Joining the crowd
Ever see a crowd forming, a crowd you're not part of, and then start to get nervous that you are missing out on something important?
I'm starting to get that feeling.
So before my nerves are completely frazzled, I'm going to join that crowd with this official announcement:
There, now I feel better. I can join the crowd, made up of John Manley, Frank McKenna, and now Brian Tobin:
Another Liberal leadership prospect has dropped out of the early race to replace Paul Martin, with Brian Tobin announcing he will not be putting his name in the hat.
Tobin, a former federal cabinet minister and premier of Newfoundland, was considered the last strong candidate for the job.
Tobin's announcement came Tuesday.
Funny thing is the way the media keeps calling this a race:
Outgoing Prime Minister Paul Martin triggered a leadership race when he announced his intention to resign as Liberal Party leader as he conceded defeat to the Conservatives' Stephen Harper in last week's federal election.
Technically, don't you need at least two runners before you have a race? One runner and it's just a jog. No runners, and, well, I guess it's just a line of dirt.
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Comments
I would also like to announce that I, too, will not be a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party.
I call upon all bloggers to announce their non-candidacies as well, so as to dampen rampant uninformed speculation.
Posted by: Loyalist at January 31, 2006 10:32 PM
Come on. Why would any sane individual want to associate his or her name with the Liberal Party of Canada? JC and PM completely bankrupted that Party, both morally and financially. It is no wonder people are running like hell in the opposite direction!
Posted by: odie441 at January 31, 2006 10:41 PM
So are we to assume that the LPC will run itself without a leader; as no one deems it advisable to run the party?
Alternately, those formerly considering, know the true state of affairs at the LPC and realize that:
"Only a political Christ could redeem these poor, I mean rich, political lepers."
Posted by: Hans Rupprecht at January 31, 2006 10:43 PM
I'll be the 3rd to announce that I, too, will not be a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party.
Posted by: mikeh at January 31, 2006 10:43 PM
They're all realizing that a ton of falling sh*t is about to come down so they'll do like Mulroney did to Kim Campbell...the next leader of the Libs is going to be a sacrificial lamb and none of them want to be *it*.
I regret to announce that I won't be running for the Liberal leadership *sob*...it was a lot of money to pass up *sob*.
:D
Posted by: David Lockwood at January 31, 2006 10:44 PM
I'm thinking about not running too.
Posted by: Chris from Victoria, BC at January 31, 2006 10:54 PM
How long did it take the Liberals to organize a legitimate leadership race after Trudeau's defeat in '79?
All I can say is it sure must have been long since he[Trudeau] was able to make a comback after declaring himself out of the race and on his way back to the private sector.
Not only that, it was long enough for him to still be around to see parliament dissolve due to a motion of non-confidence.
I still think Martin might do the same after his usually suspects storm the caucus meeting on the hill tomorrow and convince anybody who will listen that he is worthy of another shot.
Posted by: Scott at January 31, 2006 10:55 PM
I would like to officially announce that I will also not be a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party. I want to spend more time with my family.
After the party's finances are resolved and the party is revived in Quebec thus improving my chances for election to the PM position I will re-consider my opptions.
Posted by: Fiumara at January 31, 2006 11:01 PM
I made my announcement yesterday, but no one showed up at the press conference. So I harangued the janitor at the back of the room while he swept up for about half an hour on the dangers of gingivitis instead. I think I got through to him.
Posted by: Dante at January 31, 2006 11:03 PM
I am reminded of the classic Simpsons episode when Homer becomes the head of the power plant union before he accepts he ask how much the job pays and Carl tells him nothing..d'oh..unless your crooked...Woo Hoo!
Therefore it is with a heavy heart I announce tonight that I will not be a candidate for the Liberal Party leadership.
Posted by: Brent Colbert at January 31, 2006 11:04 PM
What about Belinda the Bumptious Bimbo? ( hmm, that reminds me of an old Groucho Marx song, Lydia..something..? )I bet she is still in 'the race'. She would be perfect for this self-serving Liberal party. They deserve her.
