{"id":1019,"date":"2006-07-24T21:06:00","date_gmt":"2006-07-25T01:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/?p=1019"},"modified":"2006-07-24T21:06:00","modified_gmt":"2006-07-25T01:06:00","slug":"the-best-prime-minister-we-never-had","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/?p=1019","title":{"rendered":"The Best Prime Minister We Never Had"},"content":{"rendered":"

Canada has had 22 Prime Ministers and, truth be told, over half of them can only be classified as failures. When you see names like Bowell, Turner, Campbell, and Meighen on the list of our former leaders, it’s not hard to wonder if there was anybody out there who could have done better.<\/p>\n

Over the years, a lot of politicians have been given the title of “best Prime Minister Canada never had”. So for the rest of the summer, I’ll be weeding down a list of close to 100 would be Prime Ministers until one is crowned.My hope is that this will be a fun way to learn a bit about some great men and women who gave a lot to their country, without receiving the fame of glory of…say…Joe Clark.<\/p>\n

The first round will be to cut the field down to 16, at which point the top 16 will be seeded for head to head battles (the four regional winners will get the top 4 seeds). You’re eligible to vote for up to<\/em> 16 candidates every day<\/em>, until noon on next Monday when the contest will be closed. Feel free to write endorsements and mobilize the vote for your candidate of choice; I’ll be profiling some of our coulda-been-PMs over the next week. The ballot is bellow and I’ve included links to biographies of all the contenders as well:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Greatest Prime Minister We Never Had – Seeding Round<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Atlantic Canada<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Dalton Camp<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
John Crosbie<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Joe Ghiz<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Joseph Howe<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Allan MacEachen<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Angus MacLean<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Alexa Mcdonough<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Frank McKenna<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
George Murray<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Jack Pickersgill<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Joey Smallwood<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Robert Stanfield<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Samuel Tilley<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Robert Winters<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Clyde Wells<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Quebec<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Louise Arbour<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Lucien Bouchard<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Henri Bourassa<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
George Etienne Cartier<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Maurice Duplesis<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ad\u00e9lard Godbout<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Marc Lalonde<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
George-\u00c9mile Lapalme<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Jean Lapierre<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ernest Lapointe<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Pierre Laporte<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Jean Lesage<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Rene Levesque<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Jean Marchand<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
D’Arcy McGee<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
Frank Scott<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ontario<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Edward Blake<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ed Broadbent<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
George Brown<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Sheila Copps<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Bill Davis<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
George Drew<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Eddie Goldenberg<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Mike Harris<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Paul Hellyer<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
CD Howe<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Warren Kinsella<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
David Lewis<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Stephen Lewis<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Donald “The Donald” MacDonald<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Flora MacDonald<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Barbara MacDougall<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
John Manley<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Paul Martin Sr.<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Agnes McPhail<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Oliver Mowat<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Allan Rock<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Mitchell Sharp<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n\n
OD Skelton<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Western Canada<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Bible Bill Aberhart<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Izzy Asper<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Lloyd Axworthy<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Dave Barrett<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
WAC Bennett<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
John Bracken<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
John Brownlee<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Iona Campagnolo<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Larry Campbell<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
MJ Coldwell<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Stockwell Day<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Gary Doer<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Tommy Douglas<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Gary Filmon<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
James Gardiner<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Deb Grey<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Mike Harcourt<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Elijah Harper<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ralph Klein<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Peter Lougheed<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ernest Manning<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Preston Manning<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Don Mazankowski<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Nellie McClung<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Audrey Mclaughlin<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
“Duff Man” Duff Roblin<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Roy Romanow<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Ed Schreyer<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Clifford Sifton<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
HH Stevens<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie Vander Zalm<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n\n\n\n
JS Woodsworth<\/b><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

(view results)<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/form>\n

Atlantic Canada<\/strong>
Dalton Camp<\/a>
John Crosbie <\/a>
Joe Ghiz <\/a>
Joseph Howe <\/a>
Allan MacEachen <\/a>
Angus MacLean<\/a>
Alexa Mcdonough <\/a>
Frank McKenna <\/a>
George Murray <\/a>
Jack Pickersgill<\/a>
Joey Smallwood<\/a>
Robert Stanfield <\/a>
Samuel Tilley <\/a>
Robert Winters<\/a>
Clyde Wells<\/a><\/p>\n

Quebec<\/strong>
Louise Arbour<\/a>
Lucien Bouchard <\/a>
Henri Bourassa<\/a>
George Etienne Cartier<\/a>
Maurice Duplesis<\/a>
Ad\u00e9lard Godbout<\/a>
Marc Lalonde <\/a>
George-\u00c9mile Lapalme<\/a>
Jean Lapierre<\/a>
Ernest Lapointe<\/a>
Pierre Laporte<\/a>
Jean Lesage <\/a>
Rene Levesque <\/a>
Jean Marchand<\/a>
D’Arcy McGee<\/a>
Frank Scott <\/a><\/p>\n

Ontario<\/strong>
Edward Blake <\/a>
Ed Broadbent <\/a>
George Brown<\/a>
Sheila Copps <\/a>
Bill Davis <\/a>
George Drew <\/a>
Eddie Goldenberg<\/a>
Mike Harris<\/a>
Paul Hellyer<\/a>
CD Howe <\/a>
Warren Kinsella<\/a>
David Lewis <\/a>
Stephen Lewis<\/a>
Donald “The Donald” MacDonald <\/a>
Flora MacDonald <\/a>
Barbara MacDougall <\/a>
John Manley <\/a>
Paul Martin Sr. <\/a>
Agnes Mcphail <\/a>
Oliver Mowat <\/a>
Allan Rock <\/a>
Mitchell Sharp<\/a>
OD Skelton<\/a><\/p>\n

Western Canada<\/strong>
Bibble Bill Aberhart<\/a>
Izzy Asper <\/a>
Lloyd Axworthy <\/a>
Dave Barrett<\/a>
WAC Bennett<\/a>
John Bracken <\/a>
John Brownlee<\/a>
Iona Campagnolo<\/a>
Larry Campbell<\/a>
MJ Coldwell<\/a>
Stockwell Day<\/a>
Gary Doer <\/a>
Tommy Douglas <\/a>
Gary Filmon <\/a>
James Gardiner <\/a>
Deb Grey<\/a>
Mike Harcourt<\/a>
Elijah Harper<\/a>
Ralph Klein<\/a>
Peter Lougheed <\/a>
Ernest Manning <\/a>
Preston Manning <\/a>
Don Mazankowski<\/a>
Nellie McClung <\/a>
Audrey Mclaughlin<\/a>
“Duff Man” Duff Roblin <\/a>
Roy Romanow <\/a>
Ed Schreyer<\/a>
Clifford Sifton <\/a>
HH Stevens<\/a>
Wilhelmus Nicholaas Theodore Marie Vander Zalm<\/a>
JS Woodsworth <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Canada has had 22 Prime Ministers and, truth be told, over half of them can only be classified as failures. When you see names like Bowell, Turner, Campbell, and Meighen on the list of our former leaders, it’s not hard to wonder if there was anybody out there who could have done better. Over the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1019","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1019\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calgarygrit.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}