Elizabeth May's Political Homelessness Coming to an End?

Green party leader may run in BC

According to a National Post Full Comment blog post by Kelly McParland, Green party leader Elizabeth May might have finally found a riding to run in.

According to an article appearing in the Vancouver Sun, the Green party leader seems to have selected the riding of Saanich-Gulf Islands to contest. The riding is currently held by Conservative Minister for State and Sport Gary Lunn, who held it by less than 2,000 votes in the 2008 federal election.

"It's not personal," May insisted. "He's vulnerable."

"I am so strongly leaning toward running here and I have got the most wonderful response," May later professed. "My heart is here, but I just want to make sure."

"This is a traditional area of strength for the Greens. People have small-g green values and many people think it would be exciting and important to elect the first Green MP," she added.

Yet regardless of how decided Barabara Yaffe insists the matter is, the ultimate decision will not be made until September. In the meantime, May -- who once promised she would never run anywhere but against Peter MacKay in Central Nova -- has continued her search.

Speculation regarding May's political future continues to swirl around the riding of Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.

Like Saanich-Gulf Islands, May insists that Bruce-Grey-Own sound is the "greenest" in the nation. The riding, which is currently held by Conservative Larry Miller, seems to have a history of attracting parachute candidates.

A parachute candidate is something that May has insisted she wouldn't like to be -- in fact, something that she insisted she would never be. But apparently May is willing to break this promise so long as it elects a Green MP -- so long as that MP is herself.

In fact, if one can tell anything for certain from May's comments, is that she intends to get elected, come hell or high water.

"There is no question that I am considering this riding. Based on previous federal and provincial election results, it is clear that there is potential for a Green Party candidate to be elected here," May told a town hall meeting in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound. "The focus of the Green Party of Canada is to get candidates elected to Parliament, and there has been a very clear mandate from the party to get our leader elected."

"The Greens need to be in the House of Commons," May told BC journalist Yaffe over dinner. "And I've got the best chance of anyone to do it."

It probably shouldn't be at all surprising that the mandate May speaks of -- to get herself elected -- is one that she handed down to herself as the leader of her party. And as her single-minded efforts to build a pervasive political mythology around herself as the alleged saviour of the Green party continues, she's prepared to do anything and everything she can to promote herself.

Including, reportedly, offering to serve as Minister of the Environment in a Liberal government -- although she says she told Liberal party President Alf Apps that she would draw the line short of formally running for his party.

It also probably shouldn't be at all surprising that the lesson about four-way vote splitting in the 2008 federal election apparently remain unlearned for Elizabeth May. but that's another story altogether.

She should probably consider herself free to continue her futile quest to elect the unelectable until the Green party finally wises up and divests itself of her leadership.


Other bloggers writing about this topic:

Mark Kersten - "Elizabeth May to Run in Saanich and would 'happily' Become Environment Minister in a Liberal Government"

John Oglivie - "Win Me Back"

Steve May - "W Minus 53 - Time For a Little Damage Control"

Mark Taylor - "Lack of Strategy"

Jeff Jedras - "Some Advice for Elizabeth May"