the liberal quandry

Manitoba Liberals are acting a bit odd - whining incessantly about not having a convention / leadership race. Now I know in the best of all worlds that would be a great thing - but do the Liberals really think that a few weeks/months of dueling contenders duking it out, hurling insults at each other, pointing out each others' weaknesses would really help their cause?  The whining and complaining about the process not being democratic and open would seem to me to be best done behind closed doors, not in the media.  Do they not realize what they're doing?