The Liberal Candidate

Yes, 'the' Liberal candidate. There will be others than merely he, but rest assured it is he and he alone who is 'the' candidate and who most certainly will prevail when the April 30 convention is convened in Vancouver, and where in excess of 8,000 delegates will appear representing Canada's 308 federal ridings. He is the current darling of the Liberal caucus. Champing at the leadership-aspiration bit.

We won't even mention the costs involved; two such leadership conventions in so short a time. The paucity of funds in the Liberal machine's war chest. Donations somehow dried up, wonder why? Previous leadership candidates' run for the candidacy still not entirely paid up. Above all, the sorry organizational state of the party. Not to mention the low level of support among the voting public.

Little wonder, given the ineptitude and the corruption that marked the last Liberal-led governments. Canadians only too happy to see the last of the arrogant self-availing of Jean Chretien and the many manifestations of his vulgarity as a street fighter. Not to mention his penchant for entitling himself and his cronies and party faithful to the sty of lucrative self-help.

But there he is, the grandiloquent, effusively intellectual Michael Ignatieff, bored with spreading his cerebral largess on the international scene. Home at long last, to honour Canada with his distinguished presence. Somehow, we liked him so much better through his long sojourn in England, writing impeccable prose. And admired his academic achievements in America. Another absent Canadian.

Did we ask him to relent and infuse this country with the brightness of his vision? He must have heard a call that we weren't aware having dialled. And there he is, with a "burning desire" to defeat Stephen Harper and his Conservative government. He is a forgiving man, he is resilient, he doesn't blame people for their initial lack of enthusiasm with his martyrdom of his career for the good of this country.

But, he's paid his dues, traded off two years in the purgatory of the opposition benches in the House of Commons, for the unfortunately untidy thirty years' absence from the country. And he's all ours, isn't that grand? Every slickly evanescent inch of him, and there's a lot of inches. Canada is the classroom and he the benevolent professor.

His loftily avuncular indulgence of our mass ignorance about what's best for this country can be forgiven; Canadians are, after all, such a dull, moronic lot. We are accustomed to arrogance and patronization, and he's a master at both. We should be very happy together. Above all, he promises to save us from the misrule of the Conservatives.

And how strange it is, for after several years of Conservative rule, we kind of like the person who Prime Minister Stephen Harper is. We've learned to trust his good judgement, his obvious integrity, his intelligence and humanity. In all of which areas he is severely lacking, according to Mr. Ignatieff, who promises to provide all of the above in good measure when he assumes the helm.

"I'm in this not because of me but if we can create a new generation of leaders it would be good for the party, good for democracy..." avers Mr. Ignatieff modestly. It obviously has not occurred to this man that the new generation of leaders has materialized, and one of the best in recent memory is currently residing in Parliament, and he's been very, very good for democracy.

And, of course, for Canada.