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Sarah Thomson to run for the Liberals in Trinity-Spadina
Thu, 2011-03-03 21:00
#1
Sarah Thomson to run for the Liberals in Trinity-Spadina
Thu, 2011-03-03 21:08
#2
[url=http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/947721--sarah-thomson-will-ge... Thomson will get nod in Trinity-Spadina[/url]
Former Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson will be guaranteed the Liberal nomination in Trinity-Spadina, sources told the Star.Thomson has been assured she will win an uncontested nomination for the Oct. 6 provincial election, insiders said late Wednesday.
Her bid to unseat veteran NDP MPP Rosario Marchese would help Premier Dalton McGuinty move toward his target of fielding more than 55 per cent candidates who are women in ridings not held by the Liberals.
While Thomson, publisher of Women’s Post, abandoned her low-budget mayoral campaign well before the Oct. 25 election, she impressed the Liberals with her passionate campaigning for rival and former deputy premier George Smitherman against eventual winner Rob Ford.
Well, she's guaranteed 30% or so.
Thu, 2011-03-03 21:41
#3
Doesn't really seem like her sort of a riding - though granted, none of those are free at the moment.
Thu, 2011-03-03 22:12
#4
I'm delighted. I can't think of a weaker candidate for the Liberals to run in Trinity-Spadina than a patrician blue blood from North Toronto with Tory roots who ran an incredibly weak campaign campaign for mayor and dropped out when it was clear she was in low single digits. Let's pop the champagne corks!
Thu, 2011-03-03 22:37
#5
Doesn't really seem like her sort of a riding - though granted, none of those are free at the moment.
There were rumors earlier this year that she'd be the Liberal candidate in Parkdale-High Park, which is arguably even less of her sort of riding.
Fri, 2011-03-04 12:10
#6
Get thee to Toronto Centre, Sarah, and run for the Tories. You might do some good there, and tear down Murray's vote enough to allow Cathy Crowe to run up the middle.
Why do I think this is quid pro quo for her supporting George last year? Just like Rossi and the PCs, she got paid.
Rosario is going to win comfortably, but we shouldn't get overconfident.
Fri, 2011-03-04 16:09
#7
If this is the Liberals idea of a "quid pro quo", it isn't saying much. Its not exactly a prize to be parachuted into a riding where you will look like an alien from outer space to the locals and where you'll probably campaign like crazy only to get crushed on election. I'm surprised Thomson didn't insist on a more winnable riding!
I went to a candidates debate when she was still running for mayor and found her superficial, grating and utterly unattractive as a candidate - and that was BEFORE I read about any of her rightwing policies.
Fri, 2011-03-04 16:54
#8
Maysie
This is such a great thread! Hee hee.
edmund, I think that's a marvelous idea! Toronto Centre is Liberal hell, I tell ya.
Stockholm, I need to say this: loving your posts in this thread.
Fri, 2011-03-04 18:06
#9
Get thee to Toronto Centre, Sarah, and run for the Tories. You might do some good there, and tear down Murray's vote enough to allow Cathy Crowe to run up the middle.
Sarah Thomson probably happily voted for Glen Murray in the by-election. Besides, I'd say her chances as winning as a Liberal in Trinity-Spadina are much greater than as a Tory in TC.
Fri, 2011-03-04 18:25
#10
I agree that TC is no a bit of a no-go zone for the Tories - but i can think of a few other seats in Toronto that are more likely to go to Sarah Thomson as a Tory than Trinity-Spadina is to go to her as a Liberal - Don Valley West, Etobicoke Centre, York Centre, maybe even St. Paul's - where Thomson's "furs and philanthropy" Isabel Bassett Mark 2 style might go over well.
Fri, 2011-03-04 22:18
#11
Heck, in Etob Cen or York Cen, she might as well bear the Liberal standard in lieu of retiring (or should-be-retiring) incumbents...
