No Justin, you do not have to listen to some cranky left-wing liberal from the boonies of Ontario. When we first met four years ago, you were as easy to read as an open book. You had a direction and you were on your way. And we wish you well. Do not get us wrong on that. You are going to be the next Prime Minister of Canada. All you have to do is keep your word and be yourself.
There are two current problems with this. The first is keeping your word to the Liberal Party about open nominations and the second is about this book that is supposed to be about you. The first item is serious and the second is silly.
The Liberal Party of Canada hardly needs Prime Minister Harper to show us how to keep our word. While we can think of more than a few reasons why Harper might want to lose Conservative Party executive director Dimitri Soudas, his being fired is Harper’s proof that he is keeping his word about open nominations. It was you Justin who got Harper into this. You promised that the Liberal Party would have open nominations and Harper was just following your lead.
The point is Justin, you are not judge and jury over who can be a Liberal candidate. The purpose of open nominations is that while you get some problems, you also get some winners. You have to let the party solve its own problems. Get out of the nomination process now before it is too late. Fire David MacNaughton in Ontario and press on.
And speaking of presses, we hear you are going to have an autobiography published this fall. Why? Did you get the idea from the Obama campaign for the presidency in the United States? Do you realize that the first three copies of your book sold are going to go to some very good researchers from the Conservative Party? They will tear apart every word in that book to use against you. Unless it is just a coffee table book full of family pictures, it is guaranteed to give you more headaches than votes.
Another Canadian politician who has tried this approach recently is former Member of Parliament Olivia Chow. She is using it for her campaign for Mayor of Toronto. Her book will be on the remainders shelves before the Toronto election. So will yours.
Despite the shallowness of their books, Barack Obama and Olivia Chow had objectives for them. Olivia had a family story of coming to Toronto. Barack had the struggles of an educated black man working in South Chicago where racial tensions can often run higher than in Alabama. Nobody needs to hear how tough it is to be born at 24 Sussex Drive.
-30-
Copyright 2014 © Peter Lowry
Complaints, comments, criticisms and compliments can be sent to [email protected]