Monday, November 13, 2006

"Gerard Kennedy can understand Quebecois the most"

Alright, my translation isn't perfect, and it's not quite word for word, but that is the basic idea that I saw someone mention on TV. No, it wasn't some crazed Kennedy supporter spewing out random completely partisan rhetoric, or some wacko nutjob trying to be ironic with a statement. No, that line was said by a young man by the name of Justin Trudeau.

Take a bit to digest that. Okay, now let me but it in a bit more context.

This is from the current Trudeau interview today which Altar Boys alluded to earlier today. Basically, Trudeau was asked about the comparisons between Ignatieff and his dad. The basic facts from that were that at least with Pierre, whether you agreed with him or not, you knew where he stood on the issues. Ignatieff isn't so clear. You can really tell from the interview that Justin doesn't like that comparison at all.

Then the questions turned to the leadership race. He dismissed Ignatieff and Rae, seeing them too much as doing politics in the same way that it's been in the past, without any real change for the future. You see, one thing that Trudeau thinks we need (and perhaps a large part why he's on the renewal committee) is a new vision for the party, and a new way to do politics. He then said he's basically debating between Dion and Kennedy. He feels Dion has some vision and ideas, but is also slightly a member of the old guard.

Then he got on to Kennedy. This is when he started to get that smile in his eyes as he described Kennedy's real ideas for vision for the future, for renewal, and his strategies that will help move the party forward. He also said that Kennedy is mostly unknown in Quebec, but that in the end, he is really the one who understands people from Quebec the most.

Now, that is something that I do truly believe in, not just because I am a Kennedy supporter. I say that as someone who was born in Montreal and who lived over half my life in Quebec. Once Quebecois see Kennedy as the candidate with a real vision, with real ideas, and with a real way to move the party forward, they will like his as much as the rest of the country has.

*update: After some searching, the SRC website has the video, under the "nouvelles" section. The political parts are right near the end, and the article related to the interview can be found here.

*update 2: After a bit more watching the video, the better translation for the line was "Gerard Kennedy can understand best the real needs of the Quebecois". Also it appear that Liberal Outsider's got a YouTube video of it, if you want a direct link to the political part of it.

4 comments:

Concerned Albertan said...

WoO!

Dr. Tux said...

Kennedy is good, and I say that as a Dion supporter.

But I think that in the end, what matters most is that the environmental file gets elevated to a fundamental pillar of the liberal party. This will position the party as the party of the future and not only the party of the past. Only Dion has made this committment.

We must take a much more environmental approach. It isn't a single issue either because I am talking from an economists point of view, an architects point of view, an engineers point of view, a health point of view...

To believe that elevating the environmental file to a fundamental pillar of the liberal party isn't historic is to ignore the challenges and opportunities of climate change. Which is the single greatest issue facing the world today.

I agree with Justin that Iggy and Rae do not represent renewal of the liberal party. A Dion/Kennedy alliance will bring the party into the future.

Anonymous said...

jeremy,

I agree that the environment is important. I have an Iggy friend convincing me that Iggy is the best for the environment because he has the best academics writing his policy. But the many has zero experience actually bringing people together to make things happen politically, so I say all the ideas in the world won't help him.

I feel the same about Dion. Is his heart in the right place? Absolutely. But he had that file for a long time, and was unable to advance it in the Liberal party or the Canadian psyche.

Kennedy has a lifetime experience in bringing people together to get things done. He gets that he needs to protect his planet for his children- which is a core belief, AND he's the one who will do something about it.

Hopefully, Dion will help him :-)

DivaRachel said...

YAY!!!!!!
:-)))))))