01.15.2012 01:00 AM

In today’s Sun: no way Rae

Bob Rae is running for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada.

As he made clear in his speech to the Grit caucus last Wednesday, Rae doesn’t want to be an interim leader anymore. He’s after the top job. As they gathered in Ottawa this weekend for a policy convention, why should Liberals oppose that? Six reasons.

One, he’s breaking a promise. In May 2011, a few weeks after the Liberal party’s crushing defeat, Rae wrote to Grit caucus members and pledged not to run for the full-time leader’s post.

“I think it’s important for the party to look very much to a new generation of leadership,” Rae told reporters. He was right.

But he wasn’t telling the truth.

25 Comments

  1. Tiger says:

    It’s kinda like having Joe Clark as leader, no?

    Similar role, too.

  2. Pete says:

    I don’t know if Rae is the right guy or just the right set up guy if a new face shows up. In any event he is for now, taking the party back to respectability

    • VH says:

      Oh c’mon. “respectability”. Seriously?
      It seems that we are all not on the same page in terms of analyzing politics.

      I don’t think one has to be a professional to politics to know the following three things:

      1) electing someone as leader who’s english is only so-so is a bad idea
      2) electing someone as leader who’s lived in other countries for 29 years is a bad idea
      3) electing someone as leader who crashed his party from 1st to 3rd in Ontario and was intensely disliked is a bad idea

      Currently no one really cares who the “interim” leader is because it’s, well, interim.

      What is wrong with the brains of today’s Liberal party?
      No, don’t answer that.

  3. Ken Klempner says:

    Bob Rae lied? Sorry, broke a promise (big difference?) c’est impossible!!

  4. Kevin says:

    Rae will run the Liberal train right off the tracks. He is toast in Ontario no matter how many decades go by since he was premier. You are correct Warren – he will be too old at time of next election.

  5. Cam Prymak says:

    I thought this was about the re-birth of the Liberal Party, not Bob Rae’s re-re-birth.

  6. Mulletaur says:

    Of course Rae will run for leader now that he got through the rule changes that would favour his candidacy.

  7. smevoy says:

    Love you warren, and Rae certainly isn’t my first or second choice, but is it possible for us to have a leadership race in which the character attacks are kept in check? It is possible to change one’s mind. It is possible that failing to keep a promise doesn’t make one a “liar”? You don’t hold dalton to that standard.

  8. Bob Rae will be too old come next election.They need someone with no ties to the past & a much more invigorating leader with visions of the future.But who?

    • Kevin_B says:

      I don’t agree. Canada is an older society now; the baby boomers are becoming seniors. A relatively older candidate won’t be such a turn off to an older society. 70s is the new 60s, if you will.

  9. Anne Peterson says:

    Keep fighting Warren. Us NDPers like that. Just yesterday my young son ( a smart guy with a masters in something), was talking about how much he really liked Bob Rae. And I have kind of liked him lately too. Not enough to cross the floor, but since I don’t tell my family how to vote because unlike conservatives I want them to be able to thinkf or themsleves, he might be a potential liberal supporter, but if war breaks out yet again they will never recover.

  10. Kevin says:

    This will be the end of the Liberal party in Canada.
    Does Rae think that the old Liberals are fools?
    Rae wanted this job since he joined the Liberals.
    Good old Liberal back room politics Yours to Discover.
    Miror Miror on the wall all the Liberals will be gone forever with Rae.

    Warren it’s time for you to step up to the plate and take Rae on for the Leadership.

  11. Annie says:

    I do not like the Idea of such an open Party..perhaps this should not be, as Knowing Harper he will get into the party with his goons. Are you sure Bob and Al are not trying to get get rid of the Party themselves?

  12. Self-confessed Raelian says:

    Not a Rae apparatchik or Rae minion……but I do know Bob Rae has made this convert proud to be a Liberal…..nuff said…..

  13. Gerard says:

    Sorry, Bob Rae is not the person that the Liberal Party needs as its leader. Like it or not, we are in an era of American style attack ads and Bob just gives the conservatives too much of a target.

  14. cnkgrl says:

    Rae seems like a nice guy but he won’t win votes in Ontario.
    Liberal Party needs to take a run with someone new! go for it!

  15. Bill says:

    I’m like a kid in a candy shop. 2012 is shaping up to be a great year. First the liberal party seems to continue it’s self destruction and second the conservative budget I have wanted for so very long will become a reality:)

  16. Realist says:

    Anyone who talks about whether Rae can or can’t win the next election is missing the point. The Liberals don’t expect to win the next election. They know that wouldn’t happen even if the ghost of PET descended from heaven in a fiery chariot to save the party one last time.

    All they need to do is pick up a few more seats in Quebec, beat the NDP and reclaim second place.

    And they’ll do that with Rae.

  17. Serge Tittley says:

    About Rae: He said he wouldn’t. He shouldn’t. Anyways, the Liberals will form the Official Opposition after the next general election. Why do I know I’m right? ’cause the quebecois will act on their disillusionment with the NPD, and we’ll see that sooner rather than later. And my wife agrees with me, and Nicky’s always right.

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