09.04.2012 08:54 PM

Jean Charest, le chef

I’m starting the Jean Charest for Liberal Party leader campaign, right here. Who’s in?

44 Comments

  1. Ken Tufts says:

    Uh … no.

  2. Eenusch says:

    No one with any sanity, which means Charest will declare he’s in by October.

  3. Chris P says:

    Not me – I can think of at least 5 people I would prefer over Mr. Charest in no particular order: 1. Garneau 2. Trudeau 3. McKenna (I still dream) 4. Carney 5. McGuinty. Though admittedly it would make things interesting (which isn’t a bad thing).

  4. MoeL says:

    Didn’t you not say that candidates who can’t win their own seats shouldn’t run?

  5. Dan says:

    That would make the Liberal Party the new Progressive Conservative party.

    Not sure if you’re trying to emulate the PCs successes, or their extinction.

    • william smith says:

      Well said: Charest would fit in nicely with the righthand side of the Libs of course the lefthand side would be so taken with the prospect of power at any cost they would like it too.

  6. pcase says:

    How many beers in?

  7. frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    Seriously?…..if so, you betcha!……the thought crossed my mind the other day if M. Charest was unsuccessful in this election, he might slide over to the Federal scene……

    I remember the days when M. Charest singlehandedly kept the PC party alive, and did yeoman service in rebuilding the PC Party after the devastation of ’93, before he was drafted to help revive the Quebec Liberal Party…..Considering he took the moribund PC party from two seats to twenty in the course of four years speaks volumes about the man…..Had he not been drafted, I suspect he would have continued to build on that success.

    His leadership would maintain the tradition in the Liberal Party of alternating Francophone and Anglophone leaders….
    He’s the right age…..54
    Has proven hes a successful politician…..forming three consecutive govts in Quebec…..
    Most importantly, he’s the antithesis of “Dear Leader”….warm, engaging, and a believer in policy based on science, not ideology….

    For me, it would be like returning home…..

    • MoeL says:

      But he couldn’t win his own riding!

      • RP says:

        Ugh. Some people’s children.

        Correct me if I’m wrong, but Charest’s loss – losing his seat for the first time in 20 years and 8 elections – is not really comparable to the potential leadership candidates WK has dismissed. Don’t you think? And considering that he was one of two PCs to survive 93’s slaughter, I think any reasonable person would give him a pass this time, no?

        This is from one whose political leanings differ from WK’s. Maybe my temper has just been shortened tonight – could be the loss for the federalists, or all the resulting drink I’ve consumed – but I am increasingly intolerant of mindless cheap shots, even against those with whom I disagree. Cheap shots make you feel like a big man for 10 seconds, until you realize everyone else has dismissed you as a dope.

      • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

        M. Charest has always had difficulty in his provincial riding of Sherbrooke……..He wouldnt be the first political leader to lose his seat either…..going all the way back to Sir John A…Tommy Douglas is another example…..it doesnt necessarily mean theyre unfit to lead….

  8. M-J says:

    I hear Jean’s getting a job up north.

  9. M5SLIB says:

    I’m just going to throw something totally random and probably not well thought-out…

    Even though Marois’ power is muted, she’s still going to be annoying to Harper. Mulcair doesn’t have the strongest hand because his party has a significant amount of Nationalist support. Where does this leave Trudeau? I’m not assuming he’s the next Liberal leader, but is this his opportunity (should he decide to run) to really stand up and define himself – starting with some momentum in Quebec. It’s obviously his family history to go toe to toe with Separatists, and I think he can do so in a less confrontational way (see his comments re: understanding why people would want to separate from Harper’s Canada). Did that gaffe actually give him a bridge in some way? Anyway… these are just random thoughts at midnight… based on absolutely no expertise.

  10. Bill From Willowdale says:

    What about your guy Justin?

  11. Eric says:

    so he has clearly remained a red tory / blue liberal in spite of the different party name when he moved from Ottawa to QC. Without that right-er wing alternative in Quebec and without an deep understanding of how the federal operatives line up with the provincial parties I couldn’t say how things could end up and where his federal allegiances lie.

    But I’d be pleased to bet a beer … and have recently harboured hope … that he would represent that increasingly small moderate wing left in the CPC when it comes time to renew their direction and leadership (lack of federal success of retired premiers notwithstanding)

  12. Scotty Rowe says:

    He is a Liberal of convenience. He may also be a spent force politically.

  13. Robert K. says:

    I’m not opposed to the idea. Could be good for us Libs.

  14. Brammer says:

    He does have a way of engaging young voters…

  15. Joe says:

    Well, if that happened I would suppose the Harper spin machine would begin to crank out the “he used to be conservative” rhetoric.

  16. Nic Coivert says:

    No, please, not the rump master.

  17. William says:

    I’d wait until the Charbonneau Commission comes down.

    If nothing, then yep.

    • Ottawa civil servant says:

      And there you have it: the next savior of the Liberals has just lost his seat, partially due to allegations of corruption.

      Are you guys tone deaf to what the country (outside Ottawa and downtown Toronto) think?

      The Tories won’t need to buy attack ads, they’ll write themselves.