Posted by: anonymous at January 31, 2006 11:36 PM
In keeping with protocal, I will not seek the liberal leadership. I believe in being honesty and not greed. Allan. Toronto.
Posted by: Allan Carty at January 31, 2006 11:40 PM
Maybe people wanted to be on record that they are not running for the Liberal leadership "before" the second Gomery report came out....or maybe they have learned of some more details that you and I are not privy to.
Just maybe.
Oh...I'm not running either. In case anyone wanted to know.
RZ
Posted by: RZ at January 31, 2006 11:44 PM
Its a "race" in the sense of a race to see who will be the last person to say "not it". :)
Oh, and I would like to announce that I, too, will not be running for the Liberal party leadership. They contacted me about the position but I had to convince them that, as an American I wasn't suited for the position and decline.
;)
Posted by: Regis at January 31, 2006 11:53 PM
I am leaning towards not running, but am holding out for a few more of the bigger players to bow out.Somebody whispered that there was a lot more bad stuff about to happen to the Liberal party you know scandals like last year, so while it sounds like a good job paywise, the job satisfaction may not be there.Seriously do you think anyone will step in front of the train?
Posted by: ian at January 31, 2006 11:54 PM
Michael Moore will probably do it. For a half-ton of free corn dogs and a couple of underage hookers. Heck, for that wage, Bill Clinton would probably do it too.
Posted by: john at February 1, 2006 12:09 AM
I keep wondering if this is real, or if this is a ploy so Pauly can be "dragged" back into leadership. This way his right to leadership is unassailable.
Posted by: Joe_Canadian at February 1, 2006 12:15 AM
Aww, come on Regis...we'll bend the rules so an American can apply :)
Joe Canadian has a point...Uncle Paulie must be looking good to them right now...at least he wanted the position...well...er...for a while anyway :)
D
Posted by: David Lockwood at February 1, 2006 12:49 AM
The people who really run the Liberal Party, (a multi-billion network of government contracts and government positons-based 'enterprize')do not 'run' for office. They control the office. They figured flying in an outsider was their best shot, someone without baggage, someone acceptable to a broad 'centre'.
They did the same with Trudeau, and it worked well. The budget that these feed on swelled exponentially.
The fix is in, and everyone higher up knows it, so why would someone with some past record of proven accomplishment waste time on this? They'll put up some minor characters to put on a good show telling us about 'Liberal values'. Welcome to 18 mo of prime time 'new supreme leader' grooming.
Posted by: brock at February 1, 2006 12:57 AM
Big Paulie will not be dragged back in, he knows better than anyone the **it that is gonna hit the fan once the Cons get a look at the books, but hey, we've got a list of possible suckers er...candidates in our poll tonight @ http://plattytalk.blogspot.com
Posted by: Platty at February 1, 2006 01:59 AM
BELINDA "Pick me or I'm goin' to the Bloc" STRONACH
(from Platty's link)
Nice line, I think I'm going to steal it.
Posted by: Joe Canadian at February 1, 2006 02:08 AM
Too bad about Tobin not running.
That would have guaranteed the Liberals not forming a government for at least the length of his tenure.
Posted by: alex at February 1, 2006 04:55 AM
Now that I see my competition is Belinda Stronach and Scott Brison, I'm still considering.
I'll win the leadership and then have the entire party cross the floor to the Conservatives (less Belinda and Scott of course!).
Posted by: The Good Fight at February 1, 2006 07:12 AM
Angry, have you seen this?
http://www.warrenkinsella.com/musings.htm
Like "insider trading."
January 31, 2006 - Forgive me for being blunt, but how in the name of Christ was the official spokesman for the Gomery Commission permitted to write a book about what was going on behind the scenes at the Gomery Commission? This is the big surprise I had been planning for you - but La Presse beat me to it.
