10.03.2012 06:53 AM

Trudeau open thread

This morning, there is a ridiculous amount of coverage about Justin’s announcement speech last night.  I have a few thoughts of my own, offered on radio this morning, but I figured it’d be more fun to give regulars on Canada’s Best Loved Political Web Site™ a chance to have their say.

So, fire away, guys: you’re smarter than most of the paid professional pundits!  What did you think?  Post a comment!

 

64 Comments

  1. David says:

    Search news.google.ca:

    “Tom Mulcair” (with quotes):
    About 7,360 results (0.15 seconds)
    Tom Mulcair (without quotes):
    About 11,000 results (0.25 seconds)
    “Thomas Mulcair” (with quotes):
    About 2,110 results (0.16 seconds)
    Thomas Mulcair (without quotes):
    About 2,430 results (0.19 seconds)

    “Stephen Harper” (with quotes):
    About 24,600 results (0.15 seconds)
    Stephen Harper (without quotes):
    About 40,200 results (0.15 seconds)

    “Justin Trudeau” (with quotes):
    About 37,800 results (0.14 seconds)
    Justin Trudeau (without quotes):
    About 41,700 results (0.13 seconds)

    Need I say more?

    • Bill MacLeod says:

      Mmmm, yes, but as a wise man once said — I think he runs this website — Harper’s advantage is staying out of the news. There is a downside to media popularity.

  2. Doug says:

    I am pleased that he is running. It’s hard to see a downside for the party.

    Unless he disqualifies himself somehow I think he’s headed for the leadership. I suspect he will be leader for more than one election cycle, win or lose. That in itself is a reason to give him a shot. We have other things to worry about besides the leadership. It is hard to have a personality as a party when frequent leadership changes cause radical platform shifts.

  3. Bryan says:

    Only people who’d never vote Liberal anyway, & our large proportion of apparent masochists, would think that a young, ambitious, sitting MP running for the leadership is a bad thing. I do hope Garneau runs, but Trudeau is already bringing in people…I can see that from my Facebook feed, for heaven’s sake. Haters gonna hate, of course.

  4. Andrew Chisholm says:

    I’m excited about the possibility of having Justin behind the leadership of the LPC. My support for the NDP slowly died after the sad departure of Jack. I need a place to park my support and I feel Justin would be a good place. He’s not an old fart, he understands the importance of the arts and I generally believe he has good intentions for Canada.

  5. M5SLIB says:

    What I liked about last night:

    Sophie – Canadian political wives (spouses) are generally absent except for the ones who are actual MP’s. If Trudeau is going to help the Liberals, I think he has to start in Quebec. She’s a Quebecer with a strong French accent, and she can be a real asset in the province if they use her well. Less of Pierre’s son, and more of Sophie’s husband.

    He was hammering away about the middle class. That’s who you have to speak to, and the Liberals aren’t doing well currently.

    He was talking to and about Canada. He wasn’t talking to the Ottawa insiders about politics and the Liberals, he was talking to Canadians who aren’t wrapped up in politics like most of us are. The conversation of fixing the liberal party is too insular, and he’s recognized that to fix the party, you have to go beyond the party.

    When he brought up the sovereignty issue, he spoke with conviction and passion, but he wasn’t confrontational. I think that was key.

    He had a few good lines: when he said he had nothing personal against Harper/Mulcair, but he disagrees with their policies. Perhaps this is showing that he wants to “present” a less nasty kind of politics. The “when is the last time you had a leader you trusted” line really resonated, I find, and the Michel reference was a nice personal touch.

    What I didn’t like:

    It was too long. Most people wouldn’t want to watch the entire thing, but I suppose the aim is to get the news outlets to obtain their soundbites.

    He needed more energy; some of it felt kinda “performancey.” He needs to fix that, and come straight from the heart. This might be related to the length of the speech.

    The suit. He’s the fresh new guy who’s going to bring a new generation in. Take the suit off and roll up the sleeves. When other politicians do it, it seems like a put on. When he does it, it’d seem more natural because he is young and fresh. Warren didn’t you say something about not changing the candidate but selling the best version of them… or something like that?

