Gilligan Nation

So how did Stephane Dion win the Liberal Leadership...?

My 2 sense...

It's based on the unelectability of the two front runners - Ignatieff and Rae. Once you accept this premise, the rest of the story flows quite easily...

As popular as Ignatieff is, he seems to be the type of politician who scares off just as many as he attracts. So what is it about Ignatieff that scares people away? I have an opinion.... and it has to do with an air of unpredictability about him that helps to turn people away. Some might even say that his political judgement is often eclipsed by his intellectual idealism. Take the 'Quebec as a nation' issue that reared it's ugly head in recent weeks, and that raised a whole bunch of red flags with me. It was Ignatieff who first brought this up, setting some troubling events in motion. My question: why the heck would you bring this volatile subject up now? Why? And for what? Is it to win a leadership race? Is it to show everyone how gutsy or intellectual you are? It occurs to me that the Quebec nation idea is a perfect subject in a political science classroom - I mean what a great discussion that would generate, but during a leadership campaign...? There is a time and place for everything, and this incident left many, including me, not questioning Ignatieff's intellect, rather his judgement and perhaps creating some real apprehension about trusting him. This can't help but make one wonder if Ignatieff know the difference between a campaign and a classroom? Between idealism and pragmatism? The answer is of course he does, BUT does the line get blurred once in awhile with him. These are reasonable doubts based on his performance... Perhaps, as in the case of Stephen Harper who had to overcome similar public doubt albeit for different reasons, more time is needed to build this trust. Maybe Ignatieff needs to be test driven for a bit before a purchase can be made... This past week - it was buyer beware.

Now, to turn our attention to Bob Rae and why he lost, we need to look at another famous Bob.

Bob Denver, the actor who played the popular Gilligan, never was able to play another part again. The public never accepted him without the white hat and red shirt. He was forever typecase as Gilligan, and that's the way it is sometimes...

I'm not sure if Bob Rae owns a red shirt or a white cap, but he does have the same problem. Bob came in and tried to reinvent himself as the Federal Liberal leader. In the end, he had too much baggage from a previous lifetime to overcome. First, he was introduced to the public as an NDPer, and wore that brand for many many years. Second, he was perceived as a horrible premiere of Ontario, paving the way for Mike Harris to arrive, and cut spending unmercifully. Rae had too much to overcome, but give him his due, many were willing to accept him despite all this history. Just not enough.

All this, plus the deal that Gerard Kennedy made with Dion at the beginning of the convention (namely whoever finish fourth after the second vote, would come over and bring as many of their followers as possble) paved the way for Dion.

I have a lot of time for Dion. There is much sincerity, depth and vision in this man. There is also integrity, which cannot be manufactured. Stephen Harper has many of these same characteristics albeit from a different political sphere. I'm looking forward to the debates that the next election will bring forward, with their contrasting views of what Canada should be.

May be the best vision for the country win!