Leadership conventions haven't been as much fun since Brian Mulroney left town. He was an openly jockeying angry man with a touch of knife sticker thrown in. Fun! Unfortunately, since the 13 years in the desert, the Tories only got their act together by submission to The One, the dour strong man who would lead them from the barrens. No night of the knives. Where he has led them is an entirely different matter but it will be fun to watch if, by Saturday night, the Grits are renewed or in tatters. The next decade could play out in the next few days in the same way that so much of the 1990s and the first half of the '00s - for both the Tories and Grits - was established in 1988 or so. Something might be in the air:
The talk in the convention hallways was about who is losing delegates and who is attracting them. Rumours flew that support is crumbling for Ignatieff, the chief front-runner, while counter-rumours suggested that Dion and Kennedy were in danger of imminent collapse. At one point yesterday an anonymous woman was handing out slips of paper telling delegates who have since had a change of heart about the person they are supporting, to spoil their ballots on the first go round. It was viewed as a shot at Ignatieff, since rival camps believe he can be stopped if it can be shown that he's turned off supporters as Liberals start to focus on "winnability." That has become a precious trait here at a convention filled with fast-forward thinking — this is about the next election against the Conservatives.My favorite convention moment remains Eugene Whelan, he of the big green cowboy hat, lashing out about how he likes to eat Tories for breakfast in 1984. Sadly, the internet is a void of history so I can't cut and paste his remarks.
Anyway, I am thinking of voting Green.
Comments
Hans - November 30, 2006 9:31 am
I had earlier predicted a 4th Ballot Dion victory but I am somewhat swayed by Paul Wells reasoning over on his blog that, to paraphrase, exciting or unexpected things hardly ever happen anymore in Canadian politics and that an Iggy victory is the most likely.
If conventions past, Whelan and his green cowboy hat were cool and I also liked Crosbie in '83 for his Newf gift of gab. And who can forget the NDP's Simon DeJong's treachery being caught on live TV when Aufrey MacLaughlin became their leader. How different might the NDP have been had his support led to a Lorne Nystrom leadership?
gorthos - November 30, 2006 9:54 am
Bill graham literally put me to sleep 4 times.. I started watching teh newsworld headlines tickertape thing then zzzzzzzzzzzzz...
On teh otehr hand, Howard Dead was excellent! and his French was better than Ken Dryden's..
Yes, I am regretting not going this time around when I could have.. Sniff sniff.. too pricey for a boy buying a house.. sniff sniff.
Gordo - November 30, 2006 10:32 am
The Libs are doomed if they choose Iggy. A political neophyte egghead will be eaten alive by the control-freak from Alberta.
Big Green Gene was the last of his kind. I miss colourful politicans.
gorthos - November 30, 2006 12:26 pm
Hey, anyone see Belinda on the panel last night.. wow. She must have read my blog postings on how I adore brunettes..
my oh my.
slap.......
Ben (The Tiger) - November 30, 2006 12:32 pm
1990, Alan, 1990. When Meech faceplanted, Martinites serenaded Chretien with "Vendu, vendu," the Bloc started up...
But yes, we'll see.
Suspect a lot of folks are thinking like you. We may see the Greens rise up strong, soon.
Gordo - November 30, 2006 12:46 pm
We're very pleased with Elizabeth May's performance in the London by-election, Ben. 26% of the vote is a heck of a result.
Flea - November 30, 2006 12:59 pm
Belinda's new hair is a travesty. I have rarely been so disappointed by Canadian politics.
It is still Dion if the Liberals are planning to win the next one, btw.
Hans - November 30, 2006 2:05 pm
Good Heavens! Flea and I are in accord again!
Dion is the best choice, I agree, but I am fearful that the preponderance of Iggy delegates will lead to his ultimate victory. I think Iggy is a boob.
Flea - November 30, 2006 2:46 pm
Ignatieff is a John Kerry disaster waiting to happen. It is impressive that the once ruling party is even considering a candidate who somehow contrives to be less sympathetic than our current Prime Minister.
cm - November 30, 2006 4:36 pm
<i>Good Heavens! Flea and I are in accord again!</i>
Another sign of the impending apocalypse.
Ben (The Tiger) - November 30, 2006 5:23 pm
Gordo -- that's a special case, mind you: party leader. Like Joe Clark running in Calgary.
But yes, I expect to hear a lot from the Greens, and they may even take a few seats. Western Canada is quick and capricious -- had May not come out against NAFTA, I think that we might have expected a few of those Albertan seats heading towards a teal colour from their present dark blue, especially after the Quebec nation resolution.
Alan - November 30, 2006 5:27 pm
<p>Ah the beauty. <i>The Globe</i> posted this photo of Eugene Whalen 22 years after the "eating Tories for lunch" speech:<p><center><img src="images/2006h/eugene.jpg" vspace="15"></center>
Hans - December 1, 2006 1:48 pm
"Good Heavens! Flea and I are in accord again!
Another sign of the impending apocalypse."
Come now. We really only had one major dust up. I don't even remember what it was about now. Which either speaks to the impermanency of the internet that Alan is on about all the time OR I have no attention span.
What was this post about again?