Ignatieff, Kennedy racking up early support of other politicians

[Minstrel Boy]

Ignatieff, Kennedy racking up early support of other politicians

Two federal Liberal leadership candidates lead pack when it comes to endorsements

KAREN HOWLETT AND CAMPBELL CLARK

TORONTO and OTTAWA -- With more than six months to go before the federal Liberal leadership convention, Toronto MP Michael Ignatieff and former Ontario education minister Gerard Kennedy have taken early leads in lining up support from other elected politicians.

Mr. Kennedy has the backing of 24 of the 70 Liberal MPPs in Ontario, although not all of them are ready to go public, said his spokeswoman, Amanda Alvaro. That is in addition to 12 members of Parliament who say they will vote for him in December. The sizable backing for the former Toronto MPP in his old stomping grounds is surprising, because his supporters have kept a low profile.

Mr. Ignatieff, meanwhile, has racked up endorsements from almost a quarter of the federal Liberal caucus, or 24 of the party's 102 MPs.

...

Mr. Ignatieff has also signed up MPs with crucial organizing networks, such as Denis Coderre, Pablo Rodriguez, and Marcel Proulx in Quebec, and MPs from seven provinces, including several caucus heavyweights.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20060529.LIBERALS29/TPStory/National

[Pierre Trudeau]

1. it's a shame about Rae

OK, I don't know if anyone will get the Lemonheads reference. :7

This caught my attention, from the article cited:
Mr. Rae, judged by many Liberals to be near the top of the race and likely running second to Mr. Ignatieff, has recruited only two MPs: former justice minister Irwin Cotler and former Moncton mayor Brian Murphy. The lack of early support could reflect the doubts of many Ontario MPs that Mr. Rae can win an election because of baggage from his controversial tenure as the province's NDP premier from 1990 to 1995.

Those doubts could also hurt Mr. Rae at Queen's Park. Mr. Peters, who was mayor of St. Thomas in Southwestern Ontario when Mr. Rae was premier, remembers the tremendous challenges the NDP government posed for municipal leaders.

"I know Bob Rae. I like him as an individual, but my memory goes back as a municipal politician and that's what sticks in my mind."

That last statement echoes what I suspect a lot of us think around these parts (GTA): we like Bob Rae as a person, but we know he was a lousy Premier, and that memory could make him unelectable.

For the time being, my money's on Kennedy.

[Minstrel Boy]

2. If I were a Liberal

I'd be supporting Kennedy, though by many reports he's under-impressed and his French is poorer than expected. But given the rules of the race it's a tough one to call, since it's not a simple, straight-ahead popularity contest among party members. Kennedy has a good base among Ontario MPPs, but how far can that take him? Volpe supposedly has a strong machine, and though he won't win he could become an important broker.

Unless Iggy and/or Rae pull away from the pack and one is within a stone's throw of a first ballot victory, I can see Kennedy becoming the most likely "anybody but" candidate.

[Pierre Trudeau]

3. still early days

Incidentally, Joe Volpe is the MP in my riding. He's as qualified as any, and more than most, plus his french is "bon". But after all this time in the last two Liberal governments, he still has practically zero name recognition. If his leadership campaign unexpectedly catches fire and Canadians (as opposed to just Liberals) start to get interested in him, I'll switch my support to him. Heck, I'll ultimately support whoever is the most impressive at the end of the campaign.

For now, Kennedy leads in terms of positives-versus-negatives. Yes, his French isn't the best (although the experts cited in the noted Globe article claimed Kennedy would be the quickest to improve), but the other front-runners have more negative baggage (Rae's premiership, Ignatieff's non-residence in Canada, Dryden's somnolent speaking style, etc.). Also, I think it's good that he appears underwhelming at this early stage: sometimes when a candidate gets hyped early on, they end up crashing and burning later because they can't live up to the high expectations. Kennedy's seemingly inauspicious start may serve him well later in the campaign, when he may be perceived as improving himself rapidly.

I can't speak for all Liberals (and yes I am a card-carrying member), but there is no one in this race I really feel too strongly against. I won't lose any sleep over Brison, he's a long shot. And if Ignatieff manages to convince a lot of Liberals AND Canadians who aren't Liberals that he is the right person to lead the country, well then I would support him too.

But I don't see him that way right now. I do see him as a Foreign Affairs Minister in a Kennedy cabinet.

By the way, Minstrel Boy, the very fact that you speak approvingly of Kennedy affirms my belief that he can evoke a positive response from non-Liberals too. Even though I won't expect you to vote for him against an NDP candidate, it's good to know he can be respected by people on other parts of the political spectrum.

[Minstrel Boy]

4. I'll be honest,

as a New Democrat, Kennedy's the one most likely to hurt us. I was disappointed when he ran as a Liberal. I know he'd been courted by the NDP as well. As you say, he has the least baggage, and his progressive bona fides are more persuasive than any other candidate.

However, as I said elsewhere, I sincerely don't know if Kennedy's the best horse for the Liberals to ride back to power. I think there are more potential Liberal votes parked with the Conservatives now than with the NDP, and someone like Ignatieff may be the smartest choice to appeal to them.

If the Liberals want to run against Layton, Kennedy's their man. If against Harper, than it may be Iggy.

[daleo]

5. I worked for an agency (early 80's) that referred people to Edm food bank

I guess that was the time Kennedy opened up the Edmonton Food Bank. Operating a non-profit agency (especially starting one) takes a lot of dedication for not very large personal returns. That certainly is a big point in Kennedy's favor.

Iggy has too much of the Tiny Blur about him.