Beware the Leaked Memo: Iggsters have no reason to celebrate

As much as we love to hate the CPC, even the most diehard partisan has got to admit: they don't make mistakes like that. This leaked memo is just an attemt by the CPC to manipulate our process. Look at the timing: leaked at a time when Mr. Ignatieff's credibility in Western Canada will be severely hampered due to his infamous Carbon Tax. The CPC is getting pounded in Quebec because of their foreign policy - a foreign policy shared by Iggy. Yes, I'm sure the CPC is just TERRIFIED of Mr. Ignatieff. What a joke - Harper could wipe the floor with Iggy without batting an eye. The CPC is about as terrified of Iggy as they are of Bob Rae - and that's not very.

The candidate that they are afraid of is the one whose polling numbers indicate that he can take votes away from the CPC, BQ and NDP and who ranks #1 among the candidates in terms of the general population. That would be the national favourite: Ken Dryden.

Reason Number 2 to Support Ken Dryden

You can see something like this, laugh your head off and - unlike with some of the other candidates - not wonder if it's actually true.

Why I Endorse Ken Dryden for Liberal Party Leader Part 1

The Liberal Party has seen a lot of bad press over the past couple of years - even in the last few days, though a lot of that was self-generated and not terribly constructive for cleaning up our party's reputation. Ken Dryden as Leader would radically change our party’s image just by being elected. The rest of the country wants him as leader as seen here and here and here. Ken Dryden would take votes away from other parties and could win in all provinces - this is not something that can be said for any of the other candidates. Despite any unwillingness among bloggers to admit this, each of the other candidates has serious problems that will prevent them from winning the country. Why would any serious Liberal want that?

But it’s not just Ken Dryden’s winnability that should make him the obvious choice among Liberals. There are a number of other reasons why Liberals should vote for Ken Dryden on Super Weekend and at the Leadership Convention. Over the next few days, I will add new reasons why it’s important to vote for Ken Dryden and Dryden delegates this weekend.

Joe Volpe: The Anti-Establishment Candidate

So.... rather than answering pointed questions on the alleged irregularities in Quebec, Joe decided it was a better plan to say that after 51 years in Canada - he is still 'not Canadian enough' to be leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. According to Joe the 'Establishment' is against him. Interesting.

Women: Write 'em off: CRAParty of Canada

Women don't typically vote for the CRAParty of Canada, so let's cut funding to Status of Women Canada. This isn't exactly news, but what is new and disturbing is the way the minister responsible for SWC, Bev Oda, has blatantly refused to answer direct questions on the issue. Minister Oda has also not heeded calls from Canadian citizens of both genders to state her position when it became clear that REAL Women had suceeded in their lobbying efforts and the future of SWC was at risk.

At the time, Liberal Leadership candidate Ken Dryden wrote to Minister Oda asking her to confirm her support for SWC and its important projects. Rather than helping Canadian women, like Mr. Dryden is committed to doing, Minister Oda has decided to punish all groups that don't fit her party's ideological agenda.

It's pretty telling when Liberal men are more concerned about gender equality and diversity than Conservative women.

Libloggers and Polls

I must say that I am mildly amused by the disdain with which the Gandalf Group's poll is being treated by bloggers who usually have so much to say if their candidates gets the slightest positive press. The most unscientific of 'polls' are cited as 'proof' that Kennedy, Dion, Rae, Iggy will win the leadership. Even Cerberus is trashing this poll, saying he doesn't put much faith in polls. However, he does 'validate' it by saying it shows Iggy is WAY ahead of the others (it does? I must have missed that bit) and that it's now a race between the two frontrunners Iggy and Rae.

This would be funny if it weren't so pathetically sad. Libloggers give credence to straw polls, web polls you can drop into your blog. Yet the poll that states Ken Dryden is a frontrunner among Canadians and Liberals is being studiously ignored. Ingnoring it won't make it go away.

Merci, les Habitants!

All the Montreal dailies are reporting that the Montreal Candiens Hockey Club will be honouring one of the Liberal Leadership candidates. Obviously I don't have to mention that it is the Absolutely Fabulous Ken Dryden.

UPDATE: Press Conference 20 September, 11.00AM.

Ken Dryden Launches Policy Platform

Ken Dryden just released his policy vision for Canada at the National Press Theatre in Ottawa. The document can be found here. Don't miss him on Politics with Don Newman this afternoon.