Here is part two of my ten questions with Joseph Planta, Editor and Senior Columnist of The Commentary. Part one can be read here.

6. As we lead up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, several issues are going to continue to gain prominence. What do you think is the most pressing issue that Mayor Sam Sullivan can and should address on a municipal level?

Mayor Sullivan is up for re-election in 2009, so perhaps his agenda isn’t geared towards the Olympics as much as the next election. Doubtless any mayor at this time in history would be saddled with 2010 issues, so if your question is what should he address regarding the forthcoming Winter Games, I think, just how we as Vancouverites can create the kind of city that can first, host the world-class event without going over budget on infrastructure and withstand the people coming in and so on; and second, and most importantly, what kind of city we want after the games. We still see the effects of Expo ’86 throughout the city, and even the province. Will 2010 leave the city better off then it is now, or will it have been a waste of money, and will the Olympic juggernaut merely destroy the Vancouver we know it as today in its wake?

7. You’ve reviewed a number of books over the years, posting your thoughts up on The Commentary. If you could recommend one book, new or old, what would it be?

One book, only? There are so many and for so many different kinds of people. A book I am currently reading, which would be of some interest, I think, to you Mike, is Enter the Babylon System from Random House. Its subtitle says it all: ‘Unpacking Gun Culture from Samuel Colt to 50 Cent.’ It’s not a book I jumped at the chance to read, but once I forced myself to read it, I’m finding it quite interesting.

8. Off the top of your head. The next Oscar winner for Best Picture will be…

You’re reminding me of the days when I used to run Oscar pools at Tupper, Mike. I’m not betting the house, but my guess is the winner is The Departed.

9. Amongst our immediate friends, you’re probably one of if not the most politically-minded. The Democrats have taken both the House and the Senate in the United States, do you you foresee the presidency doing the same?

I’m reminded of what the former British prime minister, Harold Wilson used to say, that in politics a week is an eternity. A lot can happen in a week, let alone nearly two years until the election. Like at the Oscars, and anything where people have to ultimately decide, it’s all about momentum. Whoever has the big mo on their side sees it carry them past the finish line. At this point, the Democrats have go through the primary process to select their nominee. By next spring, or earlier when a nominee emerges, the party could evolve into something totally foreign to what it is today, thus greatly affect its chances in a general election. Hillary Clinton is not a guarantee for the nomination, no matter how long she’s been the presumptive candidate. Her Democratic Party would be different from a party where John Edwards was at the top of the ticket, or if Barack Obama were the nominee. How Iraq turns out will certainly be a factor. If by election day Iraq devolves into a larger disaster, then that will affect not only who the Democrats pick as their candidate, but also the Republicans. If the Republicans select someone who is palatable to the general public, then I don’t think Democrats will win the White House. Who the Democrats select, and whether they’re palatable to the public is also a factor, and really, we won’t know the mood of the public in fall of 2008 until it’s the fall of 2008.

10. And finally, if you had to sum up yourself in three words, what would they be?

Surprisingly not unhappy. Or if you want three words on their own: fair, biased, and astonished.