Ignatieff The American

[capricorn]

It would serve Ignatieff to bring in new people whenever he can to make sure that the culture in the office of the leader is geared to less cynical behaviour than what it eventually got to in the 1990s.

I don't know how much grief his aide Warren Kinsella causes Ignatieff. Media coverage surrounding Kinsella has not been very good lately and Ignatieff doesn't need that type of distraction from his rebuilding efforts.

[capricorn]

I think the Tories will be judged on their performance with the economy in this year. If things turn around, they will likely win. If they don't, they will have a hard time maintaining their hold on power now that the Liberals have removed their unpopular leader.

I also think bad news re the US economy won't help matters for Harper.

[jdobbin]

I don't know how much grief his aide Warren Kinsella causes Ignatieff. Media coverage surrounding Kinsella has not been very good lately and Ignatieff doesn't need that type of distraction from his rebuilding efforts.

Certainly Kinsella knows how to go for the partisan throat. I think Ignatieff will need competent policy advisers but given what we have seen of Harper's style in past years, he should have someone like a Kinsella around to fight back.

Dion was an easy target for Harper. There was no one in Dion's office capable of cutting the legs out from an attack or developing a devastating frontal attack of their own.

If Harper feels he has to tone it down, Kinsella's role will be diminished insofar as personal attacks as well.

[jdobbin]

I also think bad news re the US economy won't help matters for Harper.

That would have held true for the Liberal leader as well if the coalition had won as well.

The economy is going to make people vote one way or the other as probably the most significant deciding factor.

Edited February 25, 2009 by jdobbin

[Average Joe]

Of course I'll probably get tongue tied and slip in my drool, or at least that's what you think I'll do, right?

I just find him very fascinating as an individual and find nothing in his education or life experience that would inhibit his ability to lead this country.

:lol: Thank you for the laugh. First sentence.

I'm glad you have great admiration for the man, I wish I could say the same about anyone. As far as I am concerned all the party's and their leaders are disappointing in one way or another. Unfortunately for me Iggy doesn't pass the gut test, I don't believe he is back in this beautiful country of ours for anything more than to put another notch in his career post. Seems to be his way of doing things.

Call me cynical but I don't take any of them at face value or trust their motives. All I want is someone who will state their policies, stick to them and not change their mind because the latest poll says something is not popular. I voted on what they said they were going to do, so don't change the game after you got what you wanted. POWER. I would vote for someone repeatedly if I knew I could trust them but I guess thats why voter turn out seems to be getting lower every time, no one trusts them.

[Oleg Bach]

It's all about the principle of service. We need and want someone to serve that nation. Cut throat careerists and opportunists do not make for good public servants. Ignateiff is firstly an acedemic - His first motivation is like that of a school boy - to please the teacher and impress his peers. It is really a shallow way of looking at the world - but what do you expect out of the typically institutionalized individual? He is a systems man - and the product of that system - and now the system is broken...he will never admit to that...That all he worked for and achieved amounts to nothing but a hill of beans. We need someone who can grasp the big picture and when doing so will say ----------hey that part is not right and that part does not work...acedemics are an arrogant ignorant bunch.

[Progressive Tory]

Ignateiff is firstly an acedemic - His first motivation is like that of a school boy - to please the teacher and impress his peers. It is really a shallow way of looking at the world - We need someone who can grasp the big picture and when doing so will say ----------hey that part is not right and that part does not work...acedemics are an arrogant ignorant bunch.

People have the wrong idea. Ignatieff is secondarily a teacher. He is first and foremost a journalist, author, documentary filmmaker and scholar. He was invited to teach and head up programs focusing mostly on human rights issues. He was a good candidate for this job, not just because he obtained a PhD from Harvard, but because his career took him all over the world, primarily in wartorn countries where he engaged in conversation with poltical leaders, warlords, soldiers and peasants.

He witnessed firsthand the atrocities inflicted on humanity and earned respect from his peers; as well as many awards. He has been a guest lecturer and visiting professor around the world, including the University of Paris.

The teaching came about because of his life experience. It was not his first career choice though I doubt Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard solicited his services because he was one of of an 'arrogant ignorant bunch'.