We Are Back.

Thanks to all for the kind words.

We are back and feeling great and looking forward to doing a little business in Europe over the next week or so. In the meantime, we want to mention that with Dryden and Rae's announcement we feel that all is right with the world. We consider ourselves among the original Dryden-ite's posting our feelings on his candidacy back in January.

With Rae in the mix it will certainly be interesting along the way.



We have assembled some mindless and disconnected rants from the past few weeks that we have sown together here for your amusement.


1. Sensational story about Trudeau's "separatist" past. Really amazing stuff. What is even more compelling is the fact that this great 20th century leader opted to NOT burn these documents as he decided to let history speak for itself rather that erase it or re-write it.

The perspective to be learned here of course relates to Ignatieff and his Iraq war position among other things. I think you can all chill as it appears even the great one had skeletons that did not undermine his position, popularity or hold on the leadership of the Liberal party. One could make the argument that it is the message and the man (or woman) and not necessarily the past that will make a candidate and a leader.

What might hurt Ignatieff however is the sentiment of a fickle Canadian public. It might take more than his intellect or the books to his credit to engage middle Canada who will certainly be impressed with Rae's political credentials and - wait for it - Kennedy's "roll up our sleeves" attitude. Ignatieff may look too "priviledged" or too "acclaimed" for his own good.



2. ...and speaking of Ignatieff, when asked on the day that he threw his hat in the ring whether he would play well in the Prairies, Ignatieff responded by saying that his father had a farm in the western townships and that he was raised in a barn in rural Quebec. Do you think with answers like that that Ignatieff is trying to be too everything to everybody? Does that type of loose connectivity from a man that is obviously more 'Toronto breeze' than 'Prairie wind' play well in Canada?

Notwithstanding the aforementioned he still is the odds on favorite on Next Face. For now anyway.



3. So far all the candidates (of note) are firmly planted left of centre. Ignatieff made it very clear in his candidacy speech that he was. Dion with his postion on the environment clearly is. Rae - well duh! Even Dryden with his roots on the daycare issue may lean that way we think and Kennedy with his foodbank history well that's a no-brainer.

Why is it that the frontrunners feel that their only opportunity to dethrone the Tory's in the next election is to lean left? Why did Ms Stronach, who arguably was the only right of centre leaning potential candidate not run to push the right agenda? Would it not be in the Liberals favour to elect a right leaning leader to steal away the Conservative gains in Quebec and the west?

Is this a dangerous strategy with most - if not all - viable eggs in one basket? Could 'righties' like Maurizio Bevilacqua become king makers by tying their message to a viable left leaning candidate on the third ballot?