Is Bob Rae finding his way?

The article answers the question itself with the list of big name business tycoons supporting Rae. Rae gave up any pretense of being anything but establishment left ages ago. What he learned from being NDP premier is that he should join the establishment party the Liberals.

Is Bob Rae finding his way?
Federal byelection will show how far he's come

Craig Offman, National Post
Published: Saturday, March 15, 2008


Bob Rae is ready to get out of the political shadows. He's a heavy favourite to win Monday's byelection in Toronto Centre.
Bob Rae? The future of Canadian politics? A few years ago, the mere suggestion would have prompted the capitalist establishment to pack their loafers and take up asylum in Palm Beach.

But not so fast. Quietly but steadily, the image of Ontario's one-time socialist scourge has softened, and so have his critics. For a socialist scourge, he has a surprising number of entrepreneurial friends.

Two years ago, Mr. Rae's campaign for the leadership of the federal Liberal party attracted some of the most prominent names in Canadian business: Jackman, Desmarais, Sharp, Rotman, Slaight, Sorbara, to name a few. And many of these blue-chip supporters remain convinced his dozen years out of politics are perhaps as important, if not more, than his controversial tenure as Ontario's premier.

"He's one of few Canadians who is an inspirational guy. He infuses you with a sense of national pride," said Gerald Sheff, the influential investment banker and Mr. Rae's occasional poker opponent. Mr. Sheff said he had already cast an absentee ballot for Mr. Rae, who is running for the seat of Toronto Centre in one of Monday's four federal by-elections.

Leading defence attorney Brian Greenspan, who was friendly with Mr. Rae at the University of Toronto in the frisky '60s, summed up what many have said about the former Toronto MPP and Ontario New Democrat leader: It would be difficult to vote for Mr. Rae had he remained in the NDP, even as a moderate. "But now that he's a Liberal, it's much easier to do."

In the weeks leading up to Monday's contest in Toronto Centre, a Liberal stronghold that extends from the moneyed mini-canyons of Rosedale through the abject housing projects of St. James Town to the old Hogtown charm of St. Lawrence Market, Mr. Rae has been campaigning as though he needs the votes.

At a senior citizens home, he played the role of trenches politician, working a room of 20 residents in his galoshes and red tie and then banging out a medley of old standbys on an electric piano.

The following day, he played the statesman when anti-war demonstrators began shouting down Liberal leader Stephane Dion, who was in town campaigning for his former rival. Mr. Rae defused the situation by offering them a chance at the microphone, managing an indirect swipe at the Conservative government in the process. "In the Liberal party we're not afraid of debates," he said. "We're not afraid of people with different ideas. It's a democracy."

At a nearby cafe, Mr. Rae analyzed his reincarnation. "I've known victory and defeat. I've known government and opposition and I think I understand the media biz a little bit," he said. "I've travelled around the world a bit and worked in the private sector. I think I am able to contribute a lot more to politics now than I would have been if I had stayed in the whole time."

After leaving Queen's Park in 1996, Mr. Rae began a successful career in the private sector while rebuilding his public persona. A partner at the white-shoe law firm of Goodmans, Mr. Rae was called on by various ministers to delve into all kinds of difficult issues, from the Air India bombing to the future of postsecondary education.

He also helped negotiate a ceasefire in Sri Lanka's civil war with the Tamil rebels. Many credit him for helping to save the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Described almost universally by friends as a man of unusually high intelligence, an amusing raconteur and, above all, good company, his well-placed allies insist Mr. Rae learned from his mistakes during his tumultuous time as Ontario premier in the '90s.

Several confidantes say he remains a little raw about the experience: how the left vilified him for being too capitalist while the right condemned him as a statist Marxist. The hard feelings work both ways: Many of those he left behind in the NDP are less than enthusiastic about his criticisms of the party. Several former NDP colleagues refused to discuss Mr. Rae when contacted for comment. "I have nothing to say about Bob Rae," one responded curtly.

When former NDP leader Donald C. MacDonald died this month, current leader Howard Hampton used the occasion to take a shot at Mr. Rae, telling The Canadian Press that "one of the biggest, deepest regrets" in Mr. Mac-Donald's life was his decision to give up his seat in the provincial legislature to Mr. Rae.

Many Liberals were equally uneasy about his quest to lead the party so soon after he had joined it. Although Mr. Rae's supporters stressed his experience, extracting clear views from the candidate on such issues as Afghanistan could be frustrating; interviewers praised his eloquence while trying to decipher what he had said.

Sounding like another, more famous born-again Bob, Mr. Rae does not like to be categorized. "I've never allowed myself to be defined by other people," he said. "I don't take seriously the people who pigeonhole you one way or the other, saying this is who you are and therefore you can't change."

He knew that jumping into the Liberal leadership race would bring a long-term commitment regardless of the outcome. "I knew full well when I did that it wasn't going to be a matter of, 'Well, I'm running for the leadership and if I don't win, I'm gone tomorrow.' You can't do that," he said. "You build a whole series of relationships and loyalties and friendships and you just can't walk away. Still, I knew that winning was a long shot."

After Mr. Dion won the nomination, he gave runner-up Michael Ignatieff the post of deputy leader. Mr. Rae, who did not have seat in the House of Commons, was offered the less glamorous role of co-chairman of the platform renewal committee. He later added the post of foreign affairs critic. Despite his short tenure in the party, his stature is such that Liberals predict his presence will add much-needed strength to their front benches. Mr. Dion clearly needs the help, even if Mr. Rae's polish tends to highlight Mr. Dion's lack of it.

Many believe Mr. Rae, who underwent heart surgery six months ago, would not go through all this upheaval if he did not still hold out hope of one day of being leader. He says he no longer has such aspirations. For now, at least.

"Yes, in the sense that there is no leadership race, and in the sense that Mr. Dion is the leader," Mr. Rae said.

"Nothing would make me happier than if Stephane Dion became the next prime minister, and for me to have a chance to work in his government. That is my objective."