So, Did Stephane Dion win, or did Michael Ignatieff lose?

My personal opinion is yes and yes! Why, because Stephane Dion and his people built bridges to the other delegates, while Ignatieff's people were arrogantly spouting their talking points to former Rae and Kennedy people, who looked at them with eyes of disbelief.

Michael's people had too much koolaid, this koolaid was the Jim Jones brand of the cult of personality rather than good ideas and bringing together people. When the 3rd ballot results were announced to me in the Laurier club, the room was almost divided, between people who were there only for Michael, and the rest of the people who were trying to decipher the results. Delegates reported to me, that desperate Ignatieff supporters spouted off their rhetoric to them on the convention floor desperately trying to convince them with talking points rather than sincerity. This summed up their attitude in through campaign. Michael is the best, everyone else in inferior. My previous dealings with his youth people were the same as this. Debating them, was debating Michaels talking points, not their own opinions, and that infuriated me as someone who likes talking about issues, and hearing peoples opinions. Not their "Fox news" Bill O'reilley talking points.

From the onset of the convention, Michael's people were very different, they acted aloof, had a total sense of entitlement, it was like they were so self absorbed in having Michael anointed leader that they had no perception of the movement and momentum that the Dion camp picked up when Gerard Kennedy stepped aside. Micheals people were wearing political blinders, and that crippled them on the last two ballots. They ignored all the signs, they ignored what people had to say, they were simply put IGNORANT.


Kudos to Stephane for being a big tent candidate, representing the new Liberal party, and not the old boys network of Ignatieff's and Rae's. Stephane must also give credit to the Kennedy organizers, and their delegates for voting en masse for Dion. Along with Martha, and eventually Ken Dryden, this led to the eventual exodus of the majority of Rae delegates to give Stephane the final victory. As a scrutineer, the sea of green grew with third and fourth ballots, to me, it was impressive, and felt like I was watching a growing movement. Stephane represents a chance for a party to be built by consensus and by the people. We did it, we took the politics to the people and out of the backrooms.