  18. WDM says:

    The day after a politician loses an election, the punditry generally looks at what went wrong, and the Charest record as Premier is certainly one worthy of scrutiny. That being said, 28 years of his life to public service, and a willingness to get up off the mat after some pretty crushing loses along the way. For all of that he should be applauded. He did a lot of good.

  19. Martin Cooke says:

    I’m in.

    • Windsurfer says:

      Morning after thoughts.

      1. Would the CON attack machine have a field day with Charest

      2. Would Charest in fact motivate Liberals nationally or would they bleed away except in ON and QC

      3. How would Charest explain losing a seat and yet wanting to run for a larger job

      4. Outside of political junkies in the Beltway (Ottawa) does he have brand recognition in the ROC

      I’m glad I’m not a politician.

  20. Stephanie Powers says:

    Seriously? Charest? Another Quebecer when sentiment in the rest of Canada AGAINST Quebec is growing daily?

    Forget a referendum in Quebec, if you held one in the ROC on whether to boot Quebec from confederation, I’ll bet you it’s a close call on voting day.

    The federal Liberals need a sensible, business-friendly, pro-west leader to return the party to the centre and rescue it from being hijacked by lefties who jumped from the NDP ship a few years too early. And Charest is none of the above.

    • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

      Beg to differ….I am sure the rest of Canada would vote overwhelmingly to keep Quebec in the confederation…Indeed, I am sure that the overwhelming majority of Canadians, whatever we think of the PQ, were appalled at what happened at the PQ’s victory celebration last nite……

      M. Charest is well liked and respected in the West, he’s business friendly and I would say he’s a pragmatist, rather than an idealogue, a centrist…….I think he’d be a damn good fit to lead the LPOC

      I certainly hope if he chooses not stay on with the provincial Liberals that he would consider running for the leadership of the Federal party…..

      As much as we all want a messiah, that is not what is going to fix the problems that are systemic within the LPOC.

      • Stephanie Powers says:

        No offense (well you can be offended, I really don’t care), but you should get out of TO and talk to some people. The vote would be close – really close. West of Thunder Bay, I would bet you it’s 70% in favour of booting Quebec. Southwestern Ontario wouldn’t be far behind. Maybe in TO and eastern Ontario, some parts of the Maritimes you have some sentimentality towards Quebec, but you underestimate the animosity that years of sucking off the rest of Canada has created.

        Go ahead. Pick Charest. Battle Mulcair over a province that has dwindling power, while the Cons mop up the rest of the country.

        • frmr disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

          Sorry, Madame….but I happen to live in British Columbia, and your attitude smacks of the old “stomp on the Fleur-de-Lis” Reformer mindset

          Most progressive thinking Westerners have got past blaming Quebec for all of Canada’s ills……its obvious you have not.

          Now run along and go play with Doug Christie…..

  21. Jordan says:

    I actually like the idea but I doubt he could do that great in Quebec and I’m not fussy on how he’s governed. I think he could do well outside Quebec, Steve Paikin also said he was the best politician he’s ever seen giving speeches.

  22. Ted H says:

    Jean Charest is a Conservative, not a Liberal.

  23. Tiger says:

    Would this mean that the Mulroney PC Party will have taken over everything?

    Harper was a disgruntled Blue Tory staffer; Charest was the cabinet wunderkind and then PC leader; Mulcair has a Mulroney-esque approach to Quebec…

  24. Susan MacIsaac says:

    The perfect candidate with strong leadership skills. I worked for him a long time ago at Fitness and Amateur Sport.

  25. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    There’s a reason why Best-Before Dates are automatically stamped on every leader’s forehead. Too bad so many of them never bother to get a prescription for eyeglasses before looking in the mirror…

    ‘Nuff said.

  26. bluegreenblogger says:

    It would certainly make for an interesting race. So far, I have not heard a peep about the old old Liberal tradition of alternating English and French leaders, which has curiously enough held up right through to this day, (if you discount interim leaders). On that basis Charest is qualified. I remember the days when Kim Campbell, and Jean Charest were the young rising stars in the PC party, both of whom were co-opted by Macchiavelli (I mean Chretien) in the most brilliant pre-emptive political machinations in my lifetime. Chretien removed the last hope of a post Mulroney PC revival with a cushy job for Kim, and a taste of real power for Charest. Why would Charest want to run for the Federal Liberal leadership though? It isn’t as if he is a life-long Liberal fighting to revive ‘his’ party. It would make for a fascinating, and emminently ‘watchable’ race though, so why not if he wants to? This is definitely fun, if purely speculative

  27. Leo says:

    If this guy a career politician did a lot of good then lets check a simple list after 28yrs:
    Better roads———- No but the 40 is nice!
    Better hospitals——-No couple of new ones where they are not needed, others die waiting.
    Cleaner Hospitals—–No
    Better education——No
    Energy costs———possibly but No
    Cleaner environment-No
    Food——————–Not sure
    Homes for the poor—No
    Jobs for the young—-No
    Able to retire earlier–No
    Increased standard of living ha!
    Oh well lets vote in another party for 12yrs, that’s the real problem should of all voted for independents everywhere always.
    Bonjour

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