    Anyway, I’m glad he’s running. The thing I like above anything is that he seems really aware of perceptions out there. I think this could help his instincts. Good luck to him.

    • Michael Bussiere says:

      Spot on, although I did like the suit. It was an announcement, after all, and Justin is a Montrealer where style has meaning. Justin makes the rolled-up sleeves look natural and cool, which is a big bonus for garnering trust, especially with younger people. When Harper goes casual he looks like he just escaped from Walmart.

      • lr says:

        great points. I liked the suit. He’ll have time for the rolled up sleeve look while on the road – guaranteed!
        loved how he referred to the middle class…and working hard! this is what the Liberals are about!
        GO JUSTIN! 🙂

      • M-J says:

        A Montrealer would have worn a suit that fit. That looked like a boy’s first communion suit. And who thought a grey tie was a good idea?

        • Elizabeth says:

          It was a beautiful suit! Silk, I’d say. It set off Sophie’s gorgeous fuchsia silk top perfectly. Colour co-ordinated.

      • Reality.Bites says:

        Stephen Harper has never escaped from Walmart.

        They threw him out, for hurting their chic, high-fashion image.

  6. Jordan says:

    It was okay. I’ll wait to see some policy ideas and if he’s willing to move away from progressivism and embrace liberalism.

  7. WDM says:

    Free advice to the Liberals:

    1. You got your butts kicked last time, I mean you REALLY got your butts kicked. Yes, the NDP had between 30-40 seats after 2008, but they were on their way up and were competitive in many other ridings. Why do I mention this? I mention this because you’re not getting all those seats back in one election. Give it time. So, if you pick Justin, and you only make slight gains in 2015,deep breath. Justin will be spending that time, and the years that follow building personal credibility. The NDP i just spoke of? Well in 2011, people had seen Jack Layton for 8 years. They liked him. He earned their trust, and they turned to him. Layton, for all his abilities, would not have been able to pull off 100+ seats in any election before 2011, he needed those 8 years of credibility.

    2. No matter who you pick, be loyal. Be loyal, and work your butts off for the leader. It’s vital. You know what loyalty gets you? It gets you three election wins in Ontario after losing in 1999. It gets you 50 seats in Quebec when everyone is saying you could be wiped out. Now, loyalty is a two-way street and the leader can’t be tone deaf to the base, but when things look grim on Monday morning because of some mistake the leader made, deep breath. It’ll be Tuesday soon enough.

    3. Be the voice of strong federalism. There’s no one filling that void right now.

    4. Look for other issues that don’t find a traditional place on the partisan spectrum whether it’s Parliamentary and electoral reform or something else.

    5. Be professional, but don’t be afraid to be funny either. It’ll be a great contrast to the angry twins.

    • Warren says:

      The Angry Twins. I’m gonna steal that

    • M5SLIB says:

      Good advice!

      • Glen says:

        Er, I’d just like to note that I referred to “Angry Tom and Angry Steve” in a comment on this very site a couple of weeks ago.

        Blatant copyright infringement.

    • Philip says:

      Great points, in particular #3. Championing a strong, engaged federalism is a big way to stand out from both the NDP and the Conservatives. Mulcair seems constrained from doing that by the make up of his caucus. Harper apparently doesn’t give a shit. There is definitely an opportunity here for Justin to stand out as the only federal champion of a strong, united Canada.

  8. David MacRury says:

    Well welcome to the 21st Century! I have a great deal of respect for politicians who fight for their nomination and fight for their seats in tough ridings. The Trudeau name is hardly the most popular name and he manages to hold on what was a Bloc seat. His father was recruited to Ottawa by the party backroom reluctantly because they couldn’t get Jean Marchand without him. He never had to fight to become MP and was automatically elevated to Cabinet. No he probably doesn’t have the intellectual weight of his father but who does? I always chuckle when people call him a lightweight. It’s not like Parliament is stacked with philosopher kings. Besides after the last two leaders I have PHD fatigue. Oh and yes the amount of coverage was ridiculous andd its about time.

