michael ignatieff, the next great liberal pm

Yes folks, It's that time again. It's the time when endorsements start pouring in from politicians, pundits and those of us in the blogosphere for who we believe should be the next leader of the Liberal Party: Bob Rae? Dominic LeBlanc? Michael Ignatieff? (so far).

Though considered a long shot, New Brunswick MP and Harvard Law graduate Dominic LeBlanc threw his hat into the ring. Dominic is young, intelligent, and has amazing oratory skills. This race will definitely give him great exposure. I believe he is a rising star in the party and will have a bright future in Canadian politics.

I live in Bob Rae's riding of Toronto Centre. He is one of the most skilled politicians in the country and is one of the best statesmen Canada could ask for. Bob is my MP, I have volunteered for both of his latest campaigns and I have the utmost respect for him.

I work in Michael Ignatieff's riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore. During the 2008 election campaign, I frequently bumped into him canvassing outside Old Mill subway station. I found Iggy to be extremely personable, sincere, and approachable. I supported him in his 2006 bid to lead the LPC, because he came with minimal baggage, an impressive resume, and arrived without any ties to the Chretien/Martin feuds. Ignatieff has exceeded the expectations of many after his 2006 election into the House of Commons. Though he has only been an MP for a little under 3 years, Iggy has shown to the rest of the house, as deputy leader of the Liberal Party, his poise, his eloquent parliamentary debating skills and his ability to be a leader. Our party needs someone like him, who has something Stephane Dion doesn't, which is the courage and ability to stand up and fight back when extreme partisans, like PM Harper, start using negative tactics to smear the opposition.

The Liberal party, under Stephane Dion, has aimlessly floated more to the left, resulting in the vote splitting between the three other left-leaning political parties. Our party is in desperate need of structured, strong and determined leadership to bring us back to the center. Especially with the economic crisis looming over our country, Canadians need to be reminded that the LPC is the party that has a record of bringing the country out of tough times. As a world reknowned author, historian and intellect, Michael's past writings has shown himself to be a pragmatic liberal on domestic issues such as Canadian culture and human rights. I personally believe pragmatic liberalism is where most Canadians sit. He has also shown himself to be a man with conviction and with hawkish stances on issues relating to internatonal affairs. His right-leaning views on foreign affairs may be seen with disdain by those to the left, but also foreshadows that he will be able to reach out to conservatives and help make the LPC into the big-tent party we were so proud of.

A candidate's past may come back to haunt them. Bob Rae's record as Ontario's NDP Premier from 1990 to 1995 will hinder him more than it will help him in his bid to achieve the leadership and the trust of voters across the country. Especially during tough economic times, we all know too well that Stephen Harper will play the fiscally-irresponsible-NDP-turncoat card. Harper will play the card and he has every right to play the card. Bob Rae will have to work extra hard to convince the people of Ontario that he has in fact changed. Michael Ignatieff doesn't come without his own personal baggage. For over 3 decades, from 1978 till 2005, he lived and worked outside of Canada. Critics can accuse him for being out of touch with the Canadian reality. His hawkish views on foreign policy , as previously stated, such as his past support for the Iraq war, may not sit well with some Canadians. After comparing both Bob Rae's and Iggy's past baggage on a scale, I believe Michael Ignatieff will have the best chance to help the party succeed in the future.

Iggy officially launched his bid for the leadership Thursday. As promised in his press conference, he plans to bring change, optimism, and renewal to the natural governing party of Canada. I believe he will be a Prime Minister, the people of Canada can trust.