Place Your Bets

Longtime Liberal placeholder Tony Ruprecht became the latest MPP to bail on Dalton yesterday. Rather than gloat yet again about how the Liberal caucus is experiencing more turnovers than a grill at a pancake breakfast, I thought I'd talk about my picks on who's next to get while the getting is good. Naturally, Liberals nominated to run won't make this list.

Jean Marc Lalonde (Glengarry Prescott Russell)- I blogged about M. Lalonde's indecision a few months ago and he still hasn't confirmed his intentions to run. When I did blog, some anonymous Liberal flipped out at me in the comments, giving me the distinct impression that I'd struck a nerve. A stalwart who survived the Liberal decimations of 1995 and 1999, Lalonde is rumoured to have his eye on the mayoralty of Clarence-Rockland. He's in his late 70's, hasn't done anything of note for Dalton in the longest time, and will face off against our fresh young candidate in GPR, Marilissa Gosselin, who brought a batallion of CPC interns with her for our first Blue Blitz. I can only say that there are certain advantages that become available to you when you are married to Fred DeLorey.

UPDATE: OK, Lalonde actually quit back in April! I heard absolutely nothing about this and there was barely any media coverage. My first blogging error in a year of blogging. Sorry, everyone!


Shafiq Qaadri (Etobicoke North) - How would you like to be the guy who may be facing off against Doug Ford, in the heart of Ford Country no less? This seat is still held federally by the Liberals, but Dr. Q is no Kirsty Duncan. Best known for making ridiculous comments to the effect that there are too many white people in the public service and his preference for promoting his book on the subject of male menopause over doing actual constit work, Dr. Q might want to cool his heels before he gets burned by an unexpected hot flash.

Mario Sergio (York West)- Like Ruprecht, Sergio represents a poorly defended "longtime Liberal seat" in the Toronto badlands that was captured federally by the NDP in May. Word on the street is that Toronto city councillor Maria Augimeri wants to duck out of an impending by-election by taking up Sergio's torch as a Liberal candidate. Problem: Augimeri is herself an NDPer, which would create a credibility crisis for Dalton of Sarah Thomson-esque proportions.

Jim Bradley (St. Catharines) - The only member of  Dalton's cabinet not yet confirmed to run. We're delaying our nomination in St. Catharines for this very reason. Hey, do you see the pattern of longtime Liberal MPP's quitting here, because I sure do! Losing Bradley would be a huge blow to Dalton because Bradley is, after all, the Minister of Correctional Services, and it would be reeeally awkward if the guy responsible for prisons bailed right before Dalton launched an attack on our popular make prisoners work proposal.

Bob Delaney (Mississauga Streetsville) -According to the wags on electionprediction.org, Mr. Delaney is described as, "written-off by his own party during the last election", "running on fumes", "weak organization, limited financial support ", and has a propensity to be "Called to Order, by the Speaker of the House, for inappropriate language". His partner in jerkassity, Sandra Pupatello, quit a little while ago- why not make it 2 for 2?

David Caplan (Don Valley East)- Poor Dave still hasn't gotten over being dumped from cabinet over the eHealth mess. He's not exactly the person who should have taken the hit, but so what? Having grabbed this riding federally back in May, we're running Zipcars superstar Mike Lende.

Leeanna Pendergast (Kitchener Conestoga)- Against the backdrop of the 2007 disaster, Ms. Pendergast could only squeak out a win of less than 2,000 votes against PC candidate Michael Harris (no, not that one). We are making a bigtime bid for the city of Kitchener this time around, with superstar candidate Dave MacDonald ready to slug it out with John Milloy next door. Ms. Pendergast's noncommittal attitude in the face of heavy Conservative representation federally and a surging Tim Hudak PC Party doesn't inspire confidence.

Of the above, who do you think is next to say I Quit?