  9. W.B. says:

    No “one on one” sit downs with famous TV presenters yet. Good move.
    Using Justin not Trudeau in big print on his logo. Good move.
    He’s pretty smart. He will not win based on Trudeau name. He knows that. It’s all about the new generation. Harper isn’t really old, but he acts old and looks old with the helmut hair etc. Mulcair looks old acts old and that beard! Doesn’t work.
    Out with the boomers. A new generation wants in.

    • bluegreenblogger says:

      He doesn’t need to write TRUDEAU all over the backdrop to remind people who he is. I do not think he is de-emphasizing it, he is re-branding. And don`t kid yourself, if he wins, it will be based on his Trudeau name, PLUS an updated appeal to younger people with whom the Trudeau brand doesn`t score many points, beyond fuzzy recollections af a storied man. Justin Trudeau is in an enviable position. He is for now in a position where any amount of paid attack ads will be tussling against wall to wall media coverage. It is Justin who gets to define justin, not the CPC.
      That said, I hope that Garneau still runs, and more than Garneau. After all, it will be the Liberal party, not the justin party that has to contest the next election, and the next leader will need a strong front bench that complements the leader.

      • Reality.Bites says:

        He can hardly try to have himself known as “Trudeau.” That old expression “that was my father’s name” was never more true.

        Not all politicians can pull off being known by their first name. Harper can’t. Mulcair can’t. Jack Layton could.

        Justin could certainly do worse for himself being perceived similarly to Jack Layton

      • Michael says:

        “PLUS an updated appeal to younger people with whom the Trudeau brand doesn`t score many points, beyond fuzzy recollections af a storied man.”

        Sorry bluegreenblogger, but most young people do not know who Justin is, let alone have any recollection of a storied old man. Unless of course you consider someone in their 40’s young.

  10. Andrew Chisholm says:

    To expand on my previous comment:

    All politicians, to some degree, are full of shit. Many serve themselves and their friends, all of them get paid very well to do it. As a society, we can only hope to attract leaders that engage the people. Once more people pay attention, we then have a hope to elect some real change into the systems that protect us, advance us, and ultimately make us a better people.

    I have no idea who Justin is as a person. But I did meet him briefly and I witnessed first hand how he can work a crowd. Kids were walking over to him as if he was a cartoon character they spend each morning with – I’m not kidding, it was bizarre. His Facebook Page has grown by 5,000 people in the last few days.

    So all I know about Trudeau is that he is a man who people like, and for some reason, resonate with. I have no doubt that his leadership bid, and likely slam-dunk win, will inspire many people to follow politics. And for that reason, I support his bid for leadership and his eventual run for the PMO.

  11. Michael Behiels says:

    Ah, finally the Liberal leadership race is out of the gate!!

    Who knows if Justin Trudeau will win the leadership race. Far too many variables to predict the outcome. In 1968 his father, despite Trudeaumania, only won on the third ballot by just over 100 votes. There were at least a dozen candidates in the race and most of the Old Guard did not want Trudeau. Yet he persevered and won. He had the backing of a very large generation of Baby Boomers like myself. Indeed, many PCs and NDPers voted for Trudeau in the election of 1968. Trudeau drew support from across the political spectrum.

    What Justin Trudeau has done by kick starting the leadership race is to create a media feeding frenzy. The LPC could not afford to buy this kind of domestic and international media attention.

    This will be a long leadership race and it will difficult to maintain the media’s attention. Justin Trudeau and other Candidates will have to work hard to maintain the public’s attention once the media turn elsewhere.

    What Justin Trudeau, like his father in 1967-68, represents is a long overdue generational change in the LCP. Since his father’s retirement in 1984, the Liberal Party Old Guard(s) has not allowed any outsider to challenge their grip on the party. The party needed renewing very badly in 1984 and in 1991 but it did not happen.

    What ensued was an internal civil war between two factions of the old Guard, the Blue Grits associated with Bay Street (represented by John Turner and then Paul Martin), and the progressive Grits lead by Chrétien, and then Dion and Ignatieff.

