Duceppe's mistake

Gilles Duceppe says he "made a mistake" when he decided to run for the leadership of the Parti Québecois ... and then quickly changed his mind.

There's been a lot of speculation about what on earth Mr. Duceppe was thinking when he first announced that he wanted to lead the PQ, and then why on earth he would flip-flop so quickly. The Globe says he was counting on the support of another potential candidate, and when Curzi said he wasn't running Duceppe's chances immediately looked much poorer.

My personal theory? I think Duceppe figured he could bully Mme. Marois into sitting this one out. He figured that if he announced quickly and loudly enough, she'd just roll over and let him win, rather than risk dividing the party. And then, when she did not just give in, he was left in an awkward position.