I think Obama beat everyone to the punch with the charisma/hope/change thingy. But he's inspired a bunch of wannabees. Gawd, its better that than SH's uncharismatic/negative/attacky thingies.

If it worked for him, maybe it'll work here. After all, if there is one thing Iggy understands, its America and being American

What he should be doing is advocating and explaining his policy positions. I know he will have a chance to do that during an election campaign, but it's got to be a good idea to lay the groundwork now.

"I've lived abroad. The horror! But what they don't understand is that it's not just about me. If they attack me, they also attack all those who have lived in foreign lands, and all those who have come from foreign lands. Let's get serious."

It's official. Ignatieff really does think that Canadians are stupid. He certainly talks to them that way.

Other federal nations manage to be heterogeneous while remaining, well…nations. The U.S. pulls it off fairly well, despite being host to sundry ethnic, class and regional tensions. Americans violently re-annexed their entire southern half in the 1860's without damaging their sense of nationhood.

Ultimately, it has been the techniques by which Dominion governments have negotiated the challenges of our federal nature that have pre-empted the solidification of a pan-Canadian nationhood while institutionalising regionalist grudge politics. By and large, the populace has resigned itself to what our élites have reified as being normative.

Take me to the magic of the moment
On a glory night
Where the children of tomorrow dream away
in the wind of change

And Scott, we know you wrote this entire column just so you could link that photo of Valerie Bertinelli in a bikini.

"the wind will bring hope back to Canada" is a very bad line, isn't it? A dud of a metaphor, or delivered badly in any case. Since really, the wind just blows…

But I agree that it would be hard for the ROC to model ourselves after Quebec, in the absence of some greater political sugar daddy to throw money and concessions at us every time we held our breath and stamped our feet. Every provincial "child" is on their own, in that respect.

Perhaps it means a Canada that is willing, nay eager, to think of itself as a nation.

Heh. Fat chance of that ever happening. Our political class actively discourages it…

Perhaps it means a Canada that is willing, nay eager, to think of itself as a nation.

Heh. Fat chance of that ever happening. Our political class actively discourages it…

Chrétien was running against a splintered Tory party. Wasn't it the same year Bouchard left and Duceppe had his head-diaper moment?

Also, the unemployment rate in Ontario was lower.

As a matter of fact I can feel it.

Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as employment dropped by 41,800, Statistics Canada said Friday.

As a matter of fact I can feel it.

Canada's unemployment rate rose to an 11-year high of 8.4 per cent in May as employment dropped by 41,800, Statistics Canada said Friday.