Rae loses: Convention all but over.

Well obviously Gerard's support was incredibly valuable - Dion has leapfrogged into first, and Bob "I learned my fiscal policy lessons in Ontario but forgot them for this leadership campaign and borrowed more than all the other teams put together but don't worry I'll re-learn my lesson if you elect me" Rae is off the ballot. I don't know why my disgust at that kind of hypocrisy has overtaken my disdain for a virtual foreigner who would deign to return to lead us, but it has.

Round 3:
Dion 37%
Iggy 34%
Rae 28%

As long as even a very slim majority of Bob's delegates go to Iggy, which I think they will, we're going to get the candidate that insiders and power-brokers told us we wanted 10 months ago. I hate being told what I want.

Mr. Ignatieff, I know that it was insiders who brought you to be keynote speaker at our last convention, and who got you your nice seat in Etobicoke, and told us to make you the leader, and now (or 3 hours from now, as the case may be) made you the leader. But when you are the leader, you need to bring some real change and renewal to this party, even if some of those who got you here must give up some of their power in the process. I don't trust you because you left this country before I was born, but you will now have the chance to earn my trust and the trust of all those one-time-Liberals who plugged their noses and put Stephen Harper in the PMO. Please, for all our sakes, don't let me down.

And on principle, or on the friends-close-and-enemies-closer theory, make sure there is a spot for Gerard Kennedy at your cabinet table and in all those ridings West of Kenora we so dearly need to win back.