McKenna leaves me with the impression that he's one of those "all things to all people" politicians, not what the party needs now as we search for a clear path and vision.

    4. McKenna's baggage with the Carlyle Group, big business, and his abortion position would have been perfect fodder for an election campaign. McKenna as LPC leader was Jack Layton's ideal scenario.


    I'm not sure of McKenna's reasons to pass it up and, truth be told, I'm a little suspicious that he might still enter the race at a later date. But we should remember that he declined offers to run federally in 1997, 2000, and 2004. He's also in his late 50s and the Liberal Party isn't in spectacular shape right now, desperately needing to rebuild.

    Hopefully this will encourage a lot of other candidates to run, which should set us up for a wide open, fascinating race. Belinda and Volpe are the only candidates left I have apprehensions about, so I'm really liking the way this race is shaping up"

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:32 p.m.  

  • I think the abortion baggage will weigh too heavily on McKenna. That just doesn't fly anymore in the Liberal Party. (Despite the little group of anti-choice backbenchers that keep getting re-elected)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:08 p.m.  

  • McKenna doesn't speak French and was against Meech. He wouldn't work in Quebec.

    By Blogger jad, at 4:38 p.m.  

  • 1. McKenna ended up supporting Meech in the end.

    2. The last anti-Meech leader the Liberal Party had did pretty good in Quebec.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 4:45 p.m.  

  • Did you hear about Canada's upcoming trade agreement with the EU?

    Somehow, I doubt it, but the economist's Democracy in America blog is talking about it now.

    By Blogger Alexander Soley, at 4:51 p.m.  

  • Is Dion also going to step down as leader of the Green Party?

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 5:08 p.m.  

  • History revisited:

    "In the 1999 provincial election, the Tories were able to ride a strong economy and a campaign aimed at proving rookie Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty was "not up to the job" to another majority government."

    Wikipedia, Dalton McGuinty

    "Beyond being durable, McGuinty also proved to be someone who could learn from his mistakes. In the first campaign, he was woefully unprepared for a televised debate in which he was literally speechless when asked to defend a series of first-term gaffes. Reporters also recall that the Liberal leader appeared unfamiliar with his own party's platform just weeks before the election."

    CBC News, October 24, 2003

    "Dalton McGuinty, the man who the Tories labelled as "not up to the job," has bounced back from a 1999 election loss to defeat Ernie Eves and become the province's premier-elect."

    Globe and Mail, 2003

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:31 p.m.  

  • @jad: McKenna doesn't speak French? Must be awfully hard to be the Premier of the only bilingual province when you don't speak one of the languages. (

    I don't recall if his accent is scary, but I think French would be the least of his worries -- he lives in a French community, attends a French church, he's very popular in the Acadian community, and so on.

    I am curious if his anti-abortion past may hurt him. I doubt that this would be an issue, but one never knows...

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:38 p.m.  

  • MississaugaPeter,

    Dalton had time to rebuild his image cause Harris won a big majority and Dalton had no one in his caucus looking for job (Kennedy was loyal than like he is now... and Tony Ianno was a joke than as now).

    With a minority, and quite frankly in Dalton there was room for improvement as he was new on the scene, Dion is what he is and will never change. It won him the leadership because we knew what we were getting, but at this point its clear the party needs someone else.

    Do you think Kennedy will take another go? I hope he does.

    By Blogger Brent Neill, at 6:02 p.m.  

  • I don't really understand the argument that the difference between this situation and McGuinty/Turner is that it's a minority now. If anything, a minority government makes it harder to have a leadership race due to the tight timeline before the next election.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 6:13 p.m.  

  • Turner - 40 seats (95-seat loss)
    Dion - 76 (19-seat loss)

    By Blogger Blues Clair, at 6:18 p.m.  

  • the anti-abortion past will be a big issue & Meech will sink McKenna in Quebec.

    They should keep DION.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:08 p.m.  

  • You think he's gonna endorse Obama?

    By Blogger Tarkwell Robotico, at 10:25 p.m.  

  • Core Turner-Dion differences:

    1. Turner had been PM for a few months and dumped baggage by Trudeau.

    Dion was leader of opposition for two years and had no baggage from Bill Graham's solid interim leadership.

    2. Turner had a "base" within the party strong enough to withstand sniping from the sidelines (that happened, but much later). Dion was the first choice of less than a fifth of Liberal delegates, had no caucus support and minimal organization. He has little ability to withstand party infighting.

    3. Despite "you had no option" Turner's loss was not seen as a personal defeat, and Turner was not tied to any particular unpopular policy. Dion is tied to the Green Shift, and a failed strategy to unite the left.

    Then again, in Dion's defence, a surprisingly high number of PM's are comeback kids. They include:
    Harper (lost 2004)
    Trudeau (lost 1979)
    Pearson (lost 1958 and 1959)
    King (lost 1930 and kind of 1925)
    Borden (lost 1904 and 1908)
    Laurier (lost 1891)
    Macdonald (lost 1874)

    But about as many have been given second chances after losing and blown them:
    Clark (2000)
    Turner (1984 and 1988)
    Stanfield (1972 and 1974)
    Diefenbaker (1965)
    George Drew (1953)
    Meighen (1925 and 1926)
    Laurier (1917)
    Tupper (1900)
    Blake (1887)

    By Blogger french wedding cat, at 11:45 p.m.  

  • I don't think Turner is neccesarily the example Dion loyalists should be pointing to, because Turner did lose in '88.

    Pearson is the better example. Decent, honest human being who wasn't a great politician or a great communicator. Lost 2 elections to Dief, including one BADLY.

    And now he's seen to be one of the greatest Prime Ministers ever.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 12:05 a.m.  

  • Critical to Pearson's emergence as a great prime minister was the party's soul searching and bearing at the Kingston Conference. Whether Dion stays or goes, the party needs a similar moment of truth.

    By Blogger rockfish, at 3:07 a.m.  

  • Contrary to rumours, I'm guessing this Presser is about Dion's latest fundraiser for his Leadership campaign debts.

    More specifically, about raising funds for a few friends deeper in debt than even himself from the last round.

    As a reminder, perhaps, of what the next round have to look forward to.

    Even if Elections Canada don't seem the least bit interested in enforcing the law against Liberal Leadership contestants, whatever they have decided the law might be.

    By Blogger Paul, at 4:01 a.m.  

  • I don't even know if Pearson is the best example. He failed to get a majority government twice, against Diefenbaker, whose record in office was pretty shoddy (although he was the greatest Canadian orator of his time). It seems clear to me - given how Trudeau did - that Pearson was a drag on the ticket.

    Another random thought - it seems like one of the reasons Dion has heir apparents against him is because (in terms of seats) he actually performed well compared to Pearson '58 and Turner '84. Is it possible that Dion is a target because he did TOO well, with none of the leadership contenders losing their seats? Would Iggy, Kennedy or Trudeau have much credibility if they lost their seats (not an impossible outcome)? At the very least it would be harder for them to build up caucus support without being in caucus.

    PS: Dion will lose his leadership review - but does anybody think he would have a shot if he entered the leadership race?

    By Blogger french wedding cat, at 10:38 a.m.  

  • He want to got the support people of ottawa.

    By Anonymous overcoat, at 9:25 a.m.  

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    By Blogger fmm, at 10:48 p.m.  

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