Monday, January 30, 2006

Run Away!

A very Monty Python sort of day if you're a Liberal supporter. I mean, lots of brave posturing, but when the Conservatives unleash the killer bunny then, well, it's cut and run time.



(It's distinctly possible I have taken the Monty Python and the Holy Grail analogy too far there, but I'm a sucker for a good Python moment.)

In Newfoundland there was no shortage of Liberals running away when faced with leading the party into Armageddon 2007 (ie. The next provincial election). First out of the gate, running in the opposite direction, was Gerry Reid saying that nope, no way was he going to keep leading the party. Then, soon afterwards (in fact, so soon afterwards the CBC didn't need to write a new story for it, but instead just added on to the Reid story) Anna Thistle said in so many words there was no way in hell she was doing it.

What is remarkable is that there is only a week left to declare your intention and only one person is interested and no one from the current caucus looks like they want the job. Wow. What does that say about the one mighty provincial Liberals. When Tobin screws a party, he screws them good.

And, of course, speaking of Tobin...

Paul Martin resigns as Liberal leader and everyone figures they've got the leadership contenders figured out.

Except John Manley quickly bails, citing family reasons.

Except Frank McKenna just bailed, citing personal reasons.

That's two big gun favourites who just said "No" to being Liberal leader.

Groundhog Day is February 2nd. I wonder, will Tobin stick his perfectly quoffed head (there's a lovely bit in the Saturday Globe about Tobin and his hairdresser, but it's members only online) out of his hole in the ground, see his shadow and go scurrying away for six more years.

Or will his winter of being away from politics finally be over and he takes the plunge. I've seen two polls that said he was the second choice after McKenna to be Liberal leader. With McKenna gone, is he now the favourite?

God help us all, but I think we just took a step closer to Prime Minister Tobin today...

Currently Play on My Newly Working iPod
Spamalot - Original Cast Recording

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't think we are closer to "Prime Minster Tobin", then we are to "Majority Conservative Government". Think about, reminds me of when Tobin was premier, the conservatives had old Ed in charge knowing of course Ed would never be premier so why not let him lead when there was no chance of victory.

I think if Tobin becomes liberal leader it will be the same principle: "hell we don't have a shot or anybody else who wants the job, let old Brian have it, we'll pick a winner when the conservatives burn out"

Edward Hollett said...

Craig:

You haven't even begun tot ap the depths of your nightmares.

Try Beaton Tulk instead of Tobin.

*watches Craig run screaming into the nearest unfrozen puddle

towniebastard said...

Tulk as provincial Liberal leader?

Are you kidding, I would love that!.

I mean, I would feel bad for people who want to vote Liberal and feel unable because the leader of their party is an idiot. And I'm a firm believer that a strong opposition is as important as a strong government if democracy is going to work right. So there is a real need for people to vote Liberal and NDP to increase the size of the Opposition in the HOA.

But I will never, never get tired of watching Tulk get kicked around. When he ran federally and lost, I laughed manically. When he then ran for his old seat, that he vacated to run federally and cost the province's tax payers probably $100,000 just to satisfy his own ego, and still lost, I laughed so hard I thought they were going to have to take me to hospital. I only wish they had given him the bill before he left.

Tulk is a political hack in the worse sense of the world.

So watching Williams kick Tulk's ass from Cape Race to the Torngat Mountains, while sucky for you, and sucky for the Liberals, would provide me with weeks of amusement.