Thursday, September 27, 2012

Is Justin Trudeau the long awaited Anti-Harper?


Justin Trudeau and Justin Bieber have more in common than just a first name.

Both guys are also adored by legions of love struck fans.

Except in the case of Bieber the fans are teenage girls, whereas for Trudeau they are the Canadian media.

I mean come on, ever since Trudeau started musing about running for the Liberal leadership, the media has gone completely ga ga over the guy. Coverage has ranged from fawning to ridiculously fawning.

Why is this the case? Why is the media so smitten with a Liberal MP who, let’s face it, has not really accomplished all that much in his short career as a politician.

Well the obvious reason is that Trudeau’s last name carries with it a certain mystique. Media types remember with a nostalgic fondness the reign of his father, PierreCanada’s last Philosopher King.

But the media’s adoration of Justin is about more than just his father’s legacy.

It also has to do with the media’s disdain for Prime Minister Stephen Harper. And yes, believe it or not,  many media-types just don’t like Harper. Partly it's because they view him as a conservative, but they also don’t like his tough-guy, antagonistic leadership style. Plus, truth be told, Harper has not exactly done much to endear himself with the press.Quite the opposite, in fact.

At any rate, for a long time the media has been desperately seeking an “Anti-Harper”, and Trudeau  fits the bill perfectly. He is the Ying, to Harper’s Yang; the zig to Harper’s zag; the Abbott to Harper’s Costello.

Just think about it.

Harper is a somber, dull, middle-aged, policy wonk – Trudeau is youthful,  full of fun and does zany things like beat up Senators in a boxing ring.

Harper is seen as a ruthless, cynic – Trudeau is seen as an emotional idealist.

Harper is from the Alberta outlands --- Trudeau is from cosmopolitan Montreal.

Harper has a piercing, glaring stare --- Trudeau has a charming smile and a great mane of hair.

Harper is coldly calculating --- Trudeau is spontaneous and passionate.

Harper is boring --- Trudeau emits radiant beams of charisma.

In other words, for the Canadian media Trudeau is simply too dreamy to resist.

Mind you, if “Trudeau the Adorable” fails to overcome the Harperian Ogre, the media will quickly turn on him just like they turned on their former darlings, Stephane Dion and Michael Ignatieff.

In the meantime, however, I just wish the media and Trudeau would get a room.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Gods, yes! "Get a room", please!

Plus both Mulcair and Harper will make mincemeat out of the wooly platitudinous ramblings of the pretty boy.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Really? It's the media's fault? Is the same media that overwhelmingly supported your boy Harper? Still riding that fallacious Liberal-media meme?

How disingenuous.

Grow up and grow a set.

Unknown said...

Gods, yes! "Get a room", indeed.

The Liberals have a ton of real work work to do to return. They have to establish their raison d'ĂȘtre in the current world, where the Conservatives touch the NDP at the centre mark. They have to build 338 riding associations and get their ground game together. They have to have real grassroots, not the "supporter" nonsense. They need provincial ties that are meaningful. Finances must be fixed — both revenue and expenses. Policy must be integrated and built out as more than a wish list of bullet points.

Can you see any of that with pretty boy — because I can't. That makes Justinmania a ticket to oblivion.

Anonymous said...

The only people in love with him are from Quebec and the media making him out to be a hero slot of Canadians are not in love with his father either! Fact is some people blame Trudeau for ruining Canada with his open door immigration.As we can see in the GTA there is no assimilation!

Dennis said...

At least Trudeau the elder was motivated by some clearly articulated set of ideas, however repugnant and virulently leftist they were. Junior, as far as I can tell, hasn't got an idea of his own on any substantive issue. He reminds me of Belinda Stronach.

Anonymous said...

Harper is the worst PM ever. Here's hoping he quits politics before Canada is completely destroyed beyond repair. I'd vote for any candidate including Trudeau if they had a chance at defeating King Stephen.