Monday, December 11, 2006

The next leadership field

Macleans.ca had a highly speculative piece today postulating the field of contenders for the next Liberal leadership race. I think they’re way off base though. Here’s my prediction for the next field, which I think is still some ways away (I’m guessing 2016):

Steve Zucker: An Ivy league professor, this Canadian teaches computer science at Yale, where they talk of "Zuckermania."








Gary Doer
: By this time he’ll be the former NDP Premier of Manitoba, ‘nuff said.










Gail Nyberg: The director of Toronto’s Daily Bread foodbank. I think she’s NDP, but after the NDP is swallowed by the Green Party in two years she joins the provincial Liberals and becomes education minister.




Stephane Roussel: An assistant professor of political science at the Université du Québec à Montréal, specializing in foreign and defence policy. After forming a government later this year Dion will call Roussel into public service to be the Stephane to his Stephane and solve the Afghanistan quagmire.



Long shots with shots:


Paul Martin, Jr
.: No, no, not him. His son. Because how long can we go without a Paul Martin in a Liberal leadership race? It’s time for the third generation.


Ben Mulroney
: Dad will be shocked too. But too much time spent in lefty La La Land will corrupt young Ben away from his Conservative roots.


Remember folks, you heard it here first.

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15 comments:

Anonymous said...

My only point of contention in this otherwise well researched and well argued piece - Dion will form government for the next 16 years. Not 10.

Steve V said...

I heard from a reliable source that Eugene Whelan is toying with a comeback. Fingers crossed.

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

I think the next Liberal leadership race will be several years ahead and will probably include people that are total unknowns. A better prediction should be who will be in the next Conservative leadership race.

Here are some of my predictions
1. Peter MacKay
2. Bernard Lord
3. Jim Prentice
4. Jim Flaherty
5. Tony Clement
6. Jason Kenney

Since the party seems to think the further to the right the better, I am going to go out on the limb and say they will choose Jason Kenney, who will then get his ass kicked in the next election meaning another Conservative leadership race.

Dan McKenzie said...

Here's a fearless prediction. MacKay will never be the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Anonymous said...

How about going really left - Alexandre Trudeau - he absolutely adores Fidel Castro and even went down for the old man's 80th birthday during the convention.

I noticed you didn't include any women - shame on you.

I know you are a Dion fan, but this article is a little sarcastic towards a degree of nastiness.

Jeff said...

I noticed you didn't include any women - shame on you.

Gail Nyberg would like to disagree with you, I'm sure.

Jason Hickman said...

Here’s my prediction for the next field, which I think is still some ways away (I’m guessing 2016)

You mean after the next election when Dion quits, Bill Graham will have to be interim leader again ... for 9 years? He's gonna be tired ...

Jeff said...

Actually Jason, after two straight majority governments, the saving of the environment and the retirement of the national debt, he will opt for early retirement traveling the world in his eco-friendly flying car.

Anthony said...

Dion majority governments?

gimme some of those drugs Jeff...please!

they will make me feel so much better.

I challenge somebody to come up with 45 ridings outside Quebec we can win. We are 52 ridings short of a majority and a pickup of 7 in Quebec is a stretch in and of itself.

Jeff said...

Antonio, you're on board with the debt retired, environment saved and flying car predictions though?

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately Roussel is a fervent sovereignist...

Jason Hickman said...

... he will opt for early retirement traveling the world in his eco-friendly flying car.

patent pending.

Jeff said...

Unfortunately Roussel is a fervent sovereignist...

One minor detail! I couldn't resist the coincidence of another polysci prof from Quebec named Stephane though. I'm sure the other Stephane will solve the separatism thing for once and for all just after he retires Canada's debt, and frees Tibet, freeing this Stephane to join the team.

Anthony said...

Don't worry Jeff,

the prediction is still right

Dion used to be a sovreigntist too!

Anonymous said...

False! I'm not a "fervent sovereignist". I 'm a soft one, and only when the other Stéphane is opening his mouth... But thanks for using "sovereignist" instead of the pejorative "separatist"!

And about Aghanistan, I'm still digging...