If there were any lingering doubts about Bob Rae's place in the Liberal party, they were laid to rest this spring.
In the March 17 by-election, Rae won the Toronto Centre seat in the House of Commons. And he's been one of the party's most visible and vocal candidates so far in this election.
Rae was always comfortable on the political stage. The son of a Liberal diplomat, a young Rae once delivered newspapers to Richard Nixon in Washington. As a student at the University of Toronto, he volunteered on Pierre Trudeau's 1968 Liberal leadership campaign.
Yet Rae, a labour lawyer, felt his social conscience was best expressed through the NDP, where he served as an MP from 1978 to 1982.
In 1982, he became leader of the Ontario NDP. His popularity soared in 1990 when he became Ontario's first NDP premier.
But Rae's popularity didn't last.
An economic downturn descended on the continent, Ontario's deficit skyrocketed, he introduced the unpopular "Rae Days" and alienated unions by suspending collective bargaining and freezing public-sector wages.
After his humbling exit from provincial politics, Rae remained in the public eye, acting as negotiator for the Canadian Red Cross during the tainted blood scandal, mediating the Burnt Church aboriginal fishing rights dispute, and heading an inquiry into the Air India disaster investigation.
Rae then broke with the NDP, leaving the party in 2002 over a disagreement about its foreign policy direction.
He couldn't stay away from politics for long.
Despite having the charisma that many say Stephane Dion lacks -- he's a Rhodes scholar, but he's just as comfortable skinny dipping on camera with Rick Mercer as he is arguing policy -- Rae lost out to him in the Liberal leadership race in 2006.
But it's Dion who might be the loser this time around. Pundits and pollsters have already started discussing what-ifs: if the Liberals don't do well in this election they might well start looking for a new leader. And Rae might still be interested in the job.