Liberal Leadership

So its begun. Now that the campaign has begun, let us look at a few contenders:

Michael Ignattieff: The Philosopher King. He is arguable the strongest of the contenders for the leadership, and most likely the candidate the Conservatives don't want. However, his long abence from the country is still an open sore.

Bob Rae: Potential Leader of the "Unite the Left" movement, however, Bob Rae is still toxic in Ontario, and as the last election has shown, Ontario is no longer a Liberal Fortress. To win it back they'll need a leader who can rebuild the party's fortune in Central Canada.

Gerard Kennedy: The Dealmaker. He was a strong enough candidate in the last campaign that he won it from Dion. However, will that strength remain? It can be argued in hindsight that his efforts have harmed the Liberal Party.

Frank McKenna: Premier, Ambassador, Businessman. Likely Bay Street's choice for Liberal Leader. He's bilingual (though apparently rusty).

Jane Stewart: She was apparently the successor Chretien wanted. She threw herself on the media grenade of the HRDC. There was a small "Draft Jane" movement in 2006, its unknown if she would take the plunge or not.

There are numerous others, but it'll be a short campaign, expect an Ignattieff or Rae victory.