POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY JEFFREY SIMPSON IN TORONTO'S GLOBE AND MAIL
Well said, indeed.
You've captured many aspects of the person and the situation
perfectly.
The words about Harper being an actor who understands his
own limiting persona are brilliantly discerning.
I'm quite concerned about the charming and attractive Justin
going for the leadership.
First, his presence in the race may well intimidate other,
possibly more talented and suitable candidates.
He does very much appear to lack the fierce intelligence of
his father, his personality traits being more like those of his mother, albeit
without her excesses.
But even a Pierre Trudeau might well not succeed today, our
interests and attitudes having changed a great deal.
There is a huge burden on the shoulders of the next Liberal
leader: Harper's thugs are changing almost everything we have understood Canada
as representing, and our international reputation has plummeted as we are seen
as a complete servant of American-Israeli interests. Another majority would be
hideous.
We desperately need a strong, effective leader of the
Liberal Party, someone who can at least prevent a majority, and someone with
shrewd political judgment. The NDP certainly has selected the right kind of
leader for the times with Mulcair.
Another amateur-hour Ignatieff, a man with no support from
people and no expertise and a man with weak personality traits, would be
disaster.
The Liberal Party's insiders are responsible for the entire
Harper Era.
First, there was the infighting against a very popular and
competent Prime Minister.
Then there was the nasty work inside the Party against
Chretien supporters.
Then there was the poor handling of what was in many ways an
understandable scandal whose roots were in serious concern with the country's
future, not just graft.
Then there was the failure to select Bob Rae, one of the
most polished politicians of our day.
The less able but likable Dion was given no chance and
inadequate support.
The pompous and surprisingly thinly talented Ignatieff was
stuffed into the leadership with no democratic support, just as the insiders
had intended when they recruited him in the United States.
His judgment proved a disaster.
The Party insiders have failed us entirely, and one hopes
their role with Trudeau is not similar.
