From Central Canada" href="http://phantomobserver.com/blog/?p=1320" rel="bookmark">The Libranos: Down to Three White Guys From Central Canada
Looks like those updated rules for the updated leadership have had an effect: Gerard Kennedy (aka the Young Guy) and Martha Hall Findlay (aka the Belinda Replacement) have announced they’re out of the running for the Liberal leadership. Which boils it down. officially, to two sixty-something white guys from Ontario and one fortysomething white guy from Quebec New Brunswick.
I think it’s the way the press have written up Ms. Hall-Findlay’s bowing out that really sticks in my craw:
There had been some pressure on Ms. Hall Findlay to run again in order to ensure that the race to succeed Mr. Dion had at least one woman in it.
Ruby Dhalla, another Toronto-area MP, has also said she is considering entering the race. But if Ms. Dhalla does not run, it is possible there would be no women in the race.
And this is supposed to be important — why?
Perhaps you could call it an illustration of how far Liberal fortunes have fallen, that the leadership campaign phase is now so grave that it can no longer indulge in exercises of gender equity or multiculturalism. Or perhaps no woman or visible minority MP has enough of an ego (or, more likely, enough spare cash) to rationally think about a leadership run.
Or perhaps those perpeturally-addicted members of the press don’t want to think about whether or not being a woman or a minority offers any sort of electoral advantage in a leadership campaign, anymore.
The thing is, with the possible exception of John Turner (born in England, educated at UBC, represented Vancouver-Quadra for ten years, but represented a Quebec and an Ottawa riding for ten years before that), every federal Liberal leader since Edward Blake has been a white guy from Central Canada (Ontario or Quebec). The fact that the next prospective leader is going to fit into the same mold is yet another symptom of stagnation — or lack of imagination in the Librano establishment.
UPDATE (17h00): Thanks to Reid for letting me know where Leblanc was actually from. Perhaps this means Leblanc has an outside shot of breaking the mold of Liberal leaders — but I wouldn’t bet money on it
November 12th, 2008 at 16:56
Dominic is from New Brunswick, not Quebec.
November 12th, 2008 at 17:27
So it looks like the 2 front runners from the last go around will be the only ones with the money to vie for the job this time around.
If a third or fourth “also ran” enters the fray the Libs could be setting themselves up for another “anyone but Iggy or Rae” dark horse winner.
The net result looks like less money in the Liberal coffers and a hold your nose and vote leader.
November 12th, 2008 at 18:26
“it is possible there would be no women in the race.”
That’s a simple one. No woman wants to subject herself to the sexism displayed by the press who will not discuss her policies but rather her kids, shoes, hair, suits, marriage, ect…..
I would say it only applies if the woman is a conservative but the press convincingly showed during their coverage of Hillary that they only want a woman invloved for the “token” symbolism rather than anything else.
Same goes for race, religion, ect…
Who in their right mind wants to be the “symbol” with no real chance of actually succeeding?
November 12th, 2008 at 19:04
might wanna do the research before offering your analysis.
ps. isn’t harper from toronto? oh yeah..and flaherty, clement, baird, nicholson,
raitt etc……
November 13th, 2008 at 02:03
No one wants to be the new captain of the Titanic?
Go figure.
November 13th, 2008 at 06:59
jeffy…what’s your point?Libs are the affirmative action people, you know, token people who have no qualifications but fill the quota.
CPC women and minorities have been elected based on their qualifications.
What a concept, eh?
November 13th, 2008 at 12:04
“jeffy…what’s your point?Libs are the affirmative action people, you know, token people who have no qualifications but fill the quota.”
but thaaaaaaaaats different!
Maybe the Libs, should do like at public works and announce they are not accepting nominations from white males because they’ve had too many of them. Or do like affirmative action and say that to get a majority of the vote a minority only needs 1/3 of the votes.
Kind of like hiring at the RCMP.
Funny they want to push the bigotry on people like me, but not themselves.
Do as I say not as I do eh guys.
I lost my first job to racist hiring in 1980, almost 30 years of traditional disadvantage. But I need to look harder if I need a job. If it’s an immigrant we don’t need they need more racist hiring programs.
November 13th, 2008 at 12:10
Jeff - last I looked, Mr Harper had been working out West for many years, married a westerner, and represents a Calgary riding. Are you saying that once an Easterner, always an Easterner? Or are you merely categorizing everyone by his or her birthplace?
November 13th, 2008 at 12:18
Jeffy, didja ever hear of the old, antique, Conservative idea of personal ability? Like, it doesn’t matter if you’re male, female etc so long as you can do the job? And if you can’t do the job you don’t get it anyway because you’re a girl Personal freedom, personal ability, personal -responsibility-? Ring any bells?
Diversity is a Liberal thing, like Bluetech says. We don’t like diversity. You do.
But it seems your guys aren’t as serious about it as they profess, Jeffy. Maybe that’s because its a stupid idea and nobody who wants to win will follow it.
Personally I think Findlay would do better than Bob “The Pinko” Rae or Iggy of the Massive Cranium, because she seems low enough on the LPC totem pole that the guys with the bags fulla money haven’t corrupted her completely…yet. But then I think honesty, honor and integrity are important, whereas you think Diversity is.
Gee, d’ya think that might have something to do with the LPC losing seats to the somewhat uninspiring yet not massively crooked Mr. Harper?
The Invincible Phantom (who is not the Phantom Observer, I hasten to note.)
November 13th, 2008 at 18:47
Sad thing is, Ms Findlay-Hall may be the closest thing to a decent Liberal that the party has to offer.
Not that it really matters. Toronto will cheerfully vote for Bob Rae. After all, he did great things for Ontario last time around.