Whom the gods would favour

Weeks ago I argued that if the gods were choosing they would choose Stéphane Dion as the next leader of the natural governing party. I now see the error of this thinking. It commits me logically to the view that the Liberal Party of Canada is made up of gods and I’m pretty sure this isn’t true (even though I think I know where some angels and the devilish are found in Canada’s parties, not to mention those in the various states of purgatory).

What are we to make of the victory of M. Dion? The Liberals have managed to choose a person of integrity, honesty and undeniable intelligence and, go figure, actually a Liberal. While I don’t have my intelligence meter with me, after seeing Stéphane perform in academic settings over the years I would say that he’s at least 50 per cent smarter than Michael Ignatieff or Steven Harper, in raw intelligence and political smarts. And with a cool personality, Dion works well on television, with an understated charm that will pass for charisma.

Some have suggested that Stéphane is narrow, inflexible, egotistic, undemocratic, but I think they’re wrong to describe him in this language. I thought one of the most telling moments in the weekend coverage was an interview Dion gave with Don Newman. Martha Hall Findlay had just brought her support to Stéphane and Newman, of whom I think highly, moved quickly to question Stéphane on how his campaign was unfolding. Stéphane thrice refused to answer such questions, speaking instead in authentic praise of Martha rather than about himself.

This is more than good manners and reveals a lot about the sense of democracy Stéphane brings to his work and life. And it’s why women in Canada will be quick to forgive him his faltering English.

Martha’s speech was among the best of the lot, I thought, even though most commentators disagreed. Martha’s was strong, coherent and alive, as were Stéphane’s and Scott Brison’s.

Gerard Kennedy’s was much to do about nothing; a Seinfeld moment without the irony. Iggy’s was, again, all about Iggy, and Bob’s was a poor imitation of Bill Clinton. The latter surprised me. It should have been clear to Bob, from Iggy’s failure to move the majority of Liberals, that imitating American politicians, in form or content, doesn’t cut it here.

If push comes to shove, Liberals prefer a European persona to an American one and in this Stéphane effectively claimed the mantle of Pierre Elliot Trudeau brilliantly, without ever needing to make the claim, while others were pleading with us quietly to find the Trudeau in their personae.

It’ll be some time before the full impact of Dion’s win upon his party’s electoral prospects will be known. He is, of course, very good at exceeding the expectations that the political class have set for him, and may have one more surprise to offer us.

But my sense, though it’s early days, is that this is good news for the NDP, even if Jack Layton continues to play the cymbaling bunny with the never-ending battery. Dion will, it seems likely, be able to restore enough seats in federalist ridings in Quebec to win a minority government that will not need the Bloc to survive. And though the NDP has been friendlier to the Conservatives than most of its supporters are amused by and will lose a few votes to Dion, a Dion minority would allow it to return to its traditional role in Canadian politics.

The CBC called Monday asking what Scott Brison’s convention floor dance might portend of his political future. I demurred.

While it is that Scott’s ending up in Ignatieff’s camp was not perhaps his best location and it indicated that his enthusiasm sometimes pulls him off-centre, there are worse weaknesses than enthusiasm. I doubt that much harm has been done and Scott has indeed given himself significantly more exposure as a Liberal.

The best news here in the Valley is how well the current orientation of Acadia to environmentalism would align to a possible Dion government. Hats off to those friends of Acadia who made it to Dion’s camp early!