Does anybody believe that if Bob Rae becomes the interim leader of the Liberal Party he won't run for the leadership of the party next year? I don't. It's not because Rae is not a man of honour. The former NDP premier of
Ontario
is an honest and a classy individual and I'm sure he won't break that promise to his party. But I think Liberals will ask him to run and they'll ask him to not keep his promise.
Let's face it, Rae is one of the most highly-skilled politicians in the country, never mind in his party. He's knowledgeable, a great communicator, and, without his streak of arrogance, real or perceived, he would have been elected leader of the Liberal Party a long time ago.
Rae could be in the private sector making a lot of money and involved in very fulfilling initiatives. I'm sure he could be appointed ambassador to Israel or any other prestigious position in
Canada
or abroad. He could be involved in academic activities with prestigious universities lecturing people around the world and much more.
Do you really believe that he's willing to give all this up for a puny salary as a Member of Parliament to spend his days and nights dealing with dozens and dozens of people in the party, and that the only thing they want is to see him leave?
Do you really believe that Rae, 63, will work to build a reputation and a future in politics, and spend almost two years babysitting in the House the leftovers of what once was
Canada
's "natural governing party"? Hmm.
Rae is already an accomplished politician, and what he is looking for is a legacy that he deserves in his own right.
Rae has always been courteous but every time I see him I see Michael Schumacher in his Formula One suit, ready to jump into his Ferrari and race to the finish line. Yes, the Ferrari is not there any longer and he has only a Fiat 500 at his disposal. Still, a Schumacher is always a Schumacher.
So, what is going to happen?
Let's look at this scenario.
Rae will be in the House every day and, finally, he can show his skills. I predict that he will be a pain in the neck for both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Jack Layton. I'm sure he will do the best he can to embarrass Harper, trying to show Canadians that he shouldn't be the best Prime Minister
Canada
never had, and he will try his best to make sure that the deck of cards that is the new NDP at this time will collapse.
If he succeeds in doing this, creating daily commotion in the House and becoming the media darling with his communication skills, I'm sure this will be reflected in the polls.
If this happens, with the Liberals back up to the lower 30s, barely behind the Conservatives and ahead of the NDP in the polls, do you believe that the power-hungry Liberals will ask him to leave his position and bet on Justin Trudeau, Dominic LeBlanc or any other now unknown entities? Hmm!
I know there are too many "ifs" and "buts" in this theory, but I believe this is the only one that makes sense when analysing Rae's decision to run for the position of a party that doesn't exist with the clear mandate of doing nothing.
It's no coincidence that in his letter to his fellow Liberal MPs, he didn't say "I won't run for the next leadership," but he said he will always respect the rules of the Liberal Party. Those rules now say that he cannot run, but rules can be changed, as we've seen.
