Interesting in a Sleepy Maggie kind of way

So, the Globe is reporting that Celtic fiddle-rocker, Ashley MacIsaac is serious about running for the Liberal Party leadership.

That's interesting and could bring a nice young dynamic into the race.

It's funny, as I was falling asleep last night I was thinking about how important it would be to have a young person in the race, and by that I mean still younger than Gerard Kennedy.

I thought about doing it myself, but I have too much on my plate between now and next December so I have to sit it out....

I think it is very important to have a younger person in the race for a handful of reasons:

-The LPC is currently full of "old people" interested in steering the ship or lining their pockets or a bit of both. Half the currently speculative candidates are over.

-The issues of young Canadians MUST be talked about in this contest if the LPC is to gain any traction with young voters.

-The Liberal Party needs young people, badly! Energy, enthusiasm, grunt-work willingness, are all things young people TM bring to the table.

-If the Liberals can generate interest among the under 35 crowd, they could gain a bloc of voters in a demographic that they will not have to split with the Reform-a-Tories. That could be done by having a young, hip voice in the debate.

-It would be nice to not have the Campus Club co-opting by old pretenders that occurs for most leadership races. With a young canadidate perhaps the Campus Clubs could stand on their own, elect and send independent delegates? Incidently, the UWO Liberal Club delegates to the 1996 Ontario Liberal leadership convention all ended up as Gerard Kennedy (not an old pretender by the way) delegates somehow unbeknownst to the then current club execs (I know, I was there). It happens, and not just in BC.

Anyhow, I cheer him on and I hope it brings some positive energy, young persons' issues and young enthusiasm to the debate.

I also would really like to have the TVO moderator from the 2nd debates ask him what all those gaelic/celtic words are in that Sleepy Maggie song!

A.L.