Categories: Capital Read, Inside the Queensway

The first annual macleans.ca poll: Which politician is least likely to survive The Most Dangerous Day of the Year (tm Inkless Wells)?

by kadyomalley on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 4:24pm - 39 Comments

Which is tomorrow, as it happens.

Why? Colleague Wells, currently on one of those special research missions, explains via email:

It’s the day people quit politics (Klein, Bouchard) or drop out of leadership races (Tobin, Rock). They spend Christmas with their families, Monday getting back to the office, Tuesday telling staff and then they have a presser on Wednesday.

Although there aren’t (yet) any unexplained press conferences scheduled for tomorrow, we’ve come up with the names of a few current politicians who may be penning their farewell speaking notes this afternoon. Feel free to suggest any other likely candidates – that’s what the blank space is for, after all.

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  • madeyoulook

    Well, given the meteorological AND political climate over the holidays, is there a Canadian politician who didn’t have an opportunity for a “walk in the snow” the last couple weeks?

    PS you’re using up your annual poll pretty early this year, no?

  • http://www.macleans.ca Kady O’Malley

    Wait, I meant the first annual Most Dangerous Day poll! I refuse to give up the right to seek the wise counsel of our readers in future, if necessary.

  • Mike T.

    I don’t see why Dion would want to stick around any longer.

    • http://macleans.ca kc

      Since William just voted Lizzie off the island, and the greens will be looking for an attractive new candidate to help the conservatives, you may be right.

  • http://carnewsandviews.com jwl

    That’s weird. I was reading article the other day in UK newspaper that said tomorrow was the number one day for couples filling for divorce.

    Anyways, I voted for J Tory. I am assuming that he’s bought a clue over the hols and finally realized that he’s not wanted.

  • William

    –Just voted for Lizzie May—she went from refreshing to annoying at rapid speed. Her departure and the arrival of a more attractive Green leader can only help the Conservatives.

  • http://www.maderblog.com David Mader

    Smart money’s on Lawrence Martin.

  • mecheng

    Can’t see it being EMay…

    Does she even have an office to return to after the holidays, and staff to consult with? Is leader of the Green Party a 9-5 job, or whenever it fits into her schedule, or demands her presence?

    Besides…I thought she stated once that one of the reasons she wanted to be an MP was because she needed a good pension. She doesn’t have that yet, so I can’t see her leaving unless she is forced out.

    • Mike H

      May sublet her office when she thought she was going to the Senate.

  • Mike514

    We’ve already had a flurry of retirements / stepping-downs in the past few months. Dion, Dumont, Solberg, Emerson, and the list goes on. Maybe we can include Rae and Leblanc, since they stepped down from seeking the Liberal leadership.

    Is there a contagious retirement virus spreading within political circles lately?

    • Mike H

      With the circus that is political Ottawa today it is a wonder any of them stay.

      • Mike T.

        Mike – Mike – Mike Trifecta!

        • http://economics.about.com Mike Moffatt

          and now I ruined it!

  • http://macleans.ca kc

    ” Which surprise departure from public life would surprise you the least” Ah! A double surprise. Is this a trick question? That’s got to be Dion. No his staying on was a surprise although maybe not to himself. And his second departure wasn’t a surprise, more lke a relief, although maybe a surprise to him. Having a shot at being PM probably was a double surprise but then he wouldn’t be leaving, not until may anyway, which wouldn’t have surprised anyone, particularly if he didn’t then leave public life which wouldn’t have been surprising in the least. Damit! What was the question again?

  • Wascally Wabbit

    I almost feel SORRY for John Tory…almost but not quite!
    I started a rumour a number of years ago that Jim Wilson was going to stand down for him (he made a deal with David Tilson in the next door riding instead)…that had Wilson having coniption fits – Hee Hee!
    It’s always fun to make Wilson’s face red!
    But if I was leading a team made up of Mad Dog Runciman – Norm – Damn – I was sure I was going to be a Senator – Sterling – Randy – where’s my tractor – Hillier – I’d be watching my back and asking my Whip to order more strait jackets!

  • sf

    Tory is almost dead-man walking, so he skews the poll because he is such an obvious choice.

    But the others are all good choices.

    Many people have suggested Dion, and I agree. It must be tough for him to drag himself into the office right now.

    I think Rae is another possibility. His leadership hopes have taken another shot. I think Iggy will last for a while.

