SES has a poll out today, asking Ontarians who they want as the next Liberal leader. While these polls are fun, keep in mind:

a) It includes Brian Tobin and Frank McKenna.
b) It’s missing the names of a lot of people who will run.
c) It only polls people in Ontario, which one imagines works in favour of Dryden, Stronach, Ignatieff, and Rae. (And, I guess, Volpe too…although you wouldn’t know it by the results)
d) Most importantly, it’s a poll of everyone in Ontario, regardless of political affiliation. Just as my choice to be the next CPC leader would be Stockwell Day, I’m sure a lot of Tories would be salivating at the prospect of seeing Belinda as their opponent.

All we can really read into this poll is that average Canadians have no overwhelming favourite.

In other news, the Hill Times is floating Domic LeBlanc’s name for leadership. Wikipedia also has him on their very thorough list of candidates. They’ve also got Cotler and Ianno listed but until I see their names somewhere else, I’ll leave ’em off my list.

With the National Executive laying down the timeline and rules for the leadership contest on March 18th, I suspect we won’t see many more candidates officially declare until then. But anyone who’s serious about building a credible organization will have to announce their intentions in the last half of March. Until then, we can only speculate:

Declared
Martha Hall Findlay

Likely To Run
Frank McKenna
John Manley
Michael Ignatieff
Belinda Stronach
Scott Brison
Joe Volpe
Maurizio Bevilacqua

Possible Candidates
Ken Dryden
Martin Cauchon
Gerard Kennedy
Bob Rae
Brian Tobin
Allan Rock
Stephane Dion
Ujjal Dosanjh
John Godfrey
Borys Wrzesnewskyj
Denis Coderre
Carolyn Bennett

Wild Speculation
Glen Murray
Jane Stewart
Sheila Copps
George Smitherman
Anne McLellan
Christy Clark
Clyde Wells
Dennis Mills
Hedy Fry
David McGuinty
John Parisella
Paddy Torsney
Joe Fontana
Ruby Dhalla
Louise Arbour
Paul Zed
Dominic LeBlanc