Why Belinda Left

Ms. Stronach's statement that she left to help her father's company rings about as true as Joe Hockeycoach, whose team is dead last, announcing in a press conference that he's "stepping down to spend time with my family".

Belinda is leaving because she sees the writing on the wall. She is many things. Stupid is not one of them.

She left the Tories at the altar. There is no going back. Therefore, her entire political future rested with the Liberals.

The Liberals HAVE a leader. Stephane Dion. He'll be around long enough to blow the next election, or maybe the next 2. But then he'll be gone, barring a Balboa-esque transformation.

So then the Liberals have their leadership convention, and Belinda can, at BEST, finish second to the Dauphin - by then an MP, with backing from every Old School Liberal in the country still reminiscing about the "good old days" under his father.

Justin then runs the Liberal party for as long as he wants - at least some of that time as Prime Minister, almost surely.

We're talking at least 15 to 20 years from now before anyone has a legitimate shot at winning the Liberal leadership. Belinda will by then be 60. That's a LONG time to be a minor MP or, possibly, a minor cabinet minister.

So, she looked around, recognized what the future held, and decided to jump. She will, however, continue to represent her constituents until the next election. And, I remind the more rabid Anti-Belinda readers, she HAS been elected to represent that riding as a Liberal, so she has not only a right but a responsibility to stay on, so long as it is not a conflict of interest.

Is this the best thing for the country? Who the hell knows. But it's the best thing for Belinda Stronach. She knows that. I agree. And, in the end, isn't everyone entitled to do what they think is best?

Nation, as a post-script: Be sure to join the group "Moderate Canadians" on Facebook. Might as well get a policy think-tank going on the fastest-growing website in the ether. :)

- ES