July 4, 2000
Day versus Manning - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER -- Preston Manning’s political career was dealt an embarrassing blow on June 24th when he fell 2nd to Alberta’s Treasurer, Stockwell Day, in the first ballot of the Canadian Alliance’s leadership race. This Saturday, Manning and Day will square off yet again, this time it’ll be just the two of them. Tom Long, the third place finisher is off the ballot, as is distant finisher Dr. Keith Martin; both of whom have subsequently endorsed Preston Manning.
Long, the Ontarian backroom boy placed third and usually in a leadership contest would have the all-important role of kingmaker. However, because this race is not a conventional process with delegates at a convention, Stock Day has managed to upstage the “senior statesman,” Preston Manning.
Long’s endorsement of Manning is suspect. Brian Nguyen, my fellow political observer predicted that he’d throw his support to Stockwell Day. That observation was widely held and not too farfetched. First Long, through his candidacy, was seen to replace Preston Manning, the man who led the Reform party. It was the same Reform Party not embraced by the Ontarian establishment before, why now? Why would Long support the old guy, when he was determined to unseat the old guy? Times have changed as has the party’s outlook.
Long’s backing won’t translate into too many votes for Manning. There won’t be the backroom jockeying for vote transfers, simply because of the party’s ‘One member, One vote’ system. Had they selected their leader like the Liberals, Tories or NDP do, Preston Manning, with Tom Long’s support, would have performed well on the first ballot, taking it on the second.
This system of voting, where each member (including this scribe,) has a vote in the leadership, serves as a testament to democracy. It’s direct democracy at its finest, but it’s a far from perfect system to date. As was the result of the first ballot two weeks ago, it proved a nightmare as the phone system and the polls across the nation were hard to synchronise.
Since, I editorially support Day (I voted for him on the 1st ballot and will vote for him on the 2nd,) lemme just say that I believe he should lead this new party, because Preston Manning has out stayed his welcome. He’s taken on Jean Chrétien in two elections and lost. On the 1st ballot he came in third in all Ontario votes, not to mention losing in every province to Day except BC. If his party couldn’t support him, why would the entire voting populous?
I said that Long’s support won’t matter and proof of that is in Mr. Long’s result in Ontario voting. Stockwell Day beat the home-grown Tom Long in Ontario, so his influence is practically zilch.
It is my firm belief (as well as hope,) that Stock Day will triumph over Preston Manning on July the 8th. Forget the social policy, economic rhetoric or CA ideology for second, because Canadians desperately need to rid the nation of Liberal rule. A strong CA is the only possibility in making that hope a reality. A CA lead by a strong viable candidate will make that hope an even closer reality. Stockwell Day is the only strong viable candidate out of the current Alliance bunch.
One more thought regarding Tom Long. His endorsement of Preston Manning means one thing and one thing only. It reinforces Rafe Mair’s political axiom, number four: “A sort of magic dust gets into some people’s eyes where politics is concerned. Otherwise intelligent people assume they have sufficient talent and appeal to jump from a career of mediocrity to the top of the political pole.” Preston Manning, should he win the leadership will lose to Chrétien again and have to give up the leadership. A contest will be called and Tom Long will run, perhaps winning, because Stockwell Day will have been Premier of Alberta already.
Questions and comments may be sent to: editor@thecommentary.ca
An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .