No. 1 in our hearts (Apolitical Staples)

No. 1 in our hearts

Many have conpared the current Liberal leadership contest to the 1967 (er, that should be 1968) contest that selected Pierre Trudeau as leader. No doubt there are similarities but what if the better comparison were 1984? What if Micheal Ignatieff, the handsome dauphin in exile, is actually John Turner? An all but assured winner who is a slow-motion train wreck. A man that has spent so much time away from politics (or Canada) that he has no political touch. And if this is the case who is our generations Jean Chretien?
P.S. I agree this analogy only goes so far as Stephen Harper is not Brian Mulroney and as long as the BQ is around there is no record majority in the offing...for any party.

Posted on October 12, 2006 | Permalink

Comments (5)

Mary:

Gee, I thought Pierre Trudeau was elected liberal leader in 1968, not 1967…I guess that’s why I don’t even write a blog…I am not as informed as u.

Posted by Mary | October 12, 2006 8:32 AM

Posted on October 12, 2006 08:32

Keller:

@Mary Trudeau was elected leader of the Liberal Party in April 1968 and went on to win the general election in June of that year. In other words you’re right :)

And but for a football we would have had a far more economically competent PM in ‘72 and Canada wouldn’t have all this debt nowadays. But that’s beside the point :)

At the point of the post, Ignatieff is starting to feel like Turner. I don’t know if you’ve read Reign of Error covering Turner’s election as Liberal leader and everything up to the ‘84 general election. Good book, and Ignatieff is starting to remind me just a little of it.

But then again the Liberal Party thinks they can win the next general election and Ignatieff or Rae are the obvious choices for that. If they come back around to thinking they’ll lose it then Kennedy becomes the number one guy IMNSHO.

Also as long as we’re running with this analogy Layton is no Ed Broadbent.

Posted by Keller | October 12, 2006 9:10 AM

Posted on October 12, 2006 09:10

Occam's Carbuncle:

“I guess that�s why I don�t even write a blog�I am not as informed as u.”

Or is it because basic punctuation and spelling have not yet joined Google search skills as part of your clearly formidable repertoire of literary and journalistic gifts?

Posted by Occam's Carbuncle | October 12, 2006 12:53 PM

Posted on October 12, 2006 12:53

Olaf:

“And if this is the case who is our generations Jean Chretien?”

Um…. Volpe?

Posted by Olaf | October 12, 2006 5:37 PM

Posted on October 12, 2006 17:37

Jason Cherniak:

I think Ignatieff might be more like a Paul Martin who never gets to be PM.

Posted by Jason Cherniak | October 12, 2006 6:04 PM

Posted on October 12, 2006 18:04