With Ken Dryden's announcement earlier today, there are now ten candidates in the Liberal party leadership race. Eight of them happen to hail from Toronto, a city near and dear to this blogger's heart. The ten hopefuls, in alphabetical order, are:
- Maurizio Bevilacqua
- Carolyn Bennett
- Scott Brison
- Stephan Dion
- Ken Dryden
- Martha Hall Findlay
- Gerard Kennedy
- Michael Ignatieff
- Bob Rae
- Joe Volpe
I don't have a vote, but I do have a favourite. A few months ago I wrote an entry entitled "Prime Minister Ken Dryden" in which I discussed the fact Ken Dryden could be our next Prime Minister. Afterwards, a number of people cracked jokes about the possibilty. Many thought I was kidding. The fact of the matter is, I was completely serious.
Yes, hearing him speak is going to bore us to tears, but he's an intelligent, compassionate thinker who I trust at the helm. When he speaks about loving this country and wanting the best for his country, there's a sincerity in his tone that cannot be faked. Most importantly, he's a man of integrity, exactly what the doctor ordered for the Liberal party at this juncture.
If not Dryden, then Gerard Kennedy. You can't go wrong with a left-leaning Torontonian. If you're a betting man, throw a loonie down on Michael Ignatieff. I'm sticking with Dryden's record. Eight seasons and four Stanley Cups. The other nine combined haven't won a single one.
