Is Dion Stepping Down?

Hello. I saw in the Toronto Star a report this morning saying Stephane Dion may be stepping down as federal Liberal leader. This comes after receiving the lowest Liberal popular vote in an election ever.
If Dion does step down, he will be only the 2nd Liberal leader to never be prime minister. Amazing to think how dominant they've been. But it also shows how far they've fallen. And it happened before Dion became leader. Can anyone say sponsorship scandal (among other things)?
Losing 19 seats is not what Dion or the Liberals had in mind. But then again, after seeing the Liberal leadership campaign which elected Dion, it was obvious there were party divides.
If the Liberals want to gain back power, this leadership convention has to be a coronation for someone, instead of an entertaining dogfight like the last one. Someone named Rae, Ignatieff or other candidate has to be unanimously selected. Pierre Trudeau could do that. Maybe Justin Trudeau will someday.

Regards,
Steve

Is Anything Different?

Hello. This question may be one people are asking today in Canada. Did anything change?
My simple answer is yes. There were a few small changes.
Why? One of the oldest reasons ever, complacency. And there's no better riding to illustrate it than Kitchener Centre.
Karen Redman, a Liberal, has held this riding for over a decade. She's a very competent politician from what I'm told. I believe she'd won the seat 6 times.
Last night she lost to a Conservative in a tight race.
It's my theory a loss like this results from complacency. And in fairness, Karen had reason to be complacent. The Liberals looked like they were getting momentum. And Conservatives have historically not done well in Ontario.
How many past supporters went Conservative? Or NDP? Enough to lose by 339 votes?
A quality veteran candidate like this should not lose, even when the rest of the province is going Conservative. Kitchener Centre is not my riding, so I'm supposedly objective.
Next time any political candidate is in an election, do not be complacent.

Regards,
Steve

The Race For Second The Most Exciting? II

Hello. Well, as I write this, it looks like a stronger Conservative minority government.
Some things did happen as I predicted:

1. The Liberals were closer to #2 than #1. Popular vote was down around 5% across the nation. Can you say bye bye Mr Dion?
2. Jack Layton should be proud. The biggest gains of the night. He should be in good shape for the next election.
3. The Green Party is popular with youth. They may be a factor in another generation.
4. The Bloc is still a presence, although I don't know why. Does anyone smell a referendum in the near future?

The big surprise for me was the Conservatives running a poor campaign. A majority was a great possibility. I think they'll get one next time, unless the Liberal leader is named Trudeau.

I hope everyone voted.

Regards,

Steve

Please Vote

Hello. Needless to say, people do not feel they have control of their lives right now. The US economic freefall is now being said to hit Canada. And while I don't think it will be as bad, I'm sure people will be feeling the pinch.
Well, even in these times, it's comforting to know there is one thing completely under everyone who is eligible's control - the right to vote. And believe me, it is a right, and in my humble opinion it ranks up there with the right to eat food and the right to have shelter.
Voting is something which our ancestors fought very hard for. Two world wars, and countless other struggles paved the way for this right.
It's everyone's chance to choose who should be leading us. And while the selection may not always be the greatest, it's still an opportunity to make things better. There aren't very many more powerful things an individual can do.
To all those who may think their votes don't matter, think again. Even if your candidate doesn't win, isn't there something to saying a party won when 100% of the people voted, as opposed to only 50%?
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I'll post again on Tuesday.

Regards,
Steve

Creamer Joins Elite American Company

Hello. Congrats to Paula Creamer for winning the Samsung event Sunday against an elite 30 player field. It was Paula's 4th victory of the season.
Is it safe to say Paula is the best American player? For sure. Although Creamer hasn't won a major yet, and Morgan Pressel has, Paula has 9 career wins in 3 seasons. Her 4 wins in a season is the most by an American since Juli Inkster got 5 wins in 1999.
Now, can Paula challenge the LPGA's elite (ie Lorena Ochoa and all the great Asian players)? That's a different story. It's also hard to believe a 4 time winner is not in the same class. However, if I was going to list my predicted 2009 major winners, Creamer would maybe be around 10th. Harsh, maybe misguided, but true.
Why? In simple terms, Paula's not long enough for the LPGA Tour this decade. And while the rest of her game can make up for it occasionally, her length hinders her going against the others.
Is it something she can correct? I would think so, as long as she keeps her mechanics. I'm not the longest hitter in the world, and I won't sacrifice my consistency to get length. Why hit it another 20 yards when I wouldn't know where it was going?
Congrats Paula!

Regards,
Steve

Is 'Real' PGA Golf Over for 2008? II

Hello. Congrats to Dustin Johnson for winning the Turning Stone Championship Sunday. With it comes all the rewards of winning, namely a 2 year exemption.
So why aren't more non-winers playing in the fall series? Will they ever have a better chance to win? Probably not.
What will it take to have the best players (and the fans) pay attention to these events? Here are some ideas:

1. A $2 million dollar first prize cheque. Can you imagine what that would do for some players? I think it would get the players' (and media's) attention.
2. Appearance money. It would be worth it to some to attend, especially if the money was $100,000+.
3. No pro-ams. The players have played a lot of golf so far. I know I feel burnout at this time of year, and my season's much shorter. Eliminate 2 mandatory rounds.
4. A new format. Do we have to have 72 stroke play? Match play could be a good thing for a no name event, since you don't have to worry about names being eliminated.

Please share any ideas you have.

Regards,

Steve

The Race For Second The Most Exciting?

Hello. With the 2nd debate in two nights on this evening, it's time to turn attention to politics.
Judging by the polls, this election is the Conservatives all the way. Even a majority may be more of a sure thing than a defeat.
One of the reasons the Conservatives may get a majority is it looks like there's a real race for 2nd place. Unless there's a John Tory faith-based schools blunder, the NDP and Liberals are in a dogfight for opposition party status.
If you're a Liberal, this wasn't supposed to happen. If anything, your party was supposed to challenge for #1, not be challenged for #2.
While all parties claimed victory last night, and will surely do the same after tonight's debate, there's no question Jack Layton is the one who's gained the most. And it may be his gain which knocks down the # of seats the Liberals were counting on from anti-Conservative voters.
Are the NDP, for so long a 3rd wheel federally, on the verge of being #2? With a meaningful voice? It would be something for Layton, a person who failed to be Toronto mayor.
Good luck to all. And please vote.

Regards,
Steve

Is 'Real' PGA Golf Over for 2008?

Hello. Is this now the end of 'real' PGA golf for 2008?
The short answer is 'it depends', as in on who you are.
If you're an elite player, it's time to nurse injuries, a la Vijay Singh and Tiger Woods.
If you didn't win in the last few years, now is the time to keep playing.
If you're not in the top 125, it's time to get working on staying sharp, earning some dough, and getting ready for Q-school.
Does the general public care about any of those things? Probably not. Baseball playoffs, football, hockey and basketball will get the attention.
Is that right? Again it depends. Interesting stories can be made for those players on the fringe trying to make the PGA Tour.
Many golf fans will watch these stories unfold. And maybe that's enough.
Then again, there has to be something done at this time of year to get the general public interested. Please share your ideas with me. I'll present all our ideas Thursday.

Regards,
Steve