Sunday, December 26, 2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Brief interlude before I lay down upon my dreamy Trudeau pillow, and start my Boxing Day movie marathon in the AM. Once again it seems the media didn't get the answer they wanted the first time to a question of their own making, so they ask and ask and ask (and ask!) again and again and again...

. . .

Remember when the media kept pushing relentlessly for an election, and Trudeau said there would be no election, so they kept asking him when there would be an election, and then he called their bluff and gave them an election, and they all howled HOW COULD HE CALL AN ELECTION?!?!?!?

Well. It seems they're not satisfied with his answer on if he'll run again, so they've decided in so many words and in multiple outlets to ask if he'll run again.
 
Spoiler alert:


But... just for nostalgia purposes, let's hearken back to Tonda MacCharles' question the day of the cabinet announcement (where, it should be noted, she just carried on the same line of questioning her colleagues bombarded him with right as the election was called):

Flash forward to Nik Nanos in the Hill Times for some malaka malarkey pundit speculation:

Trudeau said, in his interview with [Susan] Delacourt of The Toronto Star, that he didn’t want to talk about his “legacy,” and instead wanted to focus on what he will be doing for the next “months and years.” But Nanos indicated that Trudeau could be orienting Freeland, who has been given the informal title of “Minister of Everything” by some political commentators, to replace him as leader.

“The level of latitude that Trudeau has provided her is more than many other prime ministers, and people are trying to read into whether that means anything or not,” Nanos said. “It could just be that he trusts Minister Freeland and is happy to give her more responsibilities, or the other interpretation could be that he may be setting the stage for a personal transition at some point.”

Nik might want to confer with his buddy Evan at CTV. Maybe buy some Greek art while he's at it.

 
Seems clear enough.
 
But just to be sure, let's seek out a second (third? fourth?) opinion.
 
Michael Harris, also in The Hill Times:
There is restlessness amongst his elves. They are uneasy about his reticence to stand up to Quebec’s Bill-21. They fret about inflation driven by the government’s massive spending on COVID, particularly with Omicron now on the scene, and the prospect of even more major spending it poses. So don’t be surprised if, ever so gingerly, the Liberals start looking around for the Next One.

OK, the Liberals did some looking. Here's the answer they came up with:

So the Liberals have qualms about Quebec. Time to anoint The Next One from Uni-Rose, right?

Geoff Russ, same paper.

Nobody from the smaller Quebec-wing of the Liberal Party seems able to challenge Freeland. ... [But] history has been unkind to Liberal leaders who don’t represent Quebec. 1965 was the last time a Liberal leader who did not represent a Quebec riding won a federal election. John Turner and Michael Ignatieff were the last two leaders from outside Quebec. Both oversaw fatal drops in Liberal support in Quebec that doomed the party. Calling their tenures unsuccessful is charitable. Freeland is the MP for Toronto’s University-Rosedale riding and would have to break this trend.

Only 35 of the 160 Liberal MPs hail from Quebec and the party is becoming increasingly reliant on the GTA to hold onto power, let alone win a majority. The Liberals will not win 170 seats again without stronger showings in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada.

Well, OK then. Maybe the Liberals should run a Quebecer next election. Who's available?

Sigh. Is it just me or does all this wild speculation seem a bit.. aimless?

Susan Riley, same paper.

If he wasn’t another straight, white man from Montreal — red-headed, even! — Marc Miller, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, could be a leading contender to replace his friend Justin Trudeau one day. Not that the prime minister is going anywhere.

That said, Miller’s leadership ambitions, if they even exist, exist primarily in the realm of idle speculation, particularly since Trudeau’s successor has already been anointed by many Liberals and media: Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. She is formidably accomplished, trusted with important files that are seen as a prelude to promotion — U.S. relations in the Trump years and now finance. She obviously has the confidence of the prime minister and his entourage.

Another potential contender — at least in the fervid imagination of journalists writing year-end columns — is National Defence Minister Anita Anand. An impressive newcomer to politics after a successful career in law and academia, Anand won public gratitude for her efforts during the pandemic as procurement minister. Anand is a no-nonsense communicator who usually avoids cringeworthy boasting about her government’s accomplishments, and doesn’t waste much time responding to unserious criticisms from across the aisle. She comes across as mature, smart, and down-to-earth.

What this idle musing fails to take into account, of course, is whether Anand, or any other of the prime suspects, would be remotely interested in the top job. It can be massively disruptive to a person’s health, family life, and — especially for women — sense of personal safety.

Not that Justin Trudeau is going anywhere. So, really, case closed.

But wait — do we really know if Justin Trudeau is going anywhere? I say we open the cold case!

 
That should settle it, right?
 
Well, at least until the media has their next flare-up of idle boredom.
 
In which case maybe they should ask one of their "Liberal insiders" who knows the deal.

Anyone willing to go on the record? One more time now, louder for those in the back...

Can Trudeau beat Harper again?

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About (er, Aboot, eh)

The world needs more Canada. Especially the elephant in the bed. I'm an American observer peeking over the hedge, writing about Canadian politics and culture — including foreign relations with its nearest (and most unpredictable) neighbour — from my unlucky perch south of the 49th parallel.

Frequent Former (for now?) commenter at Wonkette (as the Girl Guide, resident south-of-the-border Trudeau stan) and as Jackie at Simon's blog.

Unapologetic supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada and Team Trudeau (aka the "Tru Grits"), and the Democratic Party USA. (Yes, unapologetic. I'll never say soory for that.)

Proud "Liberal Psycho," according to irascible Maclean's douchebag Stephen Maher, the other political white guy named Maher as annoying and abusive as Bill. Honoured to be a member of Jake Tapper's TruAnon.

I also write The Canadian Fishwrap Project, a media criticism blog. The #CdnMediaFailed, so I'mma keep calling 'em out.

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