Paul Wells continues to bitchslap Michael Ignatieff around over at Inkless Wells (does Paul maybe have a mancrush on the Iggster?), but I wanted to pull out this passage from a transcript of an interview Paul posted between Iggy and the CBC’s Evan Solomon where they talk about, what else, the nation question and all things constitutional.
For background and context they're discussing Ignatieff's Quebec ideas, his feelings on constitutional reform, and how sometimes the tough things need doing...or not, or just not right away.
I’d like to assure you in advance, any appearance that Iggy is comparing himself and his leadership stylings to Pierre Elliot Trudeau in this passage is purely in your imagination. And my imagination. And the imaginations of everyone else reading it. Or watching on TV.
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Solomon: More generous than they were during the Meech Lake Accord?
Ignatieff: Never underestimate the Canadian people. Never underestimate their generosity. Never underestimate their openheartedness. Never underestimate their political courage. Remember one thing here. I was at the '68 convention where Trudeau was choosen as our leader. There wasn't a person in that room who if you'd asked them in '68 would have said that by 1982, we would have a repatriated Canadian Constitution with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The thing about politics is what seems completely impossible at one moment becomes possible later on, in conditions which we can't predict. And one of the reasons it becomes possible is we're a great people.
Solomon: Just out of interest, when he did repatriate the constitution, he did it without Quebec. In retrospect, you must think of that as a mistake.
Ignatieff: Trudeau is a huge figure in our national life and history. I'm in politics. I'm sitting here having this interview with you because of my love and respect for his legacy. But the legacy, we have to remember, is his courage, his imagination, his vision, his sense of what was - what was possible when most people thought it wasn't possible. And all I'm saying is let's not give up on ourselves. It's not about me, it's not about my leadership. It's about the country, having faith in ourselves, having a sense that we're not fixed forever in a moment of failure. We can create conditions of possibility, conditions of renewal for ourselves as a country which we can't see at any given moment, and that's what leadership is about.
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For more examples on how the Ignatieff/Trudeau comparison thing is just a product of our fevered collective imaginations (are hallucinations a side-effect of IggyMania?), visit here, or here.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Pierre Trudeau? Who said that? You’re crazy!
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8 comments:
No one will take the place of our beloved Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Iggy does remind me of him in his knowledge of he world, but that is it. Justin is closer.
I read the entire Wells blog entry and watched the entire CBC clip. Ignatieff's position makes perfect sense and is perfectly clear. I think perhaps your comprehension skills are what makes people sick.
Well, let me clarify as I don't want to make anyone ill. At least not on purpose.
While I don't think Iggy, or anyone in the race, is Trudeauesque and I think such comparisons are silly anyway, that wasn't my point.
People in the Iggy camp have been denying that they've been making any comparisons between their candidate and PET during the campaign. This was another example that the candidate himself has been making those comparisons.
Actually, Wells' obvious obsession if suspect and curious. Why isn't he talking more about Rae - he's promoted Dion, and is Kennedy not in his sights?
I'll be glad when this is over because Wells is getting oh so tiresome with his puffed up views that he's the one in the know.
I thought Ignatieff has been handling himself really well recently. He's learned, and that's what counts.
Why is no one talking about Kennedy other than his supporters?\
Funny, a way way back I heard Craig Oliver compare Ignatieff to Trudeau. Ignatieff himself never did, it was others.
And then they tried to compare Dion to Trudeau.
Enough already - I'm sure ALL candidates are their own person and it's an insult to select someone because of a (sorry) dead person who had his time, made many, many mistakes, had many, many views and please it was 40 years ago. There has been wonderful Liberal leaders before Trudeau and the Liberal party will exist longer after. Trudeau was only "one" Liberal PM of many, many.
Justin Trudeau will have to face facts and get out of his time wharp - it's 2006 and the world has changed significantly since Trudeau.
Ignatieff made good sense and he's been doing really good recently and shows that he is a "quick learner" - quick learner is a good sign because the world is changing to rapidly and one has to be able to adjust to change.
He was ONLY IN THE U.S. for 4 years so get off that American bull.
A wise woman once told me to be weary of a man who speaks slowly.
You might want to check out my Iggy v. PET Head to Head post over at the Tyee's election Central blog:
http://thetyee.ca/electioncentral/2006/11/21/iggy-trudeau-head-to-head/
Ignatieff seems to be a bit ignorant of Canadian history...
I was at the '68 convention where Trudeau was choosen as our leader. There wasn't a person in that room who if you'd asked them in '68 would have said that by 1982, we would have a repatriated Canadian Constitution
The Constitution had just been partially patriated in 1965 and Trudeau's platform called for it to be patriated and it nearly was following the Victoria Confernce in the early 70s.
I shake my head.
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