Sat, 2011-03-05 02:21
#12
Maysie
Okay, now this thread has turned into "Suggestions for Sarah Thomson to Revive Her Political Career" and is scaring me.
Sat, 2011-03-05 10:01
#13
Sarah Thomson probably happily voted for Glen Murray in the by-election. Besides, I'd say her chances as winning as a Liberal in Trinity-Spadina are much greater than as a Tory in TC.
She couldn't do much worse than Pamela Taylor. Taylor was the very definition of the reluctant candidate.
Sat, 2011-03-05 10:02
#14
Okay, now this thread has turned into "Suggestions for Sarah Thomson to Revive Her Political Career" and is scaring me.
That's assuming it ever got going in the first place 
Sat, 2011-03-05 10:03
#15
If this is the Liberals idea of a "quid pro quo", it isn't saying much.
It isn't. Thomson got stiffed on the deal.
Sat, 2011-03-05 14:08
#16
She couldn't do much worse than Pamela Taylor. Taylor was the very definition of the reluctant candidate.
I still maintain that the Libs winning T-S are much greater than the Tories winning TC. As nice as it may be from an NDP point of view, the Tories aren't that much of a factor in TC anymore and I don't see any high-profile candidate seeing the point of bothering to run there. In fact I don't think it really matters how "red" or high-profile the Tory may be - I just don't see major upswing towards the Tories with Hudak at the helm, even if they're going to be making gains province-wide.
Cathy Crowe however is a fantastic candidate and I hope she pulls an upset. It's a tough road to climb, but her strong showing in the by-election even with a weak Tory vote.
Sat, 2011-03-05 15:25
#17
I agree that the NDP should take nothing for granted in TS - but that being said, its hard for me to think of a WEAKER Liberal candidate to run against than Sarah Thomson. Still, if by some fluke the NDP vote collapsed across the province and McGuinty won a third term in a landslide - she could win.
Sat, 2011-03-05 20:30
#18
I agree that the NDP should take nothing for granted in TS - but that being said, its hard for me to think of a WEAKER Liberal candidate to run against than Sarah Thomson.
I agree about the weakness--the only reason she seems strong is that she earned a bit of a noble-savage cult rep as mayoral candidate. Sort of like a "Girl Rob Ford" (and the tongue-in-cheek sexism behind that label is intentional).
She's the Dan Quayle to Martha Hall Findlay's Jack Kennedy (thinking back to how MHF was regarded when she ran for the fed Liberal leadership w/no electoral record to speak of other than losing against Belinda Stronach).
Sun, 2011-03-06 10:34
#19
Well then as long as we are speculating, there are a number of interesting ridings that may swing either way.
Beaches for example is a potential seat for either Libs or NDP
York Centre, well if Monte Kwinter decides to retire its not entirely certain that it remains Liberal
Thornhill is served by Tory Peter Shurman a former radio talkshow guy who has little support outside the ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Remember all he had to do was beat Mario Rocco last time...Potential seat here too for strong Lib candidate maybe NDP too.
Any pundits want to take guesses on who might run?
Sun, 2011-03-06 13:07
#20
Well then as long as we are speculating, there are a number of interesting ridings that may swing either way.
Beaches for example is a potential seat for either Libs or NDP
...federally. But provincially, it's solid Michael Prue NDP, and the Grit efforts have been pretty nominal.
Thornhill's in the basement of NDP targetability any which way you go. York Centre *could* be an intriguing untapped possibility--the Downsview part in particular has a strong NDP history (and is still represented municipally by Maria Augimeri); but the Jewish-vote right/centre-right swing has dented things in the balance of the riding...
Fri, 2011-04-22 16:02
#21
The Green Party will have a much stronger campaign in Trinity-Spadina this time around. Tim Grant is an excellent candidate and has already been working for some time in the community and is well respected. How this affects the campaigns of the other three I'm not sure. A weaker liberal campaign may work to Green advantage. If the local federal vote share holds up on May 2nd then this will give Tim some momentum.