Canadian Politics: Justin Trudeau to run for leadership of the Liberal Party

[JR]

I don't think our American friends want us to sully the political board with Canuckistan politics.,

Justin Trudeau, 40 year old son of the late PM Pierre, is apparently running for the leadership of the Liberal Party

It's clear that interim leader Bob Rae ain't gonna cut it. Way too much political baggage with his stint as Ontario Premier.

In my opinion, Justin has all his father's charms but doesn't come close to him intellectually and quite frankly, not sure he's equipped to deal with the Conservatives in a bare-knuckle election

That said, getting rid of the Republican wannabe Harper would be one step to returning Parliamentary democracy to our country

What do other Canucks think of this? Is there anybody else in the Liberal Party who could take on Stephen Harper?

 

[Iron_chet]

I have heard from people who are on the hill that Justin has more Margret in him than Pierre. I am sure he will appeal to some who still get hard on hearing the Trudeau name but can't say I've ever been impressed with the guy (although beating up that loser senator was kind of funny).

 

[JR]

I have heard from people who are on the hill that Justin has more Margret in him than Pierre. I am sure he will appeal to some who still get hard on hearing the Trudeau name but can't say I've ever been impressed with the guy (although beating up that loser senator was kind of funny).

Well, you and I at least agree on something. If he's more his mom than dad, I guess we can take the term Liberal Party literally.

I think he's a lightweight as well. And he really did beat the crap out of that guy in the ring.

 

[Gehrig]

I don't think netting themselves a celebrity ringer is really going to help out the Liberals all that much at all. They're attempting to play American politics with this and go for the Rock Star PM candidate, when it really doesn't work like that at all in Canada - Five minutes watching second-term Harper give a speech proves that.

The Liberal party seems to be convinced that their leadership is at the core of their failures in recent years, when this whole time it's been their politics - Take a step back, pick almost literally anyone who is competent enough to be the front-man/woman, and rework the party platform into something feasible and not completely insane with a focus on changing everything into some untested experimental 'Green' system.

You've got the NDP playing crazy-Left and the Conservatives playing crazy-Right, which leaves them with the perfect opportunity to play rational-Centrist, like they did in the 90's... But instead, they keep their crazier-Left politics and go on a wild leader hunt for the guy who's going to somehow magically validate bad ideas to an idea-focused crowd.

It really doesn't matter who they pick.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Can we post pics on this thread?

 

[Norrin Radd]

 

[JR]

I don't think netting themselves a celebrity ringer is really going to help out the Liberals all that much at all. They're attempting to play American politics with this and go for the Rock Star PM candidate, when it really doesn't work like that at all in Canada - Five minutes watching second-term Harper give a speech proves that.

The Liberal party seems to be convinced that their leadership is at the core of their failures in recent years, when this whole time it's been their politics - Take a step back, pick almost literally anyone who is competent enough to be the front-man/woman, and rework the party platform into something feasible and not completely insane with a focus on changing everything into some untested experimental 'Green' system.

You've got the NDP playing crazy-Left and the Conservatives playing crazy-Right, which leaves them with the perfect opportunity to play rational-Centrist, like they did in the 90's... But instead, they keep their crazier-Left politics and go on a wild leader hunt for the guy who's going to somehow magically validate bad ideas to an idea-focused crowd.

It really doesn't matter who they pick.

I think the jury's still out on Justin but I don't agree with your characterization of the NDP as crazy left. They've completely taken over the centre that the Liberals held for so many years, although under Martin, there was a push to the right in terms of economic policy

They've been a rudderless party since Ignatieff took over as leader. Personally, I think the party needs a street fighter like Chretien to take on the Harper thugs.

Me, I'd go for a coalition.

 

[Iron_chet]

Chretien was my favorite Liberal PM. Is streetfighter more a term of endearment than thug?

 

[JR]

Chretien was my favorite Liberal PM. Is streetfighter more a term of endearment than thug?

Much nicer.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Justin: Total lightweight.

 

[Beef03]

Yeah I'm agreeing at this point with the characterization that Trudeau is a lot of flash, but not so sure on his substance. He may ralley the base a little bit and get some of the younger voters who don't vote much out on to their side, but I think he would be taken to school by Harper. He would be bullied pretty easily I think. Right now he's lipstick on a pig. As Gehrig noted, the problem with the Liberals are far more deeply rooted than their leader.

Not sure there really is a one-off answer for the Liberals right now. They need to do some soul searching and figure things out, not just go with the next hot thing to come along.

And JR, I thought the Liberals became rudderless under Dion, Ignatief just went full-steam ahead into an iceberg.

 

[cyclingwriter]

Can americans vote for gary Trudeau?

 

[JR]

Well, a recent poll suggests Trudeau would handily win an election against the Conservatives

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/09/27/with-justin-trudeau-as-their-leader-liberals-could-easily-win-federal-election-exclusive-poll/

In an exclusive poll conducted for the National Post, Forum found if Mr. Trudeau were leader of the Liberal Party and an election were held today, the Grits would win, handily, with 39% of the popular vote.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives would come in second, with 32% of the vote, and the NDP — today the Official Opposition and led by Thomas Mulcair — would return to third-party status, with just 20% of the vote.

 

[MileHigh]

Wasn't there just an election for PM last year? When's the next one, in 2015?

 

[JR]

Wasn't there just an election for PM last year? When's the next one, in 2015?

Canadian elections have to be held every four years unless there's a vote of non confidence, something that won't likely happen since the Conservatives hold a majority.

And we don't directly elect a PM like you do a President. The PM is the leader of the party but if he loses his seat in an election he can't sit in the House of Commons.

 

[MileHigh]

I knew that. I meant since there was a national election.

 

[JR]

I knew that. I meant since there was a national election.

Sorry. Yes, 2015 will likely be the next one unless something comes up in the interim and Harper wants to launch a preemptive strike.

 

[MileHigh]

Which I know is common, but have always found cooky/out of whack. Elections down here are held on schedule, not on the whim of the polls or if a leader feels he can win at a certain time. Though I like that campaigns are limited to a certain amount of days instead of years up there. And are polls stopped days before polls open (and no early voting)?

 

[Beef03]

Wasn't there just an election for PM last year? When's the next one, in 2015?

Canadian elections have to be held every four years unless there's a vote of non confidence, something that won't likely happen since the Conservatives hold a majority.

And we don't directly elect a PM like you do a President. The PM is the leader of the party but if he loses his seat in an election he can't sit in the House of Commons.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and I know you've been voting since the days of John Diefenbaker JR, but I'm pretty sure the Governor general can still desolve parliment any time if requested by the PM, but yes, it usually takes a vote of non-confidence for the writ to drop early.

 

[UPChip]

I miss Chretien if for no other reason that his French-Canadian growly accent was the easiest celebrity voice to impersonate out there.