As in two candidates for next month’s PC Leadership vote in Ontario.
There were initially 5 seeking the mantle but as of this past week with Monty McNaughton’s withdrawal – there are but two left – Christine Elliott and Patrick Brown.
Makes one wonder if there is just too little interest in grabbing the leadership ring and maybe that is not all that surprising considering the Liberal’s 4 consecutive election victories.
Regardless – for the few of us who are actually interested in next month’s vote I wanted to share with you why I believe the Tory Campaign Rules forced McNaughton’s hand to withdraw.
The ballot was to be a ranked ballot meaning voters would have to state their first, second and third choices – so once the ballots are marked – it is marks the end of the voting.
No dropping off – no wheeling and dealing – no convention speeches to win delegates over – that results will already have been determined with the ranked ballots.
It really takes the fun and interest out of the process does it not?
With two candidates – the ranking of candidates no longer applies since one of the two is guaranteed to get a majority on the first ballot – unless in the unlikely event they both receive 50% of delegates’ votes.
So with Christine Elliott leaning left and both Brown and McNaughton leaning right – the only way for either Brown or McNaughton to influence the outcome was to withdraw before the delegates even voted.
And with Brown leading in memberships sold – it fell to McNaughton to take the plunge.
Will his strategy work?
We’ll soon know – but what had once looked like a coronation for Elliott – looks less so today. Maybe Hillary Clinton should take notice.
What started out to be a boring campaign has degenerated into one of even greater boredom.
And you can thank the folks at the Ontario PC Executive for bringing this about.
Hopefully this does not signal another decade of Grit Rule for our once proud Province.
As I see it…
‘K.D. Galagher’
