Former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna says he received hundreds if not thousands of notes of encouragement to run for the Liberal leadership. Other Liberals say they too are considering pleas from party faithful. But there is a lesser known movement afoot. Call it, the "anti-draft" movement.

Some Liberals are encouraging would-be second and third tier candidates to think twice about entering the Liberal leadership contest, suggesting a smaller slate of candidates would be better for the party. The theory goes, the fewer candidates the less potential for a compromise candidate to come up the middle in victory as Stephane Dion did in 2006. With two or three candidates on the ballot, Liberals would be forced to make a choice: who they want to lead the party, not who they can live with.

For instance, one Ontario Liberal MP says he approached another Liberal from Ontario who is considering running as a lower tier candidate. The MP asked, "Why would you do this? To win?" The MP tried to make the case that a behind the scenes organizer who delivers delegates for a front runner can be as influential as a king maker candidate.

But not all Liberals are following the logic. As one Ontario organizer put it, no one will have an opportunity to come up the middle if front runners are impressive enough.