After yesterday, it’s pretty clear that the next 10 years of Ontario’s future will be determined by today.

The question is clear, too. Do you select someone who can get support in every part of the province, from Left and Right – or do you pick someone who will lose votes to the NDP (because city voters will always pick the real New Democrat over the pretend one), and who will lose votes to the PCs (because the countryside has had quite enough of downtown Toronto telling them what to do)?

Today sets the next decade. Win again. Or spend a decade in opposition, saying, over and over: “We made a mistake.”

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Saw it tonight.  Some days, surveying the landscape, it’s hard to believe a leader as extraordinary as him actually existed.

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Oh my Lord, this is the best story ever. And I can’t believe the Post used that word in a headline!

It all reminds me of that old adage of James V.: “Every guy loves the smell of his own farts.”

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…apparently the post below left a few folks, well, confused and hurt. My sincerest apologies to everyone I have ever offended, everywhere, at any time.

So:

1. I remain a supporter of the Ontario Liberal Party.

2. I remain a supporter of Sandra Pupatello.

All I said was I won’t be in the next OLP war room, for Chrissakes. Everyone take a Valium.

Over and out.

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As all of the OLP delegate-selection stuff begins today, I figured I would be uncharitably nice. Just this once.

The Eric Hoskins folks have run a creative, fun campaign, with “dark horse” and whatnot. They have made him a bigger name than he was going into this. In a campaign as short as this one, that’s no small achievement. Congrats to Bruce et al.

The Harinder Takhar people have also done a great job – at debates and elsewhere – transforming Harinder into a player. At the start, I ran into a member of the frontrunner’s campaign, and he was nasty and dismissive about Harinder. They’re not that way anymore. Harinder’s a significant factor.

Team Kennedy, too, have taken a guy who has been on the federal scene for quite a few years, and put him at the front of the pack in a very crowded race. In 2006, Kennedy was the guy I wanted to win the LPC race, because of his position on Québeçois as a “nation.” I would’ve liked to see more of that guy this time. But his team have served him very, very well.

Charles Sousa is equally very, very lucky to have had people like my friends Bob Richardson and Fahim Kaderdina and James Bowie helping him out. The opposition’s shorthand put down of Sousa is now utterly and completely gone. He is seen as the fiscal smart guy, and he can thank his troops for no small part of that.

Glen Murray is out, but he should’ve stayed in the race to give his supporters a chance to run as delegates. That said, his organizers – Mraz, Espie, Duffy et al. – did, truly, an amazing job making Murray a big name and a bigger presence. But I feel he should’ve stayed in the race.

Team Wynne were considered to be the most-organized from the start – and they are. They have been a well-disciplined machine. They are a formidable opponent.

There, I’ve stopped being nice.

Anyone who reads this web site at all knows where I stand. But I figured I would tip my hat to my adversaries in what has been a pretty good race.

Will I be involved in the OLP, going forward? Beyond the convention, no. No way. I am out, full stop.

It’s time for others to step up. I have other plans, and they don’t include the OLP war room or campaign, no matter who wins.

There’s a lot of smart folks, as noted above, to run the coming campaign. They’ll do just fine without old farts like me around.

Good luck to them.

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The usual, in other words.

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Um, I don’t think so.

I hope Messrs. Crone et al. do not mind me reprinting a pared-down part of the Star’s excellent regular subsciption-based publication. Bolding added for your elucidation.  Link to the interview, here.

**

“[Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Kathleen] Wynne says Sam Hammond, the head of the elementary teachers union, is “absolutely right” and the process that led to imposed contracts under Bill 115 is “flawed”…Wynne made the comments Thursday in an interview  with Matt Galloway of CBC Radio’s Metro Morning.

Her comments were swamped by the announcement later that morning Murray was dropping out of the leadership race. Wynne’s conciliatory comments toward the teachers were made even as her government was taking its case to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to get the planned walkout stopped.

The walkout was called off early Friday after the board ruled it would be an “unlawful strike.”

…[Wynne] responded to a question about what can be done to repair the relationship with teachers:

“Well, I think Sam (Hammond) is absolutely right, that we need now to have the conversation about what comes next,” Wynne said. “There needs to be a respectful process and that needs to be finalized.”

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More support moves to Pupatello campaign

For Immediate Release

TORONTO, January 11, 2013 – Sandra Pupatello’s campaign for leadership of the Ontario Liberal party picked up two new, key, endorsements today.

Hon. Belinda Stronach, former federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and former MP for Newmarket-Aurora, threw her support behind Pupatello. “I believe the people of Ontario are looking for the fresh new approaches and solid economic credentials that Sandra Pupatello brings,” said Stronach. “That’s why I strongly endorse her as the next Leader of the Ontario Liberal Party and as the next Premier of Ontario.”

“Sandra has a rare combination of public, private and non-profit sector experience, giving her a broad overview of what makes our province tick,” continued Stronach. “More importantly, she understands that enhanced economic development and global trade are the keys to our future.”

Key organizer and candidate for Burlington, Karmel Sakran, also declared his support for Sandra’s campaign.

“I’ve knocked on just about every door in Burlington. I know that Sandra is the best candidate to speak to these voters, understand them and win back this riding,” said Sakran. “She’s got the experience and leadership we need to move Ontario forward.”

Karmel Sakran joins Team Pupatello from the campaign team of Glen Murray, who recently dropped out of the race. He’s the second prominent Murray supporter to join Pupatello’s campaign in as many days. Yesterday, Murray campaign co-chair and former Cabinet minister Hon. Elinor Caplan also endorsed Pupatello.

Both Caplan and Sakran hold ex-officio delegate status for the upcoming leadership convention.

“I’m honoured to welcome Belinda and Karmel to the team,” said Sandra Pupatello. “They bring unparalleled experience, dedication and enthusiasm to our campaign.”

-30-

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McGuinty was right. The renegade unions were wrong. Their “protest” was and is illegal.

There’s a lesson, here, for a couple Ontario Liberal leadership candidates, I’d say.

UPDATE: Comment from a teacher:

“AT WORK AND LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT!

Sam Hammond is a disgrace and this ruling should be considered a repudiation of so much of his rhetoric and ETFO’s position.

Get the eff out of the way and just let me do my job, Sam.”

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Are you like me, and are you now completely and totally fed up when writers write “here’s the thing” in their prose?

What does it mean, really? “Pay attention to what comes next”? “This next part is what I think is important”? “I’m clearing my throat, in writing”? “Yes, I’m just as pretentious and faddish as everyone else”?

I do it, too, so don’t think that I’m with the angels, on this. But, here’s the thing: I, er, hereby pledge not to do it anymore.

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