I have two columns in today’s Sun, which I actually forgot (it’s been kind of hectic). Here’s the other one:

Presidential debates are always pretty important. But the second between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on Tuesday night is critically important. History gets made.

Before this year, only two presidential debates changed the outcome.

In 1960, Republican Richard Nixon and Democrat John F. Kennedy were tied in the Gallup. The result of the election was uncertain.

Until the debate, that is. Nixon was sweaty, grim-faced and unappealing. Kennedy was young, handsome and cool. After the debate, JFK took the lead and went on to win the presidency.

The next time a presidential debate mattered — really mattered — was in 2000. In that race, Al Gore had been significantly ahead of George W. Bush in a series of public opinion polls.

The presidential debates changed all that. In the first, Gore exaggerated his accomplishments and repeatedly showed impatience with the folksy, aw-shucks approach of Bush. In the spin room afterwards, GOP staff brilliantly characterized the Democrat’s performance: “He sighed and he lied.” Gore dropped. He dropped yet again when he appeared in a subsequent debate with makeup that was undeniably orange. And he again came across as pompous and phony. He lost.

On Tuesday night’s debate, everything rides. Obama’s appallingly bad performance in the first encounter — and Romney’s startlingly solid turn — erased the president’s comfortable lead. The keys to the White House are now anyone’s to win. I have prepared premiers, and a prime minister, for TV debates. In every case, I have given them the same three pieces of advice.

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(Including mine!) And from a possibly unlikely source, here.

Wonderfully written, and very astute, too.

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I was with a ton of Dalton McGuinty folks at a pub near Queen’s Park last night. There was much laughter – and no tears that I could see.

That’s because, as I’ve written in the Sun – and as no less than a generous Tim Hudak said – he’s the most successful Liberal Premier in a Century. His integrity is unquestioned. And he brought about changes that made Ontario a much better place than it was before.

As I’ve also written, if he enters the federal Liberal Party leadership race, the folks I was with last night will follow him. And he will win.

At Queen’s Park, his successor will take over an Ontario Liberal Party that is better-funded, and better-organized, than the Ontario PCs and the Ontario NDP put together. We have a ton of highly-qualified candidates. And I fully expect the new leader will repeat what happened in Alberta and Manitoba – a return to the privilege of governing, with a healthy majority, too.

For Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath – the Gridlock Twins – they are left complaining about a situation which they themselves created: they paralyzed the Legislature, and did their utmost to ensure no meaningful work could be done there. They’ll pay a price for that.

Count on it.

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Jerry Agar, who is a far-right radio shouter, hates Fight The Right. That, of course, delights me.

In his review – which is more about me than the book – Jerry suggests it lacks facts.

Which moves me to ask Jerry: facts, like when someone falsely passed themselves off as American in Kansas City papers? Those kind of facts?

Didn’t you attack Michael Ignatieff for doing the same thing, Jerry?

These guys slay me.

God, not government, gives liberty
The Kansas City Star
Fri Dec 17 2004
Page: 8
Section: B
Byline: By Jerry Agar

…The Founders, unlike kings, knew it wasn’t their right to take our life and liberty. They set up a system in which the government derives its power from the people and its moral guidance from God.

Because we elect our representatives, we can be a godly country with godly leaders while never becoming a theocracy.

If we were to truly achieve a separation of church and state we would have set up a government that has no moral authority above itself.

What then will be our rights? Whatever the government says they are. What Uncle Sam giveth, Uncle Sam taketh away. Who says he can’t?

I believe God says he can’t. The Founding Fathers believed it as well.

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About a decade ago, when the federal Liberal Party was being destroyed by the ambitions of a few – and when I was a disillusioned former Jean Chretien aide – I got a call.

“If they don’t want you, we do,” said the Dalton McGuinty confidante on the other end of the line. “Come and help us and we’ll win.”

So I did. And we did – win, that is. In 2003, in 2007 and 2011.

In all that time, my take on the Ontario Liberal MPP was always the same: with this guy, what you see is what you get.

He loves his country, and he loves his province. He loves his family. He believes in public service. He’s a genuinely nice guy.

I never saw him lose his temper. I never saw him treat a staffer or a volunteer with anything other than respect. I never saw him act like a phony.

That’s why, in part, so many of McGuinty’s political adversaries paid tribute to him last night. They, too, considered McGuinty to be a genuinely nice guy.

So, do nice guys always finish last?

Not McGuinty. And, if – as is widely rumoured this morning – he seeks the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, he’ll be more than a contender. Three reasons.

One, he has government experience. The other expected candidates, as impressive as they are, just don’t. Government experience counts, particularly at times like these. Particularly against a cagey opponent like Stephen Harper.

Two, McGuinty has a winning record. He’s the longest-serving Premier. He’s a survivor. And, as noted, he has won three back-to-back victories – two majorities, and one very near majority. That’s not bad.

Three, McGuinty has built up the most successful Liberal machine in Canadian politics. All of that team – and, full disclosure, I had the privilege to run his war room in all three of his election campaigns – will follow him wherever he goes. With the help of the likes of Don Guy, Dave Gene, Laura Miller his brother Brendan, McGuinty has been the winningest Grit in Canadian politics.

Will he run for the top federal Grit job? Should he? The pundits and the pollsters will moot those questions endlessly, in coming days.

But know this: if Dalton McGuinty seeks the federal Liberal leadership, he’ll win it.

So, to curious Liberals across Canada, I recommend not making any commitments. I also advise sticking by your phones over the next while.

You never know who might call.

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He is my captain, and I will follow him into any battle. I’ve been with him for more than a decade, and he’s got me (and plenty of others) for the next decade, too. If he needs us.

But my reaction? I am so sad to see he and Terry go. Very, very sad.

But in every sunset is a potential sunrise, no?

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From:Gunter W (safari4711@live.ca)
Sent:October-15-12 5:04:47 PM
To:warren.kinsella@sunmedia.ca

Keep your jewish invented Hollywood Neo-Nazis,were you fit in very nicely. Nuremberg II is coming so prepare yourself !

UPDATE: And he’s sent me another nice note!

Compare this to your IQ, MORON !But the Irish were always infested with TRAITORS ,that’s why the Anglos were kicking the shit out of them.In the past and so ever today.

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Right here – and, by the way, James Moore: re-fund RCI now!

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Perhaps ever.  Only thing that I dislike is now we McGuinty Liberals can’t use it in the campaign that Hudak and Hudak Helper are pushing for!

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The federal Liberal Party has, for years, hurt the brand of the Ontario Liberal Party.  The reverse is now happening.

If Hudak and Hudak Helper are dumb enough to force an election in the Spring, I’ll be one happy frigging camper.

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