    Chrétien had no real opposition. Martin, then Dion and Ignatieff faced Harper’s New Right Conservative coalition that had the backing of corporate Canada and a very wide and energized base in Western Canada made up of social and fiscal conservatives and democratic populists.

    The big question is: What is Justin Trudeau’s political base? He talked about the middle class. This is problematic because the middle class is now badly fragmented between the lower, middle and upper middle classes. Many Canadians in the Lower and middle segments are suffering financially while those in the upper middle class have seen their economic situation improve dramatically. In short, the old coherent, united middle class that largely voted Liberal since WW II no longer exists.

    Even if Justin Trudeau does not become the leader he will gain tremendous experience. He will be in a much better position to assist the new leader, whomever that might be, in mounting a credible challenge to both the NDP and the CP in the next election. What happens after that is anyone’s guess.

    Rebuilding liberalism and the moribund Liberal Party of Canada is going to be an arduous task but the rewards for Liberals and for Canadian society will be positive.

    I say to all candidates go for it. You have nothing to loose and much to gain.

  12. Patrick says:

    There’s an internet age term which neatly summarizes my general reaction to the JT-money speech last night: “Meh.”

    A few quick observations:

    a) Unsurprisingly, the imagery was flawless. Guy doesn’t look like a million bucks. He looks like the sum of money Mitt Romney has stashed in his secret overseas accounts or Paul Martin has stashed under the stump of the endangered tree he cut down to make way for his private golf course.

    b) He SOUNDS flakey, big time. Not even meant as an attack on the speechwriting, which was tolerable if undistinguished. It’s just the mannerism of his speech which is off-putting to many people. He sounds aristocratic and elitist. I don’t know the guy personally, so I won’t judge, but he needs to dial that back urgently and sound a bit more human. Just speak like a normal person, not

    c) The race is now over. Full stop. Garneau or anyone else can get in, but it’s now officially a waste of time and money. The Liberal coronation complex has spoke. JT-money is the annointed one. That’s likely not a good thing from an organizational development perspective.

    d) The wacky “get off progressivism and embrace liberalism” dude above is extremely confused and probably won’t ever be happy until he sucks it up and just takes out a Conservative Party of Canada card. Shorter term, I suspect he’s in for a conflicted future as the LPC returns to its more traditional progressive roots over the course of the leadership race.

    e) I really wish the public could convince JT-money to expound his candid views on Peter Kent further. He was really on to something. He and Peter Stoffer are now Canada’s two oracles.

    Good luck with your book, Warren!

    • !o! says:

      b) I grew up on a small farm in a tiny town northeast of Edmonton. We were not well off but we worked really hard to make a living. I paid for my own school working in the fields, and on oilfield construction. In one way of looking at things, you would think I would agree with you on (b) because my own upbringing is as far removed from ‘aristocratic and elitist’ as you can get, but I don’t. There are many ways of looking at the world. Different people use different words to describe things. Part of living in a pretty diverse country like this is looking for meaning without getting hung up on how someone sounds.

      I guess as a politician you want to sound good regardless, but I guess what I’m saying is that your point of view concerning his mannerism of speech may not be as universal as you think. I found him pretty sincere and down to earth.

    • Corey says:

      Good points. I disagree on b) though. That’s the same kind of advice that got Ignatieff into trouble: don’t sound like the person you are, talk down to people and they will vote for you. We all know how that turned out.

  13. Ronald O'Dowd says:

    Warren,

    Nothing quite like putting your best foot forward — always a positive development!

  14. Tiger says:

    Bit long, but not agonizingly so.

    There were some corny lines, but what the heck, people expect that from Justin.

    Seems like he has some conception of the job ahead. Liberals would do well to see if they think they’re willing to put in 10-15 years with him.

    If so, go for it. If not, don’t. And that’s a gut call that only Liberals themselves can make.

  15. Glen says:

    I didn’t watch the speech. You had to know it would be overly dramatic and I hate that kind of thing. I heard the “highlights” on the radio this morning, and my fears were confirmed.

    But my feeling is and has always been: The Liberals need a saviour. JT is that guy. There is no one else who could bring them back to where they once were.

