Saturday, November 25, 2006

Trudeau Endorses Kennedy

Judge for yourself how much it's worth but, man, did it ever feel good to write that post title down.


Trudeau endorses Kennedy's leadership bid
MURRAY CAMPBELL
From Saturday's Globe and Mail


Justin Trudeau is endorsing Gerard Kennedy in the race for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party.

The son of former prime minister Pierre Trudeau said yesterday that he believes the former Ontario cabinet minister offers the best chance for a genuine renewal of the party that will move it closer to grassroots members.

“To my mind, Gerard represents the best chance for creating genuine solutions to appeal to all Canadians,” Mr. Trudeau said in a telephone interview from Calgary.

In recent weeks, Mr. Trudeau, 34, has suggested that front-runner Michael Ignatieff doesn't have the “wisdom” necessary to be the best Liberal leader and said he doesn't think that Bob Rae “has the great vision necessary.”

He had suggested that he was wavering between Mr. Kennedy and former Liberal cabinet minister Stéphane Dion. He attended an event in Montreal last Tuesday at which Mr. Kennedy spoke about renewing the party.

Mr. Trudeau said he's concluded that the Liberal Party has become dominated by its backroom and by non-elected officials, and that it is not enough simply for the party to change leaders or tinker with its policies.

“This has been a party that has drifted away from the grassroots toward the corporate donorship that has always worked but no longer works in Canada right now,” he said. “We need to be really brave about taking a fresh look and listening to people and sharing the power and the privilege of power that the Canadian people keeps granting the Liberal Party.”

He said he had talked to the top candidates and found them to be decent people but said that the party needs bold leadership and “there is really one choice and that's Gerard.”

Mr. Kennedy said he was delighted to receive Mr. Trudeau's endorsement but he was careful to play down its impact.

“I'm very pleased to have the endorsement that Justin Trudeau provides but I also look at it as the Justin endorsement, not necessarily the Trudeau [endorsement], where some of his high profile comes from.”

Nevertheless, Mr. Kennedy, who goes to Montreal in third place in delegate support, is hoping that the endorsement by the son of the former prime minister will boost the profile of his campaign.

“I don't overestimate — and I don't think Justin Trudeau does either — that the whole campaign will hinge on this, but I do think that what it will hinge on is just a sense that there's a little bit of an underestimated campaign in terms of what we've been bringing and this is our chance to get it into focus,” he said in an interview.

“It's mainly what I do but this is a help toward that.”

Mr. Trudeau has observer status at the convention but is hopeful that “backfilling” a delegate vacancy would allow him to vote.

18 Comments:

  • I think they share similar views on grassroots politics and renewal. I also think this should be good for a little spotlight in a time when he's being largely ignored. Good on both counts. Not momentus, but a positive.

    By Blogger Shawn, at 5:19 a.m.  

  • He doesnt have to run you know

    All he needs to be is the son of trudeau and he expects a delegate spot will just appaear for him...

    this is maddening sometimes...

    Sorry CGrit, but I am sure you understand why some may say this is hardly grassroots and party renewal...

    By Blogger Anthony, at 7:16 a.m.  

  • The last thing this Party needs is another Trudeau poking around in the works. Trudeau's involvement is a step backwards in terms of real renewal. I just wish he'd shut up and go away. Unfortunately, I think there are enough "Trudeaumania" folks left in the Party that he will probably be in the leadership race next time around.

    By Blogger Intcord, at 8:32 a.m.  

  • Great news! Practically, I'm not sure how much Trudeau's support manifests into delegates, but appearance wise this is gold for Kennedy. Heading into the convention, it is imperative that Kennedy look viable, as opposed to simple kingmaker. An endorsement such as this, right before the convention, shows that people are still moving to the darkhorse campaign. Psychologically, people may see Kennedy as a more credible second choice, because it is simply counter-intuitive to believe someone would endorse a lost cause.

    On another vein, Trudeau's endorsement further solidifies the notion that the Kennedy Liberals are the future of the party, and the only ones interested in true reform beyond the easy soundbites.

    By Blogger Steve V, at 10:37 a.m.  

  • Seeing as how justin is clearly against ignatieff's 'bend over for quebec separatists' strategy, i say good for kennedy.

    By Blogger propatria, at 11:41 a.m.  

