Bob Rae does the right thing

Bob Rae did the right thing today.

He has confirmed that he will not seek the leadership of the Liberal party.  Some will be disappointed and some will be elated.  In the last almost 150 years that this country has been around, there hasn't been a prime minister who was previously the premier of a province.  The major reason for this is that there is always a point in time in a leader's reign when the leader ceases to be an asset to his party and begins to become a liability.

Bob Rae had that moment, as did Mike Harris, who resigned before he could face the music.  So did Brian Mulroney, Jean Chretien and Pierre Trudeau.  A former leader carries a history along with a record of everything that happened on his watch.  So such history can be explosive to the party.

That is why leaders need to stay fresh.  Once the decomposing begins, there is no stopping it.

Don't get me wrong.  I think Bob Rae would have made a great Prime Minister, but his history will always be his greatest liability.