Liberals bask in the glow of Justin's entry to the race

So far, the race for the Liberal leadership has been about as enthralling as sitting around the dentist's office awaiting your turn for a root canal.

There's been previous little in the way of developments, the list of names of the contenders has been rather sparse and the one name most figured at least had some resonance of sorts was Bob Rea, who promptly announced he had decided against the idea after all.

So, as September moved into October with the spotlight awaiting someone to step into it, one of the most famous of Liberal surnames finally went from the whisper stage to a full fledged campaign.

Justin Trudeau took to the stage in Montreal on October 2nd and proclaimed that he was ready and willing to seek the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada, home of a weather beaten cape that has had little resonance over the last number of years.
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The rebuilding of the brand is seemingly taking baby steps since the demise of Stephane Dion's agenda, still it seems reeling from the last election which sent the Liberals to the uncharted lands of third party status, a social step down that few Liberals it seems were ready for.

With Bob Rae stepping aside earlier this year, the march of the Liberals has provided for a list of names of potential candidates that seem but known only to the inner circle of the Liberal caucus.

Now with the arrival of Justin Trudeau's campaign, the recognition factor has jumped ten fold, good for the Liberal brand we imagine and perhaps enough to spur on other Liberal names to take to a campaign.

Needless to say, the arrival of the new generation of Trudeau's to the Liberal leadership quest has provided for much in the way of publicity. We're not sure if Mr. Trudeau is yet ready for the big step towards leadership and possibly governance, the jury of course still is out on that prospect.

But for the moment at least, people are talking about the Liberal party and not in that quaint kind of way of what once was, which two weeks ago wasn't something that happened with much regularity.

Now the hard work begins for the Liberals, will they seek to have a real debate over their future and seek out a number of would be leaders to shape that future?

Or will they just surrender to the latest  modern wave of Trudeaumania v 2.0 ? Turning the keys over to the new guy and ride some coat tails towards an eventual showdown with the NDP and the Conservatives.

The new adventure for Liberals is underway, a fascinating bit of theatre that could either bring them back from the depths of popular opinion.

Or herald perhaps, that indeed the party of the Canada's historic past, will remain just that.

Some of the reviews of the Trudeau launch can be found below.

Globe and Mail-- Come election time, everyone loves the middle class
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau explains why he seeks Liberal leadership
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau shares his vision for Liberal Party
Globe and Mail-- The best thing for Liberals? Someone to take on Trudeau for party leadership
Globe and Mail-- Liberal Party needs a leadership race, not a coronation
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau grapples with his 'authenticity' as the race begins
Globe and Mail-- Can Trudeau win the Liberal leadership?
Globe and Mail-- On day of LeBlanc endorsement, poll shows Trudeau could recreate Liberals
Globe and Mail-- Former PM Mulroney: Underestimate Justin Trudeau at your own peril
Globe and Mail-- Liberal leadership race stirs to life as Trudeau heads from West to East
Globe and Mail-- Star power, yes, but what does Justin Trudeau stand for?
Globe and Mail-- Trudeau's vision for Liberals high on ambition, short on firm answers
Globe and Mail-- Trudeau seeks to rebuild Liberal party - starting in Alberta
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau's mission is to shake up the system
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau's success grounded in hard work
Globe and Mail-- Trudeau family brand coming to the fore in Liberal leadership race
Globe and Mail-- Justin Trudeau as leader is the Liberals' best and worst hope
Globe and Mail-- If Trudeau leads, will Liberals follow?
Globe and Mail-- Why Justin Trudeau's passion for politics may not be enough
National Post-- Justin Trudeau vows not to use West's resources as 'wedge' ...
National Post-- Tories fear Justin Trudeau's drawing power could create Obama-like surge
National Post-- Trudeau's strategy aims to recapture Canadian values
National Post-- It's time to 'write a new chapter': Justin Trudeau lays out plan to follow father's footsteps
National Post-- 'My friends, we will do better': Justin Trudeau confirms bid to lead federal Liberals
National Post-- Justin Trudeau looking to the West (and the middle class) for Liberal success
National Post-- The son is not the father and the future is not buried in the past
National Post-- Liberal challenge will be to inject substance in Justin the rock star
National Post-- Dear Media, will you and Justin get a room, please?
National Post-- Post approved campaign posters, slogans for Justin Trudeau's leadership bid
National Post-- Smiling Justin's leadership challenge
National Post-- Justin Trudeau's path to PM (if it exists at all) goes straight through Quebec
National Post-- Justin Trudeau's leadership bid could turn campaign into coronation...
Toronto Sun-- Justin, Justin and more Justin Trudeau
Toronto Sun-- Justin Trudeau shows Liberals haunted by Ghost of Glories Past
Toronto Sun-- Justin Trudeau makes Liberal leadership bid official
Toronto Sun-- Justin Trudeau: The Millennial candidate?
Toronto Sun-- Trudeaumania relapse should have us looking for remedy
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau coverage is giving readers what they want: Delacourt
Toronto Star-- Here's how the Liberals can make the old new again
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau, Barack Obama and the return of class-based politics
Toronto Star-- Did Justin Trudeau's coming-out speech satisfy expectations?
Toronto Star-- Canadians not satisfied with Tory government
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau: Northern Gateway pipeline not a 'good idea'
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau's fairy tale bid for Liberal leadership needs a big bad wolf
Toronto Star-- Liberal leadership candidates step aside for Justin Trudeau
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau's famous name may help him in Liberal leadership race, but not in Quebec
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau and a brief history of political coronations
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau ready to step into his father's shoes
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau officially launches Liberal leadership campaign
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau launches Liberal leadership campaign in cross-Canada tour
Toronto Star-- Justin Trudeau and the shape of things to come
CBC-- Justin Trudeau's leadership bid backed by LeBlanc
CBC-- How will Justin Trudeau contend with his father's legacy?
CBC-- Justin Trudeau shouldn't be underestimated, Mulroney says
CBC-- Can Justin Trudeau save the Liberals?
CBC-- Justin Trudeau can fill a room but can he win an election?
CBC-- Justin Trudeau to run for Liberal leadership
CBC-- Justin Trudeau seeks 'new chapter' for Liberal Party
CBC-- Cross Country check up: Does Justin Trudeau owe his appeal to celebrity or a new direction...