  • steve v wrote: "Trudeau's endorsement further solidifies the notion that the Kennedy Liberals are the future of the party"

    The irony is delicious. The future of the party, by aligning to a name of the past.

    Cheers,
    lance

    By Blogger lance, at 11:42 a.m.  

  • Justin strikes me as even more of a dilletante than his father... Also, I'm surprised Kennedy doesn't use this opportunity to take a strong anti-nation line. He would be the only candidate taking such a position, and won't lose any Quebec support, because he doesn't have any.

    By Blogger french wedding cat, at 11:46 a.m.  

  • lance

    You did actually read the reasoning behind backing Kennedy, or did you stop at the last name?

    By Blogger Steve V, at 12:32 p.m.  

  • I'm starting to think Kennedy will shock everyone and place second on the first ballot, thereby killing Dion's chances.

    By Blogger Concerned YL, at 12:40 p.m.  

  • It's funny how all the boo-birds come out when their candidate doesn't get an endorsement.

    They are usually the first ones to be cheering and taunting momentum when their candidate does gets an endorsement.

    A Quebecer more known than most of the endorsements I have seen from Quebec. Good for Gerard!

    MississaugaPeter

    By Blogger Peter, at 12:45 p.m.  

  • So the son of the man who killed distinct society for Quebec and who himself speaks out against accepting Quebec as a nation endorses a man who can't speak French fluently. What a great plan for making the Liberals relevent in Quebec again.

    By Blogger nuna d. above, at 2:17 p.m.  

  • Oh please. Kennedy speaks French well and will only get better.

    He is a breath of fresh air for Quebecers and Canadians. There is room for every Liberal in a Party led by Kennedy.

    By Blogger Liberals unite, at 2:54 p.m.  

  • If the Desmarais's can have a horse, and the Davey's can have a horse, I don't see why the Trudeau's can't have a horse.

    Think French/English alternation had anything to do with Trudeau's decision?

    Think picking one of the non-establishment candidates had anything to do with it?

    Mirror, mirror on the wall...

    Think how Belinda must be feeling to discover that she will never be the fairest of them all.

    FWIW: I hoping for Dion. (I paid my $10 and voted for MHF...somebody had to.) Kennedy is next best.

    FWIW: If Rae or Iggy win, I might slit my wrists...I will certainly slide into a deep depression.

    FWIW: I think Sacha is the more interesting Trudeau.

    FWIW: I'm surprised by the hostility and envy amongst Liberals that the Trudeau's generate, (especially since the Trudeau's were basically minding their own business and were dragged into this race by the blunders/attacks of others.) Life isn't fair. Get used to it.

    By Blogger godot10, at 4:06 p.m.  

  • I think the hostility the trudeaus generate have something to do with which candidate that person is supporting and whether they are a liberal or not.

    By Blogger propatria, at 6:05 p.m.  

  • Belinda says..."If only he wasn't married"...ok, maybe not a constraint.

    A few days ago, also in the G&M they ran a pic of Belinda with the new do (returning to her dark roots). I'm surprised none of the letters to the editor pondered whether it was Ti -dyed (only her hairdresser knows for sure - brother Dash Domi's expertise).

    Roy MacGregor, also writing in today's G&M , had a column about Justin Trudeau , wondering "Victorious or vacuous? Airhead or future head?" http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061125.TRUDEAU25/TPStory/?query=justin

    I think Ben Mulroney and Catherine Clark should be polled first before too much weight is placed upon this endorsement. However, this may be perilous - opening up old battles between two factions - the chins and the jowls.

    By Blogger The Anonymous Green, at 7:40 p.m.  

  • propatria: "I think the hostility the trudeaus generate have something to do with which candidate that person is supporting and whether they are a liberal or not."

    I would argue that the hostility toward the Trudeaus has more to do with their father, and the reality that those "outside" the Liberal fold would crawl across broken glass to vote against any of his progeny.

    FWIW

    By Blogger Candace, at 1:20 a.m.  

  • wait...Kennedy is still running for the leadership of the Liberal party....funny...I hadn't heard anything in the press lately so I assumed he had dropped out.

    By Blogger Leny Vilekoskytch, at 10:23 a.m.  

  • For my part one and all have to go through this.

    By Anonymous muebles en alicante, at 12:59 p.m.  

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