Musings —09.12.2012 06:18 AM
—Den Tandt on Garneau
A narrative is forming: Trudeau’s young and vital, but not serious.
Garneau’s the other side of that: older, calmer, wiser.
In other news, the NDP has to be going crazy that the Libs are getting this much attention.
I’ve never been envious of train wrecks.
I think you really hit the nail on the head with ‘serious’. It crystallizes things nicely.
It’s also a variant of the way the CPC attempts to define the liberal party itself. IMO, It’s not a bad narrative because it completely evaporates when it becomes obvious that he is/they are.
I don’t think public confidence in the Cons economic management is as strong as the dominant narrative would suggest, which is their only claim to being a ‘serious’ party.
A ‘serious’ party with a ‘serious’ leader can competently manage the economy, make balanced decisions on matters of public policy, yada yada yada. I think strategists get that this is all about articulating policy vision, and the Cons, being incumbent in a majority now, are particularly vulnerable with a growing track record of wrecks.
I also think it’s a pretty ‘serious’ overstep by the CPC to focus too much on leadership in attacking the LPC– there’s a pretty strong narrative developing of the CPC being dictatorial, the attacks can thus be sidestepped and reflected back without too much difficulty– the narrative of ineffective vs. effective leadership resonate with the public since they’ve been repeated so often in the media, so if one could articulate a more collaborative, grassroots, centrist, balanced vision for a party that defocuses the leader (who also happens to be young, dynamic, bicultural, charismatic and who listens to people), it contrasts sharply with all this ‘LEADER LEADER LEADER’ that’s being blasted out the loudspeakers of the Harper Government’s broadcast van.
Warren,
All the rest wait for Justin. Almost mid-month and still no official word. Curious.