dion

Wow, that was fun! A political convention where the result was not a foregone conclusion - and where the end result was not predicted! Delicious.

I am thrilled that Ignatieff was not chosen to lead the Liberal party. Although my first choice was Bob Rae and my second choice was Gerard Kennedy, I was squarely thinking "anyone but Ignatieff". Stéphane Dion was the candidate I was least familiar with, but I'm catching up, and I'll be happy to see him elected Canada's next prime minister.

(And if you're new to wmtc, when I am eligible to vote, I won't be voting for any Liberal. I wonder if the NDP will notice a boost in membership from all the American defectors?)

May I please offer a big, fat "I told you so" to the reader who told me I should learn to like Ignatieff, because he's going to be the next prime minister?

I'm holding my second, even bigger "I told you so" in reserve: for those who claimed with such certainty that Stephen Harper would win a second election with a majority government. I didn't believe it then, and I don't believe it now.

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During CBC's convention coverage, I enjoyed hearing everyone's recollections and memories of Pierre Trudeau. What a legacy that man left! The way people speak about his personal charisma and the magnetism of his orbit, in US terms, can only be compared to John F. Kennedy - but without the more recent taints that the JFK's memory and his family name have suffered. Trudeau can be my next Canadian to learn about, when I'm finished reading about Tommy Douglas.

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Update: Here is Dion's take on the recent motion recognizing the Québécois as a nation within a united Canada. I like it a lot.