Why did the Big M's drop out?

Manley and McKenna were suppossed to be the front-runners but both of them have decided not to try. John Manley might be telling the truth by saying he did not want to be back in the public spotlight. If McKenna truly wanted to lead a private life he would never have become Canadian ambassador to the US. McKenna's team was active on the ground across the country even before voters cast their ballot and he probably saw support for him wasn't as high as he hoped. There a few reasons why Liberals might not have wanted McKenna or Manley.

1. The Liberals have historically alternated between English and French leaders. Martin was orginally from Ontario and Chretien was from Quebec. Does this mean the race is between Dion and Cauchon?

2. Every Liberal leader selected after Trudeau has been over 55 when chosen. With Harper in his 40's the Liberals might want to attract the youth vote.

3. Every single Liberal Leader roots have either been from the UK or France. If the Liberals want to maintain the multicultural vote they need to select a multicultural candidate.

4. If the Liberals want to gain ground they have to elect a left of centre leader and take back the votes as in the words of Layton were 'lent' to the NDP. The conservatives earned roughly the same amount of votes that the alliance/reform and PC party earned in the 90's but the votes are no longer split. between two parties. When Chretien was leader the NDP vote was under 10% and the Green party didn't exisit. A new charismatic liberal leader should attempt to crush the NDP and Green support in order to win power again.

5. Liberals need to win Quebec and the West. The next Liberal leader will have one goal- win a majority. Battling a united conservative party limits any further gains in Ontario and the Atlantic (Manley and McKenna's home territory) In Quebec, the Bloc lost seats and they can't continue using the sponsorship scandal next time. Out west a leader from BC could gain 10-20 seats for the Liberals in that province alone. Also, the prairies might not continue voting conservative if they feel their issues are addressed by the federal Liberals. The NDP lost all of its territory in Saskatchewan because Layton turned the prairie populist party into a urban party that no longer cares about problems with the Wheat Board or the Gun Registry. The Liberals have to end the Conservative monolopoly on rural votes out west. They don't have to become a social conservative party with a libertarian slant but they should offer solutions to problems faced by farmers.

Under Paul Martin's reign the Liberals didn't offer any new ideas to the country. (other than new city funding and daycare) The Liberals need to set the agenda and fight their next election campaign rather than sitting back with a negative campaign and crossing their fingers that the conservatives will implode.