Who are the next potential Liberal Party leaders.

[Freethinker]

I think the leadership contest will be between Ken Dryden and Alan Rock as the 2 main contenders with strong showings by Dion and Cauchon and possibly a dozen others. I do

I hope Ignatieff doesn't run and i shudder to think what would happen if he did. Don't get me wrong it's not that I find him too conservative that doesn't bother me. What does concern me is his less than permanent residency status in this country. I realise that he has been back and forth from Boston but, 30 years is a long time to be away and become used to and assimilated by others ideas and philosophies while loosing touch with what people think "down home" as a maritimer might say.

Rock is now out. And ya I see your point we wouldn't someone very intelligent with a world view to lead Canada, we all know the best people are those that never leave their country, or their home town, or their cave with their internet connection. Come on.

Listen to Ignatieffs Massey hall lecture on Canadas rights culture. It is something he understands in a depth very few people in Canada have a handle on. He is the only person I have ever heard that has a reasonably explanation of complex Canadian issues from the point of view of all the involved parties.

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/massey/massey2000.html

End of lecture has Q&A, where someone asks, why he isn't living in Canada...

Ivory tower intellectual? He has spent time on the ground in Kosovo and Iraq. A better grasp on world issues than Conservative Policy Wonk that seldom left Alberta. I think Ignatieff would have a lot better understanding of Maritimers than Harper.

 

[Lotuslander]

Free thinker wrote:

And ya I see your point we wouldn't someone very intelligent with a world view to lead Canada, we all know the best people are those that never leave their country, or their home town, or their cave with their internet connection. Come on.

Your point is well taken. I did not mean to intone that we need a leader who does not have a world perspective or fresh ideas. What I was trying to articulate is that politics is just as much about responding to people's needs and desires as it is about leading them. Igantieff is a smart man I am not trying to deny that, and I don't hold it against people when they leave the country for better opportunities somewhere else. However, after being away for 30 plus years does Ignatieff understand the body politic? Can he handle Canadian politics? Does he possess ideas which will resonate with Canadians? I don't know but, I will check out the link you provided in order to clarify my opinion.

As for the Maritimes and whether Ignatieff can relate to them. Well, I would hope so. After all he is George Grant's (junior not the founder of Queen's that was his father) nephew. I believe it was Grant who said that: "Halifax is the cultural centre of Canada". One wonders what he would think of his nephew becoming a Grit.

 

[Freethinker]

RE: Who are the next pote

I think the only thing Ignatieff would be missing by not living in Canada in recent years is a connection with his local constituency. Arguably not the most important thing when you have to balance the competing interests in a diverse country.


Living outside of Canada can give you new perspectives about what it means to be Canadian. Living in any one locale in Canada doesn't give you much perspective about another. Living in the Maritimes and Ottawa gives me almost zero perspective about how westerners view Canada for instance, or Quebecer, or Native Canadians.

I would say Ignatieff has a better understanding of Canada than most Canadian who never left the country. He is someone who strives to understand.

Hard to say if he is even interested. Pundits are starting to say the leadership is going to be a tough slog with likely 6+ years in opposition. That is keeping interest down.