[Bruce_the_vii]

I don't quite see what other posters interest in politics is. I'm a small "p" pol and I take a casual interest but others will work topics to the bone. As a result there'll be heated comments about some topic, Afganistan or political corruption, but I won't get it because it's not major, big picture. The national debt and things like that are big picture. What's your interest?

I don't get Ignatieff specifically. I read his "Building the Nation" paper that he posted on his campaign website but it was uninspiring. People said he made gaffs during the campaign but I noticed he didn't have anything much to say that caught my attention.

Ignatieff was, like, education should be subsidized more. Actually very hign levels of post secondary education in our country and an Arts degrees doesn't account for much anymore. Something a little more practical would have been more interesting to talk about.

[Patrick_Ross]

There is no question that our leaders simply don't inspire us anymore.

Think about it this way: right now, the CBC is holding its annual "next great Prime Minister" contest. I would raise the question: why are we talking about who our next great Prime Minister will be, when we're still waiting for our first great Prime Minister?

Maybe people will hold up sir John A. McDonald, sir Wilfred Laurier, Lester Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, or John Dieffenbaker up as our great Prime Ministers. But when you think about it, which of these men legitimately qualifies as "great"? If anything, each of them came into power with less-than-inspiring visions of what Canada would be, and each of them left Canada worse off than when they began.

Certainly, there is the example of Trudeaumania. But one also recalls that by the time his career as over, Trudeau had turned the entire country against him so overwhelmingly that he was essentially hiding behind the Liberal party for his last couple of elections. Only an incredible series of blunders by Joe Clark provided Trudeau with the opportunity to claw his way back into office, and even then he needed Ed Broadbent and the NDP to prop him up.

Michael Ignatieff was never going to be a great Prime Minister, nor will Dion. For that matter, I'm become more and more convinced that Stephen Harper will never really be a great Prime Minister, either. The only reason why we consider any of those whom we currently consider great to be such is because we simply don't know any better. We've been seduced by a mythological view of virtually all of these men.

Some of those who would have been great Prime Ministers never got to hold office, or at least hold it long enough to be considered truly great. Preston Manning's time and luck ran out on him. Joe Clark had the right policies and the right people, but allowed the brash side of his personality to deep-six his opportunity.. Robert Stanfield had tons of potential, but never recieved an opportunity to show what he could do. Tommy Douglas had strong principles, an unwavering desire to get the job done for Canadians, and could be considered Canada's prototypical consensus-builder.

Thank god, at least, that Bob Rae or Stockwell Day have both gotten as clsoe to being Prime Minister as they ever will. There are two complete disasters in the making.

[Confused]

The thought of Bob Rae or Stockwell Day as Prime Minister makes me laugh.

[Bruce_the_vii]

I'm a little bit political but not enough to care about the fiscal surplus. I have no idea what all the government actually does and would be inclinded just to leave it to the Finance Minister to decided who's the priority to get the few available billions.

[Clogeroo]

$1:

If anything, each of them came into power with less-than-inspiring visions of what Canada would be, and each of them left Canada worse off than when they began.

What about Sir.John A Macdonald? He pushed forward a united Canadian dominion something unheard of before and many wanted no part of. He helped forge a railway across this continent in some of the most difficult terrain in the world. He and his government laid the framework for the creation of this very country. Sure he wasn’t all great he stole money and was a drunk but most felt he had good intentions and without his leadership who knows what Canada would look like or be today.

[Arctic_Menace]

I love John A. MacDonald.


He showed up to the House of Commons wasted as sin, and threw up as the leader of the opposition was speaking. He said: "Mr. Speaker, as you can see, my opponent's speech was so horrendous that it made me nauseous..."


Fucking priceless...

[Mr_Canada old]

Arctic_Menace Arctic_Menace:

I love John A. MacDonald.


He showed up to the House of Commons wasted as sin, and threw up as the leader of the opposition was speaking. He said: "Mr. Speaker, as you can see, my opponent's speech was so horrendous that it made me nauseous..."


Fucking priceless...

Yes, I view 'Sir John Eh' as the model Canadian,

Drunk, and Funny.

*mocks USA*

OUR FOUNDING FATHERS ARE COOLER THEN YOURS!

John Eh started this country. As a Canadian, I'm glad for his existance. I'm pretty sure Canada was much better after John A Came along, Without him, we would be either British if they were lucky or America would have succedded in defeating the Canadas and taken over North America in the whole Manifest Destiny bit.

On July 2nd, 1867, in the Morning:

John: "Woah, wait, what did me in the boys do last night?"

[Arctic_Menace]

$1000 bucks says that is what happened...