Well, all righty, then. The Canadian punditheads are predicting that the Liberal Party leadership race will be a "coronation" for Justin Trudeau — and folks are wringing their hands because J.T. offered more platitudes than policy in his speech at yesterday's party showcase event.
We cats won't comment on the role that platitudes have played in U.S. politics, except to say that, as Americans, we have no business being judgmental about them. Canadian voters, on the other hand, have more credibility when they insist on policy details.
However, we believe that Justin's approach to the leadership race is probably the right one. Get elected, for heaven's sake, and then take the fight with substance to the ever-unappealing Pillsbury Doughboy, Stephen Harper. If this sounds cynical, let us cats remind everyone that the Liberals are currently a third-place party. They can't afford to subsume themselves in internecine battles — but instead should choose somebody to rally behind, and go.
In our view, it would benefit them to pick a compelling, recognizable figure with a name. Why? Well, because the last time anybody was excited about who was Canadian Prime Minister was when Pierre Trudeau held the job.
To his credit, Justin was pretty up front about all this yesterday. "I know there are those who say this movement we’re building is all about nostalgia," he said. "That it’s not really about me, or you, or Canada. Let’s face it: they say that it’s about my father.
"Well, to them I say this: It is. It is about my dad...And our mothers. And yours. It’s about all of our parents and the legacy they left us. The country they built for us. Canada."
We cats would love to see a non-Tory government back in power in Ottawa. We hope that the Liberals can elect Justin and then figure out a way to work with the NDP to beat the Conservatives in 2015. We're happy to observe that even at this early stage, the pundits are saying that Harper has something to worry about. Which makes us cats PURR.
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