If you’ve followed a link here, the final contest results can be found at http://calgarygrit.blogspot.com/2005/09/and-winner-is.html

As the summer winds down, and everyone gears up for the opening of Parliament, I thought it might be fun to take a look at Canadian history and some of the great, and not so great, Prime Ministers from our past. So I’m very pleased to be launched the “Greatest Prime Minister” contest – sort of March Madness meets the Greatest Canadian.

I’ve picked the fourteen 20th Century PMs plus Paul Martin and John A MacDonald. So, for any Mackenzie Bowell fans out there, you’re out of luck. I then bracketed the 16 in order of the time they held the office for, in March Madness style. This means there are 8 matchups this week, with the 8 winners advancing. Next week, we’ll vote to get down to a Final Four, then 2, then 1. Here’s a look at the bracket:

Every Wednesday I’ll post the new matchups and leave voting open until Tuesday when the results will be announced. I’ll also write a bit about some of the Prime Ministers and link to anyone else doing likewise over the weekend.

So have fun with this! This isn’t any more scientific than Canadian Idol, but I’ll be very curious to see who comes out on top. Before we get to the actual poll, let’s take a look at the first week matchups:

1 Mackenzie King (6-2, 22 years)
16 John Turner (0-1, 3 months)
We’ve looked into the crystal ball and all signs point to a King win.

8 Louis St.Laurent (2-1, 8 years 7 months)
9 John Diefenbaker (2-2, 5 years 10 months)
These polar opposites met in 1957 and Diefenbaker crushed his opponent then. Will the result be the same now?

4 Wilfrid Laurier (4-3, 15 years)
13 Arthur Meighen (1-3, 20 months)
Look for meighen to try and make this a one-issue campaign about conscription.

5 Jean Chretien (3-0, 10 years)
12 Paul Martin (1-0, 20 months)
I swear I didn’t rig the matchups to get this one! Without a doubt, the most interesting first round matchup.

6 Robert Borden (2-3, 8 years 9 months)
11 Lester Pearson (2-2, 5 years)
This contest looks to be the trendy upset pick of the first round.

3 Pierre Trudeau (4-1, 16 years)
14 Joe Clark (1-1, 9 months)
Team Clark lost their luggage and may not have uniforms for the game. The two were 1-1 in previous contests.

7 Brian Mulroney (2-0, 8 years 9 months)
10 RB Bennett (1-1, 5 years 2 months)
Mulroney gets a lucky first round draw.

2 John A MacDonald (6-1, 19 years)
15 Kim Campbell (0-1, 5 months)
He created the Conservative Party…she killed it.

And, now the votes. One vote per computer.