Bob Rae And First Notes

So,  a quick technical note: the convention centre had wifi but no power for bloggers; Hoops (the pub I went to) had power but no wifi network.  This was scratched out in word and popped into blogger, as I wanted my battery power for the Murray/Trudeau speeches.  But then wifi access crapped out at the Metro center.  So I am listening to Justin Now.  That post will come a bit later.

Bob Rae is effortlessly charming, and can hold forth into triple overtime without notes.  His speech was, as Kady O'Malley noted, a gentle lecture in party unity.  The best bit: "I wanted to be LPC leader in the worst way, and it looks like I got my wish."  Folks who are old enough to remember, will remember that he used an almost identical line back in 1990 when his NDP won power in Ontario at the beginning of  what turned out to be a vicious recession: "I wanted to be premier in the worst way..." and etc.  Like the line Dief used throughout his career, in variations:  "The honourable Member thinks he is being witty; he is only half right."

And speaking of  Bob's years as NDP Premier, the tribute to him skipped those entirely.  It was as though Bob slipped into a coma the whole half decade.

In other notes, after all the complaining about slow ticket sales, it looks like standing room only in Hall E.  I'd be pissed, in fact, if I had forked out for a ticket.