Worth a read
REX MURPHY
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
Michael Ignatieff is good news for the Liberal Party.
It was good news when they didn't pick him at the leadership convention two years ago. He was then too fresh to the party and too fresh to Canada. He needed some time to wash the scent of the Harvard common room off himself. Needed time to establish some bona fides with the country he hadn't lived in for most of his adult life. Needed time for that big brain of his to wrap itself around the issues and rhythms, both subtle and complex, of Canadian politics.
Well, wrap itself it has, and the odour of Harvard has been duly subdued by the more manly fragrances of Question Period and the Liberal caucus room.
He stayed on after that first loss. That, of course, was critical. He stayed on and played the good soldier during the torments of Stéphane Dion's (let us be Christmas kind) uneven stay as Opposition Leader. Two years ago, he was a résumé. Today, he's a politician, almost "one of the boys."
And here he is, leader of the Liberals. Precisely how he managed this during the political convulsions of the past few weeks is almost mystically perplexing. If Mr. Dion had been in focus on the night of Dec. 3 (the infamous late video), Mr. Ignatieff might not be leader today. Let's just say that chance and tumult co-operated.
Now that he's leader, he's restored morale. He generates interest. People, non-politicians, find him interesting. No, he's not our Barack Obama or Pierre Trudeau redux, but he looks good opposite Stephen Harper and he clearly outshines both Jack Layton and Gilles Duceppe. Check out the Liberal front bench these days. They're smiling again, and it isn't the forced rictus of the past two years.
James Morton
1100 - 5255 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario
M2N 6P4
3 comments:
Mr.Ignatieff is still in the first few days has the leader of the Liberals i.e.honeymoon.So before you start to uncork the champagne,let us wait a few weeks to see what happens. Its still way to early.
Once the budget goes threw then all hands are off. There will not be any opposition days any time soon as parliament has be prorogued. I think you know as I that the opposition days would be pushed so far down the food chain that a coalition government threat wouldn't be in the cards anymore,as there would have been lots of time passed.
"Right": With all due respect, I don't think Mort's post is about the immediate changing of the guard in Ottawa - it is more about the pieces being in place for the gradual defeat of the Conservative Party. This is due to a much stronger leader, AND (more importantly) a Liberal Party united behind him. This is reflecting a media which was not so kind to Mr. Dion after his victory. These very pundits were "doubtful" at best about Dion back then (sure, they didn't lambaste him right away, but it was the doubt from the start that did him in). Mr. Ignatieff is much more liked in the media - both in English AND French Canada. This is the first step. Media won't turn on him unless he really screws up (unlike Dion who came out of the gates with a lot of media enemies and a Harper with the "teflon" reputation).
The focus is now going to be about Harper pulling us out of a recession/depression (whatever he wants to call it today). A recession he's been denying for months, in a crisis which has been known for over a year. With Dion in command I supported a coalition - it was HIS only hope, with a potential election call coming. With Mr. Ignatieff entrenched as leader (my first choice since before 06, by the way) we can be tactful, diplomatic, and, while holding a possible Parliamentary defeat over Harper's head, FORCE HIM to be more moderate - while (most importantly) LETTING HIM WEAR THIS CRISIS FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS. Once he's wearing his "Recession Sweater", we can take him to task on the legally mandated "set" election date - which is set for this coming October. Harper can break his own law if he wants, but it will cost him. Meanwhile, we'll be carefully navigating our way to the top of the polls over the next several months.
Tactics come into play with greater ease when you have a united party - and all your best tacticians at hand. One look at the Ignatieff Christmas Party in Ottawa gives me a ton of hope. We're ba-a-a-ack!
As usual, TRIWIA completely misses the point. Classic case of not seeing the forest for all the trees.
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