Election Prayers

I agree completely with TDH that if Landslide Annie goes down, I won't cry too much. And if Dan McTeague gets it, I won't complain either. Back in my younger days, as a Young Liberal (I was 16), he was seeking nomination and since I had some position or another in the Durham West Young Liberals, gave me a call. We chatted - in French - for about an hour. He invited me to that staple of the Liberal summer - the BBQ. There, I asked him about the role of the opposition - was it to blindly oppose, or to cooperate when necessary or useful. He gave the wrong answer. Now, he's opposed to SSM. I thought he lacked vision then; thirteen years later, he lacks it now.

But I would be completely devastated if Stephane Dion lost. The leading intellectual light of the Liberal Party, one of the most passionate defenders of Federalism and of Canada, completely brilliant. Read some of his stuff here, here, and here. Of course, it's horrible that Martin bumped Dion from the Cabinet as soon as he took power (and then ate humble pie and brought him back), though, perhaps, given Dion's strong vision of Federalism and Headwaiter Martin's vision of Canada as a community of communities (and his Quebec Lieutenant), it's not a surprise.

But when the knives come out, as they inevitably must, and Martin's given the boot, the Libs will need some strong, intelligent people with an articulate vision for the future (the lack of which has been Martin's downfall), and they'd better hope that Dion is there.