  • SAB

    I voted for Tory but am really hoping it’s Flaherty.

  • Wayne

    KC: could you breakdown that surprising response one more time?

    • http://macleans.ca kc

      Sorry. I’ve taken my meds now.

  • Ti-Guy

    Dean Del Mastro, if there’s a God.

    He’s so repellent.

    Just to be non-partisan, I wouldn’t mind if Karygiannis gave up.

    • DR

      I wouldn’t mind if half the Toronto Liberal MP’s left. Including the count.

      • Ti-Guy

        Why? Because you loathe Toronto? How pathetic.

        My revulsion of Del Mastro (*oink*) concerns only himself.

        • DR

          No, because half of them belong in the conservative caucus. Also, the general irritation at a bunch of stupid white men who generally take their voters for granted.

    • Dusty

      I guess you are so thick headed you just do not get it. Jimmy K has the full support of his riding. He got the third highest Liberal Plurality in the country. Wake up your Dork he is unmovable

      • Ti-Guy

        Wake up your Dork…

        I beg your pardon?!

        …he is unmovable

        …Like a bowel obstruction.

        • A.Political

          Wake up your Dork…

          I beg your pardon?!

          ====

          I you disheth out, you must taketh.

  • Wascally Wabbit

    Well – if we are talking repellent – how about the super midget Gary -there isn’t a Nuclear Safety Commission chairperson I’m afraid of – Lunn?

  • Anon

    The most likely exit is Stephane Dion, obviously, which will allow Ignatieff to parachute his own guy in a safe Liberal seat.

    On the non-political side, someone from the PMO — Muttart, Giorno, for example.

    But the most surprising exit of all would be TheStrategist (TM) himself, would it not?

    • KRB

      No doubt that’s who [TheStrategist(TM)] Larry Martin selected … he’s got inside info y’know.

      • Anon

        Okay, I take that back.

        Two other names: Peter MacKay because it takes time to prepare a leadership bid and because DND is bound to take a hit on its hardware acquisition program.

        Jim Prentice because it takes time to prepare a leadership bid.

  • PeteTong, It’s all gone

    I missed John Tory (how could I be so stupid!).

    There’s no way Gerard Kennedy is going anywhere. He’s got leadership debts to pay and not much chance of making money in the private sector.

    He should stayed in provincial politics. He would have gained a lot more cabinet experience and been in an ideal position to replace Dalton in 2020(?).

  • http://phantomobserver.com PhantomObserver

    To answer the question: none of the federal MPs. Too soon after the October election, and they still want to go through the January budget. (Which means Dion will still be around as an MP, at least until the end of March.)

    Provincially, John Tory is a strong possibility, given that there’s been a recent rise in blog entries complaining about his not resigning after Christmas. But that rise might spur him to stay on out of pure stubbornness.

    Gary Doer has been premier of Manitoba for 10 years, and that’s long enough to get tired of the job and want something new. I therefore say the highest probability would be for Doer.

    However, given that Michael Ignatieff is now in the midst of re-organizing the senior levels of the Liberal Party as well as the Office of Leader of the Opposition, I wouldn’t be surprised if Doug Ferguson, the party president, decided it was time to move on.

    • http://www.bluelikeyou.com/ Joanne (T.B.)

      But that rise might spur him to stay on out of pure stubbornness.

      o.k., o.k. I’ll stop!

  • Mike Horn

    Raise a pint and a prayer tmight for Don Newman. He had a serious sounding voice problem today and thats one of the gresat things about the show.

    As for the politicians, Nixon and Mao had it right, occaisionally they should all be forcibly retired or made to pick up behind the pigs. Evidently, it shapes them right up for a while.

    • Mike H

      Who is Don Newman anyway?

      • Jack Mitchell

        Frank Oz?

        • Jack Mitchell

          Wait, sorry, just read Mike Horn’s post, and it sounds like Don Newman is ill. Didn’t mean to take a swipe at a guy who’s sick, and I hope he gets well if so. Good old Don, he’s like the physical incarnation of journalism in this country. Of course if he’s hale & hardy one must reserve the right to make tasteless jokes about him, but if not, not.

  • Sophie

    John Tory. That, of course, would be the least surprising, but not the one I would hope for.

  • Mike Horn

    Actually I feel like clarifying that my reference to the cultural revolution was only grim Humour. I was totally sincere when toasting DN :)

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