    Anyways, the next big question is what happens if JT is actually as empty and un-leaderly as people think? Will the Liberals officially be dead?

  16. Trudeau’s younger brother, Sacha, was on hand with his young family, too, but politely rebuffed reporters’ questions. “It’s not my show tonight,” he said.

    the key word “tonight”(?)

  17. Sean says:

    I honestly thought that what he had to say was not all that different than Ignatieff or Dion. He just comes off as being more geniune (than Ignatieff) and obviously a much better communicator (Dion). We can all yakity yak yak about this policy and that policy, but at the end of the day, Trudeau will have a much easier time of it for the following reasons:

    1. No snap elections for three years.
    2. Virtually no internal opposition because everyone is tired. Also, managing only 35 M.P.s.
    3. Low expectations. If he wins 60 seats, everyone will love him.

    • !o! says:

      And that (sounding genuine, being believable) makes all the difference.

      An unbelievable difference. If people are predisposed to giving him the benefit of the doubt, take what he says at face value rather than believing it’s some carefully constructed tool of manipulation, he becomes quite immune to a lot of external attempts to define his image, (which themselves look like carefully constructed tools of manipulation).

      I personally find him pretty genuine myself.

  18. Sean says:

    At the moment all I’m seeing is an ego trip and nothing more. I’ve yet to hear a well thought out stement on any important issue. I don’t know how committed he is to Canada given his conditional support for separatism. Also, I’d like to know if he fought for Canada during the 1995 Quebec referendum. Did he read and digest Federalism and the French Canadians? Would he question Cuba’s treatment of political prisoners and other human right’s abuses? Would he concede more power to Quebec? What would he do to ensure that we do not have a trade imbalance with China?

    • !o! says:

      I don’t see much ego– I certainly see how what he does gets portrayed as ego though.

      To me it’s just him deciding to run. I’m curious where you find ego there. Certainly just deciding to run shouldn’t qualify as an ego trip by itself… and we don’t have access to his own beliefs, only his actions. Maybe you’re more perceptive than I am.

    • Philip says:

      Surely any person who decides to run for public office has a healthy ego? It seems to be a pre-requisite and it’s not a bad thing. I wouldn’t want the leader of my country lacking any confidence in themselves or their vision. If you condemn Justin for having an ego, you must also condemn both Mulcair and Harper.

  19. Dan says:

    Trudeau gets a lot of inbuild publicity. It was impossible to avoid news of the announcement. Didn’t catch the speech, but reports of it made it sound like there was a good balance. 30 minutes. Some genuine “the Liberal party has work to do”, some typical strawman “we’re not this extreme or that extreme” with caricatures of Harper and Mulcair’s views.

    I don’t doubt there’s enough nostalgia to get the old timers to vote for him. The question is if he can keep his foot out of his mouth long enough to get the nomination. Liberal insiders being who they are, I think he’s got it in the bag.

  20. !o! says:

    I don’t think a full merger is supported by the majority of either party’s base. I’m also wary of any move towards a two party system, or move towards a system that has less space for a diversity of political viewpoints. But agreeing on single candidates in ridings where progressive vote splitting is the most beneficial to CPC, just makes sense, and benefits both parties. I don’t think there are many LPC/NDP supporters who would think that a CPC MP in their riding and another majority is a better deal than an NDP/LPC MP who may not have been their first choice.

    Moving to a proportional representation system afterwards would ensure this kind of nonsense doesn’t happen again. It would also likely make the liberal majorities of the past a thing of the past. I get nostalgic too but maybe this isn’t such a bad thing– majorities seem to cause a kind of milder form of the institutional rot that you see in dictatorships. PR isn’t a cure-all obviously, but from this perspective it’s hard to see much of a downside. If nothing else it encourages political plurality, which is more a reflection of how we all think than a two and a half party system.

    If Trudeau is sincere about people building government, I don’t see how this wouldn’t be a pretty clear path forward.

    • steve says:

      A point I often make as well. The proportional rep countries are generally governed well, especially the Northern European countries. The main culture this breeds is government for the people, not governing over the people, and people working to live, not living to work.

