by Brian Gilham on November 30, 2006
As regular readers of Ekonoline are no doubt aware, I was skeptical of Howard Dean’s appointment as the Liberal Leadership Convention’s keynote speaker. It seemed illogical to have an American politician, even one as high-profile as Dean, speak at a convention meant to re-unite the Liberal party. However, as much as I might like to poke fun at him, Dean actually did a pretty darn good job.
Dean pleaded with the Liberals to remember the power in a democratic system lies with the voter. Speaking for roughly 20 minutes, echoes of the sponsorship scandal seemed evident. “I’ve found that the path to power, oddly enough, is to trust others with it. That means remembering the power is where the voters are,” he said, “The second step has to do with how we put the power into practice. First, remember it’s on loan.”
He told the delegates present the secret to electoral success is to focus on building Liberal support within every province and territory. “Whether it is the Liberal Party or the Democratic Party, we should never cede a single region or province, never cede a single state or city,” Dean said, “Nor should we ever cede a single voter. Not a single one. It is a mark of respect for the voters that we ask each one for their vote regardless of the likelihood of getting it.”
It was in that last sentence that Dean really won me over. By imploring that no voter be “left behind”, Dean has demonstrated a respect and awe of the democratic system unseen in recent years. We’ve all heard our parents use the phrase “I gave you life, I can take it away.” There are many Canadian and American politicians who would do well to remember those same lessons in the political arena. The Republicans learned this lesson the hard way during the recent mid-term elections. The voters give you power, they can just as easily take it away.
Dean also spoke to the difference in attitude between liberal and conservative political parties. He called the Democratic party and the Liberal party “we” parties. The Republican party and the Conservative party are “me” parties, he said. “At the end of the day -whether we’re talking 50-states or 13 provinces and territories- it’s pretty simple. Show up everywhere. And work hard everywhere,” he said.
The Liberal website has a PDF transcript of Dean’s speech available here.
by Brian Gilham on November 29, 2006
As I write this post, Howard Dean is screaming his way through the keynote address at the Liberal Leadership Convention. The controversy surrounding the decision to include Dean seems to have died down now that the convention is underway, but we’ll have to wait and see who’s saying what once the news reports hit the airwaves later tonight.
The convention’s first day kicked off with a little bit of intrigue and controversy. A poorly-made flyer was circulated throughout the delegates, urging, “If you are having second thoughts about your candidate, don’t vote on the first ballot.” Most news sources are reporting that the flyer was allegedly aimed at any Ignatieff supporters having doubts about their candidate. Ignatieff responded, called the entire idea a “waste”.
According to the convention’s program, tomorrow night’s feature is a tribute to former prime minister, Paul Martin. Martin, who was seen trolling the convention floor and sharing a laugh with Justin Trudeau, called the party “united” today.
“We’re in good shape financially and good shape organizationally and I think this convention is really going to give us a real lift.” -Former prime minister Paul Martin
The Liberals, apparently trying to appeal to a younger audience, have taken to selling a distinct form of personal apparel. Check it out on the CTV politics blog, posted by fellow Loyalist graduate Tyrone Warner.
Things won’t get really interesting until 9:00am Saturday, when the second round of voting will begin. According to CTV, the first ballot is expected to go to Ignatieff, with the field opening up considerably in successive rounds.
by Brian Gilham on November 29, 2006
Like lemmings to the edge of a cliff, Canada’s Liberals began flocking to Montreal yesterday, eager to kick off their 2006 Leadership Convention. While the convention marks the end of the leadership race, delegates will be forced to spend the week listening to speeches from the candidates, making one last plea for their votes.
Here’s how things stand right now:
- Michael Ignatieff: 29.3%
- Bob Rae: 20.1%
- Gerard Kennedy: 17.5%
- Stephane Dion: 16%
- Joe Volpe (just for fun): 4.8%
In a move that I will never understand, today’s keynote speaker will be Democratic National Committee Chairman, Howard Dean. According to a press release on the party’s website, the reasoning is that Dean is “credited with rebuilding the Democratic Party in every U.S. state.” For a party that has often accused the Conservatives of being too close to their U.S. counterparts, this is a bad move. Liberal party president, Michael Eizenga, has said, “Armed with fresh ideas and a strong and united party, Liberals will leave this convention with a new leader and a renewed energy to take on Stephen Harper and his fend-for-yourself vision of Canada.” How hearing from a U.S. politician will accomplish that goal is beyond me, but I’ll be eagerly watching the result. It can’t be any worse than when Bono spoke in 2003.
Besides, we might even get a sample of the infamous Howard Dean Scream! Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!
by Brian Gilham on November 26, 2006
Like the recent bout of municipal elections, the Liberal Leadership convention is quietly sneaking up on a largely unsuspecting public. Born and raised a liberal, although far from being a card-carrying member of the party, I’ve been casually following the leadership race for some time. Running from November 28 to December 2, the convention should prove interesting, if only for the occasional laugh.
As with any race for a political position, there are only a handful of candidates worth caring about. Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae, and Stephane Dion have filled those roles nicely, drawing the majority of the party’s support. Of course, the race has had its share of blunders as well. Compared to Joe Volpe, Stockwell Day can no longer be accused of running the worst campaign in Canadian history.
The list of convention speakers has been announced, including John Duffy, Dr. Eric Hoskins, and everyone’s favourite joke-monkey, Belinda Stronach. Aside from electing a new leader, the Liberals will also be voting on a proposed revised party constitution. I haven’t read the new constitution, but I can only imagine it amounts to, “Kick more Conservative ass.” At least it better, if the Liberals want to get themselves back into fighting form.
For more information on the leadership race, the candidates, and the convention, check out the Liberal party’s website.
by Brian Gilham on November 25, 2006
Lately, I’ve been putting some serious thought into my 2007 New Year’s resolutions. Normally, resolutions aren’t something I put a whole lot of thought into, but I enjoy the idea of trying to set a general agenda for the upcoming year.
For 2006, I made only one resolution: to be as creatively productive as possible. I know it sounds silly, but the idea was to try and motivate myself to get something new and creative out into the world as often as possible. I used to be overly concerned with how my writing and photography would be received by the public, but I’ve since learned to put my doubts aside. As a result, Ekonoline has grown by leaps and bounds in the last six months.
Here’s what I’m thinking so far for 2007.
- Continue working to improve Ekonoline and build readership.
- Re-design Bracketed and begin updating it on a regular basis again.
- Take at least one photo a day.
- Consume a lot less sugar.
- Get more ideas out of my head (writing, graphic design, etc.)
So, that’s what I’ve got thus far. What sort of New Year’s resolutions are you guys going to make, if any?