Here's the gist of the La Presse story, for those of you who cannot read French:
Perrault's slender book is called ''Inside Gomery.' It's being published by Douglas and McIntyre.
The book will be released on February 21, at a party at the National Arts Centre.
Perrault himself admitted that the writing of such a book is analogous to "insider trading."
Despite that, he started to write the book in October, when the first Gomery volume had yet to be released.
Gomery knew all about it. He even wrote the preface for the book. If you don't understand why this is an issue, you are either hopelessly partisan, or you think Gomery was right to "exonerate" Paul Martin...
Posted by: backhoe at February 1, 2006 07:20 AM
"Michael Moore will probably do it. For a half-ton of free corn dogs and a couple of underage hookers. Heck, for that wage, Bill Clinton would probably do it too."
Add Cindy Sheehan to the list. The Liberals want more women leaders & candidates. Hmm, How about Barbara Streisand? Susan Sarandon?
BTW - I won't be running. Let these marvellous specimens take the gauntlet.
I'm too busy trying to make an honest living.
Posted by: On-Tory-O at February 1, 2006 07:42 AM
Brian Tobin is not running for the leadership of the liberal party.
Osama Bin Laden is not running for the leadership of the liberal party.
Brian Tobin. Not running. For the leadership. Of the liberal party.
In Canada.
In Canadian Cities.
I am not making this up.
Posted by: Mike F at February 1, 2006 09:08 AM
I'd like the Liberal king makers to know that I have a dog...born in Quebec, barks in both official languages, cute (women love him), takes orders well and does everything anyone tells him to do, cheap to keep...AND....he poops in OTHER PEOPLE's yards where I don't see it or have to clean it up....I call him Mike's revenge and he's for sale....make a perfect leadership candidate.
Posted by: wlyonmackenzie at February 1, 2006 09:29 AM
I'm not running either because I don't want to "cross the floor" to be eligible!.
Posted by: Richard Wolfe at February 1, 2006 10:32 AM
I'd like to nominate Hedy "There's a cross buring on my front lawn" Fry. She's just what the lieberal party needs to be intellectually reinvigorated.
and she's really hot too !
:P
Posted by: Atwood at February 1, 2006 10:33 AM
Hey now Angry, there are lots of people still on the list!
See my handicapping of the race:
http://www.unsolicitedadvice.ca/index.php?action=fullnews&id=111
Posted by: fjm at February 1, 2006 10:48 AM
I am sure CBC and CTV have a good size hand full or more of reporters (I use the term loosely) who know they can do a better job than Harper even though he is not PM yet.
When they look like the train is coming and they don't know how to get off the track you know they are Liberal Leadership material.
Posted by: capt_bob at February 1, 2006 11:01 AM
I have this funny feeling, right now, that T-shirts emblazoned with "I'm Not Running for Liberal Leader" will sell well for the next couple of weeks. I might have to design a logo.
Posted by: PhantomObserver at February 1, 2006 11:34 AM
Think of the Liberal Party as a multi-billion $ entity, corporation. Control of this entity able to let billions in contracts and lucrative positions, is supreme power in one party state Canada. The elected part of this multi-billion self-interest entity is a necessary mechanism to ensure the billions collected in taxes remain in one party control.
Martin has resigned as opposition leader, but not as head of the party. The real power is to be able to pick who next will re-image the party while leaving it under the control of the same interests.
On another issue, Gomery was picked by Martin. The terms of reference where limited by, Martin. Kinsella has put some of this in perspective.
Let's hope that a forensic investigation of who got the contracts for doing what to register guns will take place now, for this will show what the 'legal' face of this 'one party state corporation' is really all about.
Posted by: brock at February 1, 2006 09:32 PM
And my logo design is done:
http://phantomobserver.com/blog/?p=45
Posted by: PhantomObserver at February 1, 2006 11:21 PM
 
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