  21. steve says:

    I am all in, the alternatives a not much hope, and hopeless.

  22. frmr Disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    Only saw snippets of the speech on the CBC, but I liked what I heard…..the man has an incredible amount of goodwill coming his way….as people grow increasingly tired of “Dear Leader”. My only suggestion to M. Trudeau would be when he wins the leadership (and he will), he engages Mr. Kinsella’s services…..for hes the only person, imho, who can beat the Cons(and Dippers) at their own game….You dont want to be bringing a knife to a gunfight…..
    Oh, and see a tailor about shortening those trouser legs, the break was a little too big. Like the grey though….maybe a jazzier tie next time…..

  23. Larry says:

    Delighted. I disagree with those who say he has no substance. I really do expect him to grow into the role. He understands his purpose and destiny, and that will lead him down the right path.
    If ever Canada needed a leader, now’s the time. Not for nothing was Justin born December 25th. I would like to see Sacha run too.

  24. John says:

    Good speech. Safe speech. I liked the positivity and didn’t focus on slamming The Robot or The Angry Man. Can you even picture either of those guys giving a speech of that length (or any length) without dissing the other parties and their leaders???

    No way.

    The best thing about JT entering the fray is that people will start to talk about the Liberals again – and in a good way. It’s already happening.

    Now, do I support him? I would like to but am reserving judgement. Dude has the sizzle but does he have the substance? I can’t wait to see his first hour-long interview with a top notch journo who will ask him about fiscal policy, monetary policy, international relations, etc.

    I will, of course, vote for him. But my level of engagement (e.g., whether I donate, volunteer, etc.) will depend largely on how he defines himself in terms of substance.

  25. Fred says:

    I find it laughable that people expect Trudeau to talk about policy when the current Reform-Conservative PM refuses to even talk to Canadians, let alone talk about policy.

    I think Trudeau is a tonic that the country needs – a leader with original ideas, compassion and a vision of Canada. The past quarter century of incompetent chartered accountants running Canada has been dull, dull, dull.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMOmB1q8W4Y

    Give generously.

  26. LeDaro says:

    “Canada’s Best Loved Political Web Site”? Which site is that?

    I watched Justin Trudeau’s speech and I think he gave a great speech.

  27. mf says:

    Without some sort of union with the NDP the Libbies are screwed. He should not have shut he door to that.

  28. dave says:

    I’ll be looking forward to the Conservatives and their media supporters, the people so excited about all things royal family and royal connection and royal heritage, complaining about JT’s family roots.

  29. Michael S says:

    Coming late to the party after a bout of Harper Flu (yes, food poisoning, the outbreak is likely far worse than reported due to diagnosis lag) I just want to add this:
    Who the hell knows what the future will bring? People first laughed at Jack Layton, a city councillor, running the NDP. They called him a lightweight, a fool. Well, the fool was no fool even in his last days.

    Imagine if Bill Blaikie had won the leadership instead? Where would the NDP be now? Do you think it would have any seats in Quebec? It took Layton eight long years of being Jack Layton and banging a consistent message before the final breakthrough. It will take at least that long for any Liberal leader to have any chance at power. By then, too many things will have happened for any predictions to have any value.

    The question is: Does he have the stomach and the patience for a decade’s worth of getting out of the wilderness? Who does? You might well want to give this job to a 40-year old that can afford the time and the blows.

  30. Robert Jago says:

    If he keeps mentioning liberty, if he is serious about not being for the politics of envy, and if he says the same thing in French (especially about multiculturalism, immigration, and native rights) – then I could certainly see voting for him in April. That speech alone isn’t enough. He’s said some profoundly stupid things in the past and he needs to repudiate those again and again and again if he’s to be taken seriously.

    • Fred says:

      “He’s [Trudeau] said some profoundly stupid things in the past and he needs to repudiate those again and again and again if he’s to be taken seriously.”

      And our current PM Harper has said some profoundly and stupid things about Canadians in the past. If you want to hold a leadership candidate’s feet to fire then it is more urgent that you hold the current Canadian PM’s feet to the fire for comments he has made about our country in the past.

