The difference between a political party and a political movement is that a political party has a past, some structure and a future. A political movement follows the person with the best batteries in their megaphone. And it is too bad Justin Trudeau does not understand the difference.
Our Liberal prime minister has once again shown his lack of understanding of practical politics. Born into the cocoon of privilege at 22 Sussex Drive he has seen life from a different perspective than that of the hoi polio. Yes, he has had the realities of life forced on him but not in the way the rest of us worry about our future and the future of those we love. Justin Trudeau understands his ability to affect change but has failed to set timetables and goals for those profound changes he wants to affect.
He also fails to understand the role the political party can play in helping him reach those goals. He does not understand that a movement is usually something you have with your bowels. A movement is quickly forgotten. A political party exists tomorrow. It might not be all you want it to be every day, but it gives you a base.
The political party that existed across Canada when Justin was contemplating his run for the leadership might have been a shaky ship but it existed as a viable framework. It could be encouraged. It could be grown. Justin’s efforts alone added another 300,000 names to the lists.
His efforts also sparked better candidates, more party workers and more effort. And those candidates who thought they could win with social media alone were left by the wayside. The party and Justin Trudeau did a great job in the 2015 election.
And Justin Trudeau needs to recognize the effort the party made. It was the canvassers who did one more block of calls before their day ended. It was the volunteer drivers who got that last group of seniors to the polls. You never expect to win every electoral district but the effort counts.
And now he wants to screw it up. It is like when his father insisted on the slogan ‘The Land is Strong’ in the 1972 election. It left him with a minority after the sweep of 1968. Justin Trudeau needs to understand that he has more to learn from the Liberal Party than the party needs to learn from him.
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Copyright 2016 © Peter Lowry
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