Remember how worried we were about all the Martinites getting behind one candidate? Interesting column by the Post’s Adam Radwanski on Bob Rae and the heavy concentration of key former Jean Chretien supporters on his campaign team.
Is Chretien really pulling the strings behind the scenes though? While I wouldn’t be surprised, I have to wonder if it’s more of a John Rae thing than a Jean Chretien thing. I can think of at least one rabid Jean-a-holic that isn’t keen on the idea of Rae as Liberal leader.
Myself, I'm tired of hearing about Martinites and Chretienites. Remember when we were Liberals?
Published in The National Post on August 18, 2006
The old gang's back
It was supposed to be Paul Martin's supporters who wouldn't let it go. Who refused to relinquish control of the Liberal party until it was pried from their cold dead hands. Who tried desperately to relive past glories because they couldn't quite figure out what to do with themselves now. Who insisted on dragging the party back into the past, rather than let it move forward into the future. Who were expected to find some stalking horse, and then give him the dubious pleasure of doing for him what they did for Paul Martin.
And yet, less than four months before Liberals gather in Montreal to choose their new leader, the senior Martinites are nowhere to be found - at least collectively. A few have scattered to various candidates; most seem to have stayed out of the race entirely. This may not be by choice; after leading the Liberals into the ground, they're not facing bidding wars for their services. But say this much for them: For once, they can lay legitimate claim to the high road over Jean Chretien's crowd.
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The old gang's back
It was supposed to be Paul Martin's supporters who wouldn't let it go. Who refused to relinquish control of the Liberal party until it was pried from their cold dead hands. Who tried desperately to relive past glories because they couldn't quite figure out what to do with themselves now. Who insisted on dragging the party back into the past, rather than let it move forward into the future. Who were expected to find some stalking horse, and then give him the dubious pleasure of doing for him what they did for Paul Martin.
And yet, less than four months before Liberals gather in Montreal to choose their new leader, the senior Martinites are nowhere to be found - at least collectively. A few have scattered to various candidates; most seem to have stayed out of the race entirely. This may not be by choice; after leading the Liberals into the ground, they're not facing bidding wars for their services. But say this much for them: For once, they can lay legitimate claim to the high road over Jean Chretien's crowd.
(more)
2 comments:
I don't know why anyone cares who's behind them. This is a new day folks.
I find this obsession about who's behind who and the Chretien/Martin thing weird. I don't see the media analysing Harper this way.
Kinsella still has a bee in his bonnet and can't let go - talk about a grudge holder. Hence, the little remarks now and then to hurt the Federal Liberals.
80% hoo-haah... How strange it is that some people, after working together on major projects find themselves, not all, but most, working together again!?! There must be more than a simple conspiracy involved, perhaps a Chretien conspiracy? How diabolical! No wonder Kinsella's so apolectic these days -- what he's pulling these days isn't a string.
Its not like these characters coalesced behind some Joe Nobody or Arthur Undeserving. Rae's resume speaks for itself, oh except for the little item of him belonging to some little party for 30 years. Prior to that, he was a committed liberal. At least Radwanker got it right near the end -- Rae is no one's puppet, and only Arlene knows where the string is hidden, anyways.
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