Layton temporarily stepping down

[Hatman 🍁]

Turmel is not a good choice. Her English is very poor.

[Hatman 🍁]

Oh, I of course should do the obligatory "get well" comment for Jack. My Dad is going through the same experience, and my prayers will be there for Jack and his family.

[Hatman 🍁]

Resident Dippers: any idea why Aylmer was chosen if QP will be a nightmare for her?

Her name is Turmel. Her riding is Hull-Aylmer. She hasn't been chosen yet, but she does have amazing credentials. QP will be hard unless she answers all questions in French, but that wouldn't look good either.

[Hatman 🍁]

You guys know who Nycole is right? i've seen here on Power&Politics... her english is not perfect but its far from horrible, infact shes not at all hard to understand and is quite able to express herself. Here English is better most Conservative MP's french including most of the cabinet.

a clip talking about AECL:
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/Politics/1244504890/ID=2030247515

Well, she was having troubles when I heard her speak at the convention.

She's no worse in English than Dion was...

That's not saying much.

[Hatman 🍁]

So she'll do OK- and I agree that the lack of decent French amongst RoC MPs is a disgrace.

If Layton resigns, it will be Mulcair by a country mile. There is quite literally no one else, since Nash or Davies are completely unsellable to the public.

Peggy Nash would be fine, although I have not been impressed with her interviews, as she doesn't answer questions directly, or even close. But that's just politics.

Davies wouldn't be very sellable. I haven't liked her since I saw her ride first class on the plane back from Vancouver. What kind of socialist rides first class!?

Hélène Laverdière
Gary Doer
David Miller
Elizabeth Wier

Each could mount a credible campaign (though the latter 3 would need to be able to speak french) and if they all ran and an anti-mulcair thingy developed (not as unrealistic as you might think) then one of them could certainly win.

1. Unknown (but has potential)
2. Too old (but that's his only draw back)
3. Too hated (but then again, so was Jack)
4. Unknown outside of New Brunswick (and where has she been lately?)

[Hatman 🍁]

Paul Dewar (could be added to the list)

Some people think Libby Davies would run, but I don't think she'd manage to get more than a dozen votes - and I don't mean delegates.

Dewar would be good, but I don't think he can speak French well. Also, add Peter Julian to the list. He may be a BC MP, but he is 100% fluent in French and also knows sign language.

[Hatman 🍁]

Paul Dewar (could be added to the list)

Some people think Libby Davies would run, but I don't think she'd manage to get more than a dozen votes - and I don't mean delegates.

I don't think Libby Davies would run in any case. She speaks no French which would be an immediate disqualification. I don't really care about who is or is not a "household name". The fact of the matter is that almost no one in an opposition caucus is ever a "household name". How many people do you think had ever heard of Layton when he first became leader. The people I would see as possibilities (moving from east to west) would be as follows:

Jack Harris (apparently incredibly intelligent - French is so-so)
Megan Leslie (maybe too early for her)
Thomas Mulcair (nothing more need be said, bilingual, former Quebec cabinet minister, but apparently rubs a lot of women in caucus the wrong way...)
I wish i could name anyone else in Quebec, but they are all too inexperienced at this stage.
Peggy Nash (she speaks very good French and presents very well etc...)
Charlie Angus (seems hip, speaks passable French)
Peter Julian

...and then there is always the possibility that Doer comes home to take the reins! who knows.

Maybe Pierre Ducasse? I think most Quebec NDPers are quite loyal to Mulcair and wont run. Yvon Godin is another possibility, as he is francophone and may not be as loyal to Mulcair as he was there long before him.

[Hatman 🍁]

She only joined to support her friend, anyways. What's the big deal?