US Debate leaves comedy writers working Overtime

Wednesday nights' Presidential debate in the USA has provided a treasure trove of comedic material for the various late night comedians, all of whom no doubt tasked their writing staff to make much comedy hay out of the night's developments.

Some of their work revolved around poor Jim Lehrer, who hauled his butt out of debate retirement to tackle one more gab session between politicians, no doubt wishing he'd stayed home by the time it was all over.

Mr. Lehrer as respected as  he is, quickly seemed to take on the role of Grampa at Sunday dinner, sitting at the head of the table trying to get a word in edgewise to the conversation, only to be totally and completely ignored.

It was not at all how we imagine he thought the structure of the debate would go, as the night moved forward he appeared to have all the resonance of a substitute teacher in a class run amok.

However, the main focus of the late night take on the debate has been the less than forceful performance of President Obama, a man who as we have seen in the past is given to great oratory, but on Wednesday seemingly adopted the role of less than attentive pupil to Professor Romney's lecture series.

The President missed many an opportunity to rebut some of his Republican competitors talking points, or deliver a powerful defence of his four years in office thus far, even his staunchest supporters in the media (hello MSNBC) felt that he was dis-engaged from the entire night's production.

The cable news networks of course had the wall to wall coverage of the night that we have come to expect these days.

As mentioned MSNBC post debate had the aura of a wake, CNN that of a cocktail party where the booze has run out and over at FOX, well HOLA, Hoochie coochie Coo, it was though a party scene from Animal House, such was their joy at the Romney performance.
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Still, the real barometer of success these days in the US seems to be how the late night comedians review the political developments.

In this multi channel universe, with Netflix, Apple TV and oh so many other distractions, we are thankful that the folks at Mediate take the time to provide the Best of collections of the late night shows.

Below some of their submissions from the Comedy Review of Debate Night in America.

The Daily Show
Stewart: 'Deeply Divided Nation' Has Agreed on Something - Obama's Debate Performance Sucked

Late Night with David Letterman
David Letterman presents Obama's Top Ten Excuses for his Lacklustre Debate Performance

The Colbert Report
Stephen Colbert Feasts Off Chris Matthews' Impotent Rage

Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon Shows Candidates Ganging Up On Jim Lehrer: "Jim, Shut the F**k Up"

Conan
Conan Shows Us Why Big Bird is No Match for Mitt Romney

Of course all of this is but a preamble to Saturday Night, where the folks at Saturday Night Live no doubt with a few days extra to work with will provide a most enjoyable review of Wednesday night.

Though we imagine that Mr. Lehrer, perhaps should take the advice of  the twitter universe, where more than one contributor suggested that he NOT turn on his television at 1135 on Saturday night.

We imagine that may be sage advice...