      For example, a Harper quote from a speech he gave to the right-wing evangelical American group ‘Council for National Policy’:

      “if you’re like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians”,

      As a Canadian, I find Harper’s comments to be both ignorant and insulting.

  31. wsam says:

    Trudeau has to give a compelling reason to vote Liberal.

    Iggy tried the ‘the Harperites are liars, cancelled the census and traded away the environment for some Pandas [h/t This Hour has 22 Minutes] and generally practices terrible corporate goverance which will destroy Canada’s beloved institutions …” and Canadians didn’t care. They might care eventually, just as they eventually began to care about percieved Liberal sins, but that took a long time. It took 10 years before right-wing carping on Liberal terribleness managed to gain any acceptance outside of Calgary’s suburbs and the Ottawa Valley.

    To avoid waiting that long Trudeau has to give a solid reason to vote Liberal. He needs a differentiation strategy, one which will actually appeal to Canadians. Dion’s gang tried this with the Green Shift, but they botched it. Plus. I’m not sure Canadians were ready. But mainly it was badly marketed. It was basically a shift to heavier consumption taxes with a corresponding reduction in income tax.

    Harper called Canada a failed Distopia.

  32. MNT says:

    It seems a few people beat me to the punch on this one, but his speeches are far too long.

    I’ve been watching JT through the Liberal leadership fantasy football foolishness this last year (my implausible faves are Andrew Coyne and Mark Carney) and have noticed a marked improvement in both content and delivery. My god though, he goes on far too long. Saw him at an event in June and my words to a friend were “Started strong, then BAM. 12-min elocution safari”. Warren I dare say that if anyone can get ahold of Trudeau’s comms team, its you. Lets get a little more Gettysburg and a little less I Have A Dream.

    Cheers, and all the best with the new book. I hear nice things.

  33. Tim Sullivan says:

    For a loser of a candidate with a bad resume and a poor heritage of a father, to lead a backward and loser party, there seems to be a lot of coverage.

    Quick: who ran for the Greens the last time? Who was the leader of the Greens before May?

  34. frmr Disgruntled Con now Happy Lib says:

    In Richmond BC last night……….http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Trudeau+mania+comes+Richmond/7340664/story.html

  35. Elizabeth says:

    After spending time watching him, especially since the Ignatieff leadership convention; and thinking – I’ve come to the conclusion that Justin doesn’t do anything that he’s not well prepared for, and that he doesn’t think he can win. I think he’s more canny than a lot of people give him credit for, perhaps thanks to his Scots ancestors. His grandfather Sinclair, maybe his grandmother too, and his grandmother Eliot. Everyone forgets about that grandfather, and also that Margaret Trudeau is highly intelligent.
    What is really going to matter is who he surrounds himself with.
    I remember hearing him say that he didn’t think Ignatieff was “wise enough” or words to that effect – to be the Liberals’ leader, and I thought at the time it sounded rather presumptuous for someone so young, but – he was right. I also thought Brazeau was going to kill him, then I remembered – he’s smart, he wouldn’t go into this unless he knew he had a damn good chance of winning. He was prepared to take on anyone who offered, too. He’s been through the fire with his brother’s all-too-public death, and his father’s state funeral, plus his mother’s difficulties and the divorce; he is NOT a piece of fluff, as Stephen Carter has said via the Calgary Herald.

    What I really like about him, is that he’s really, genuinely Canadian. He’s home-grown. I don’t have any objection to expats, but Justin is just one of the kids who grew up here, albeit with a much different background. He is so likeable, and down to earth. He answers questions, he’s interested.
    He has a sense of style – so what? Why can’t Canadians have a sense of style? He’s good looking, so are a lot of Canadians. It’s annoying how many people think you can’t be photogenic and be intelligent at the same time, when it often goes hand in hand.

    Good luck to him. I’m quite excited, best happening for a long time in politics.

  36. TokyoJoe says:

    Does Canada really need another Prime Minister from the coddled elite of Montreal?

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