Final thoughts on the Liberal Convention

As a Liberal party member looking in from the outside, I have mixed feelings about the outcome of the convention. I'm a Kennedy supporter, so I'm disappointed he didn't win. But given his focus on party renewal and the fact that his French still needs work, he really didn't stand much of a chance with the party establishment. But Kennedy's ability to act as kingmaker hopefully will result in the party putting some focus on ethics and accountability. If not then it will be obvious to many inside and outside of the party that we've learned nothing. While time has softened Canadians anger over the sponsorship scandal I believe it's still on their minds -- at least it is with many of those I've talked to over the past few weeks.

That said, like many others Dion was my second choice and I believe that he has the potential to be a good, if not a great leader. He certainly has been underestimated and that may continue to play in his favour. Today's poll results certainly underline his potential. And it's validated by my own conversations immediately following Dion's win on Saturday.

I'm also a new newly transplanted to Vancouver from Toronto (my wife is pursuing an acting career out here). We went out for a very late brunch following the final ballot and I asked a few of the patrons of the Red Umbrella what they thought of Dion's win. To my surprise, more than a few were happy with the result -- they despise Harper and generally like Dion's strategy for creating a sustainable economy. Dion was also endorsed by the Georgia Straight weekly prior to the convention, so if this small sampling is any indication he has some potential out here.

What disappointed me most about the convention was the failure to really embrace the grass roots by extending suffrage to the broader party membership. I think the excitement of the convention can be maintained while allowing for broader participation in the selection of the leader and on policy for that matter.

I was also disappointed with Bob Rae's reaction to being outmanoeuvred by Dion and Kennedy. His comment on his decision to free his delegates to vote their conscience was a bit pathetic given his own machinations. I mean here's a guy who openly accepted Joe Volpe's support. The whining's a bit rich, particularly someone who is strongly motivated by his need to be famous. To me that certainly came out in his "all about Bob" speech on Friday night.

Finally, I'm encouraged by Kennedy's resolve in the aftermath of Dion's win. After all while he may have been the kingmaker he still lost. Nevertheless he still exhibits that resolve an commitment to the common good that inspired so many of his followers. So here's hoping that the Dion-Kennedy tandem can exert significant influence on the shape of the party; that the party will recognize that both the party and the broader electorate want reform and that they will all come together to win in the next election.