If the man I have christened DivaNova is serious about running for anything (with anyone) above his current political station, then he has to stop claiming he's just a little guy fighting for the people's causes.

His Divaness is a shrewd and cunning media operator, who keenly understands how to spin a story--and almost always in his own favor. A key trait if you're a politican. Nobody's fool, he waited until almost the last minute to try and skewer his then party, the NPA, during the last election, and timed it perfectly so he could draw votes from both sides of the electoral spectrum. But it backfired. Something he and his lackeys haven't yet figured out. Otherwise, newbie stars Heather Holden and Ian Robertson wouldn't have even come close to his vote get, and they did--bigtime--almost knocking him off his first place pedestal.

Instead of his witch hunt on Heather Holden (hardly a witch, Al) and begging the public to see him as the little engine that did it all for them, he should get serious, attach himself to some real policy, with an overall plan that is integrated, lose the "li'l ole me" theatrics and show some bollocks.

Al needs at least two terms in a Clrs' chair, and, frankly, he might be good at it. It's not like he's missing the skills, his performance during the Stanley Park crisis was superb, second only to Ian Robertson. Oh, and by the way Al, Jimmy Pattison is pronounced "Pattison" as it is spelled and not "Patterson".

And it will be the Smoothie King for VV Mayor if they want to win. The only people that can win it for the NPA in the fall of 2008 are Carole Taylor or Christy Clark. Anyone else, particularly the current, silent occupant, will get trounced.

Other places I see a possibility of NDP running for mayors.
1. Rob Fleming in Victoria, he has the strongest grassroot support in Victoria, but now is serving as a backbencher. With a former colleague on city council elected to the only federal riding in Victoria, the NDP gang/VCT is going to take the seat away from Alan Lowe barring an unprecedented 4th run for the mayor's seat from Alan, otherwise Shiela Orr will not even begin to touch Rob.

2. Chuck Puchmayr in New Westminster, another former city councillor in a purely NDP riding who hogged onto his city councillor seat till months later after getted elected as be the MLA.

3.

Isn't this really interesting that Vision Vancouver is looking everywhere but within for a mayoralty candidate.

It's clear that heir apparaent Raymond Louie is not being courted by the Vision backroom boys. This is a shame given all of the hours of service and political debate he has dedicated to the party. His efforts will all be in vain if the party backroom boys hand the crown over to Robertson or De Genova.

I for one say if they stab him in the back he should jump ship and make a bid for the COPE mayoralty nomination.

keep a stiff upper lip Raymond.

I dunno. Fleming or Robertson could have a good chance of being the NDP leader within three years, after Carole James steps aside this year, Mike Farnworth takes her place next year, and the NDP gets knocked down to 20 seats the year after that by voters who couldn't understand why the party was so eager to replace their dull-but-competent leader with a Glen Clark cabinet minister.

How's that for crystal-balling? :P

The reason Vision is looking outside for a mayor is that to run one of the current four would lose a safe spot for council. In an at-large system, having that council name recognition is vital for the election.

I don't see Robertson as a viable candidate for Premier because he's clearly a Vancouver representative. That might have played well fifteen years ago, but not now.

BC has had too many Premiers in a row from Greater Vancouver, and Carole James biggest asset is that she is from Victoria. There's a growing anger in the countryside over the Olympic costs and the favouritism that a Govt led by Point Grey Yuppies is showing for BC's richest and best placed people and it's most advantaged city.