What'd I Tell Ya'

Only Hepburn says it better than I did.

Lessons for Justin Trudeau from John Turner on being Liberal ‘saviour’

"Trudeau and all Liberals should study Turner’s tenure as leader closely because it provides a prime lesson into what can happen to a political party that pins its hopes for success solely on finding a “saviour.”"

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"A poll conducted last week after interim leader Bob Rae announced he would not seek the leadership placed Trudeau, who is rethinking his decision not to run, far ahead of any other potential challenger.

Back in 1984, after prime minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin’s father, announced he was retiring, the Liberals looked for a saviour, just as many party followers seem to be doing today.

In their desperation, they turned to Turner, who was seen as “a golden boy.” He was good-looking, bilingual, a former federal finance minister under Trudeau, a successful Bay Street lawyer, a Rhodes Scholar.

Despite being out of politics for almost a decade, Turner steamrolled his leadership opponents at the party’s leadership convention, easily winning on the second ballot.

Buoyed by fresh polls showing the Liberals surging ahead of the Conservatives after trailing badly for months under Trudeau, Turner called a snap election only nine days after being sworn in as prime minister.

He turned out to be a disaster.

Turner had lost all his political skills while out of office. He was seen as rusty. His campaign was a mess. He was caught on camera patting the bums of party president Iona Campagnolo and a female Quebec candidate. He had a nervous laugh and cough that grated on TV viewers. His hands trembled when he gave speeches. He was trounced in the TV debate by Tory leader Brian Mulroney. He had done nothing to prepare his headquarters team for battle.

Worst of all, he had no fresh ideas or policies to offer Canadians."

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"Since 2006 when Paul Martin stepped down, Liberals have looked to two other leaders as possible “saviours” — Stéphane Dion and Michael Ignatieff — with increasingly disastrous results.

The lesson for the Liberals from the Turner debacle is that policy and organization — not a foolish reliance on finding a messiah — are critical for the party’s long-term resurrection.

To ensure that happens, party leaders need to send a strong message in the coming weeks that the leadership contest won’t be a coronation."

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"Fed up with “saviours,” Liberals want to hear what Trudeau, who some party members consider a policy lightweight, and other possible contenders would do to rebuild from the ground up, how they plan to restore a sense of purpose to the party, and what new ideas they have to attract voters back to their side.

Ultimately, Justin Trudeau may emerge as the new leader when voting is conducted next April. If that happens, it had better be because he has developed solid, imaginative ideas, backed by a strong organizational team.

That’s because if Trudeau triumphs in what amounts to the equivalent of a coronation, then the Liberals may well be repeating their mistakes of the past — mistakes that John Turner, the golden boy of 1984, knows only too well."

The only policy ideas that would resonate with the electorate are ones that dismantle the Liberal Party Legacy. So yawn. Just wait. Pretty Boy Justin just does not have what it takes, but that, apparently, won't stop the Liberals from making him their next leader.

Clear sailing ahead, Stephen Harper. Ya' hear?