Monday, April 30, 2012

Where's Waldo

Bruce Anderson articulates well the challenges we Liberals face moving forward.  The very last line sums up nicely the predicament
The choices the Liberals make over the next few months may alter the course of Canadian politics, for decades to come.
Simple, obvious and stark. There is only one "event" on the horizon that can impact future fortunes in a seismic way. Many Liberals rail at the notion of leadership as premium, "leaderitis", looking for the next "messiah", relevant concerns given the PAST, but truly not grasping certain realities TODAY. Liberals need to rebuild the party from the ground up, nuts and bolts, not waiting for a saviour to come down the mount and make our problems vanish. As well, Liberals need to "find who we are", as though a loosely binding party meandering aimlessly can possibly find that. No, you need a vessel at this stage, you needs someone that can galvanize like minded ideas, spirit, direction and articulate with inputs, with boots on the ground, you need a carrier. This leadership allows Liberals a timely potential invitation to reach beyond our base, have someone resonate with the general public as opposed to narrow glad handing that is particularly apparent within this party. I am looking outside the box for that inspiration, that person or team that has the capacity to truly alter the landscape. Keeping it real, anything less and Liberals really are "walking dead", not only do we have to defeat Harper, we now have to convince Canadians to BYPASS the next logical option, the NDP, a long odds endeavour, no question about it. No offence, Dominic Leblanc is not even a consideration. Ditto a man I respect greatly, Marc Garneau. How Bob Rae becomes the beacon of the new Liberal brand forever escapes me, it's never on in my mind, despite the eloquence and grace that he brings. I've heard other names mentioned, one's Liberals have heard before, none of which truly strike me as having the capacity to bring what is necessary, almost revolutionary to be honest. In other words, the early floatings I've heard, talk of "Bay Street" lawyer types scouring ranks, none of that strikes me as quite digesting the task at hand. I'll be looking at every city council, every community organizer, every distinguished local citizen, anyone armed with ideas that make you turn your head. I'll be looking for that organic outsider, a true populist without the polished political jargon, someone who articulates PRACTICALITIES. someone who has the capacity to obliterate all the stale notions you have about the Liberal Party of Canada. I have no idea who that person is quite yet, a tall order for sure, but finding him/her, I think history will show that Anderson's last sentence musing was spot on.

3 comments:

WesternGrit said...

I think you make some very strong points.

Jerry Prager said...

There are three very long years of Harper incompetence to endure, so you may as well let Muclair thrash around ineffectually for another year before the party needs to start worrying. Not that I think a full time leader is unimportant, but let's have a full blown idea fest first.

Brad Dillman said...

A lot can change in the last week of an election campaign. Anything can happen. Ask Ignatieff. Or Danielle Smith.

Who knows, maybe a year from now you could ask President Romney.