Scorching the earth with Christy Clark

British Columbia Premier Christy Clark has left more than a few political observers shaking their heads with her rather pugnacious debate with her counterpart Alison Redford of Alberta, the two Premiers clearly at polar opposites on the nature of transporting Alberta's resources to a port, any port in British Columbia.

Ms. Clark, spent about fifteen minutes with Madame Redford on Tuesday, exiting her session with the Alberta Premier to declare that the reception and discussion was "frosty and very short", hardly enough time we imagine to go over Premier Clark's five conditions for support.

One can't imagine why, as Ms. Clark has seemingly gone out of her way to poke the Alberta bear repeatedly over what it is going to take to move oil or bitumen through BC towards those thirsty Asian markets.

In fact, when your opening line to the conversation is to declare that there is no way that British Columbia will support this proposal, well, there's not more to ask one imagines than to wonder when the Premier's plane is scheduled to depart.

With Premier Clark seemingly giving an eye towards Alberta Royalties, or at least not reassuring her Alberta counterpart that those monies are not on her radar, the Albertan's will no doubt be rather suspicious of the BC Premier's motives and her veiled threats.

The current talking point seems to be that Premier Clark, aware of just how unpopular the Northern Gateway proposal is at the moment, is using that as a political tool, no doubt hoping to pick up votes from those in the regions impacted most.

The problem is, as more than a few political observers have noted is that the Premier doesn't seem particularly consistent on the whole pipeline discussion (such as it is), one day she rules out a provincial tax on the pipeline in BC, the next she gives thought to consideration of it.

It's no wonder that the Premier of Alberta is tad confused over where her would be partner in pipeline development is from day to day.

The use of the pipeline and the movement of resources to world markets as a political tool, probably isn't going to win the BC Premier any fans east of the Rocky Mountains, but with a government that is dwindling in popularity by the day, it may be her last gasp gambit to reverse the BC Liberals woeful polling status of late.

Nation building this clearly isn't, bringing the relations between the two normally friendly western provinces to the point of open hostility.

But in politics, desperate politicians will lay waste to much in a bid to keep office, in the case of the Premier, even wrapping herself in an environmental and parochial flag may not be enough to stave of electoral defeat in May of next year.

One thing is certain, while she doesn't have a vote, we imagine that Premier Redford will be watching the BC election results quite carefully next year, anxious to find someone in Victoria more inclined towards conversation rather than opportunism. Leaving the cause of good neighbours to the post election period we imagine, providing Alberta hasn't built a fence by that time.

She clearly won't find much relief on the Northern Gateway file from NDP leader Adrian Dix, who would appear to not be the biggest booster of the Northern Gateway proposals, though, to his credit, Dix is not quite as belligerent as his Liberal counterpart in the province is.

The NDP leader may not be inclined to the snarky back and forth, but we suspect that any Gateway plans through Northern BC will be off the table for the NDP, regardless of any incentives from the other side of the mountains.

There is however a leader to the east, one steeped in the left of the political spectrum hat may offer a transit point for Alberta oil.

Interestingly enough, NDP and Official Opposition Leader Thomas Mulcair is waving a flag at Alberta suggesting that Redford take her Alberta resources east, a project that would provide revenue for Alberta and keep their royalties in place as they are .

It also may just offer her some time to sort things out on her relationship with BC, that while her neighbours to the west figure out where they want to be when it comes to resource development and the transportation of it.



Vancouver Province-- Clark's handling of pipeline debate not convincing voters
Vancouver Province-- Premier Clark picks another fight over Alberta pipeline
Vancouver Sun-- Clark would do well not to take natural gas plans to the bank
Vancouver Sun-- Clark's ever-more-ambitious natural gas plans bump up against discouraging reality
Vancouver Sun-- Christy Clark continues to press for revenue from Northern Gateway pipeline
Vancouver Sun-- Pipeline impasse remains after Clark, Redford hold 'frosty' meeting
Vancouver Sun-- Northern Gateway hit from all sides
Globe and Mail-- You heard it here: Northern Gateway's dead
Globe and Mail-- 'Frosty' meeting between Clark and Redford
Globe and Mail-- The Gateway gap: B. C. and the oil patch stumble into silence
CBC-- Redford, Clark make little progress at 'frosty' meeting
Calgary Herald-- 'Chump change' remark another Christy Clark classic
Calgary Herald-- B. C. Premier calls Northern Gateway benefits 'chump change'...
Calgary Herald-- Premiers meeting on Northern Gateway pipeline turns 'frosty'
Calgary Herald-- Breaking the ice