The grumbling grows

Red Tory is the latest one to openly muse that it may be time for Dion to ride off into the sunset...

"Perhaps the time has come to connect the dots and draw some obvious conclusions"

The article in today's Globe & Mail that he links to has some harsh words...

"What is this “one serious problem”? It is simply this: Stéphane Dion is the least effective Liberal leader, no contest, for at least 100 years."

Personally, for various reasons, of the four options that the author gives on how to get rid of Dion, I'm hoping for option #4... and sooner rather later...

So, the easiest way to get rid of Mr. Dion as leader is have him lose an election. No problem, no blood on any Liberal hands and the voters are supreme. Only a few dozen remaining Liberal seats after that wipeout, you say? Proves the point. At least rebuilding could then begin.

But when to trigger this renewal-by-demolition strategy?

The answer is simple: As soon as the party has ruled out the first three options that take combinations of co-operation and guts, both virtues being currently in short Liberal supply, the conclusion should be obvious and soon.

Next spring is the time. The issue will be opportunistic - the best they can find at the time. The issue doesn't matter - just defeat the government and have an election. The goal is simple - the new leader will swim or sink.

UPDATE: Liblogger Far and Wide jumps in too...

It would appear that the number one issue for the Liberals in this session is too find ways to avoid a direct confrontation, manoeuvre to sidestep a confidence question. We can all live in denial land, but this posture has consequence, both for the relevance of the party and the prospects for the leader.

How do you create the "winning conditions" within this environment? Simple, you don't, not even close, you merely survive. With that reality in mind, you then are forced to entertain the idea of a long Harper reign, possibly a dodge and weave until 2009. It is this scenario where Layton's comment find solid ground. The main forum for the Liberals is effective opposition in the House of Commons. This opportunity is eliminated, with Layton and Duceppe attacking, Harper poking at a toothless tiger and Liberals pre-occupied with avoidance. Someone please explain to me how this improves the situation for Dion?

In the coming weeks, there will be tests and how the Liberals react will frame the debate one way or the other. I would suggest the emerging theme in the last days tells us all we need to know, either we act like the opposition, or someone else will do it for us and our arguments will largely surround the question of relevance.