While I am glad for a small field of candidates, I plan to remain resolutely undecided for the next few weeks. A repeat of the Bob and Mike show is not the ideal leadership race, but neither is squandering a lot of money on futile campaigns – money that would be better used to rebuild the Liberal Party and refill the coffers.
Both Bob Rae and Michael Ignatieff have there work cut out for them convincing 50% + 1 which should lead. While Dominic Leblanc is a feisty competitor, it will take some convincing to come up the middle.
Last time, I was for Ignatieff out of the starting gate but dropped away as his campaign suffered a few too many candidate errors. But I never warmed to Bob Rae who exuded an aura of boredom with the whole thing even as he asked Liberals to launch him to the PMO. I wanted a leader with a little more fire, and still do.
It’s disappointing that the party will spend money it hasn't got, or can’t spare, on a convention that may very well be decided with one ballot. I would much rather see a series of regional debates and caucuses followed by an on-line/telephone vote. The money that would be spent on a leadership convention might be better spent on building party infrastructure and training electoral district members in the ways of means of winning the next bit contest. For now, I have to wait and see who has the most credible and potentially effective rebuilding plan.
