Ignatieff Poised to Enter Liberal Race

I'm working on my entry on the "unite the left" nonsense, but that will take a while if it's to be anything other than a ranting screed. Meanwhile, life carries on, and I'll be commenting on the Liberal leadership race primarily.

It looks like Michael Ignatieff will declare his candidacy for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada in the coming days. Obviously, this is long expected, since along with Bob Rae he is considered one of the front-runners for the leadership.

Mr. Ignatieff is, despite appearances to the contrary, a very polished and skilled politician. I saw him speak at Dalhousie Law School and he spoke quiet eloquently, though in a rather stilted manner, on the duty to protect under international law. This "duty" is a hallmark of the position of 'liberal hawks' such as Iggy. Clearly he firmly believes in the duty to protect. A Liberal who firmly believes in something is a refreshing change. Mr. Ignatieff is also consummately skilled at dodging questions, another important skill for a potential leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. He was asked a number of tough questions about how his support for Iraq and the duty to protect could be reconciled with the dominance of the concept of sovereignty in international law (including by yours truly). He didn't give a straight answer to any of those questions. Iggy has the smooth interpersonal manner that one expects from Liberal politicians, with the effortless assertion of an unquestioning moral superiority. He very adroitly handled a couple of protesters that had attended his address to the Law School, with the typical Liberal mix of crocodile tears and imperious condescension. This is the man that would be philosopher-king.

However, Iggy's position as a liberal hawk will stand him in bad stead with the majority of the country. Canadians have turned against the occupation of Afghanistan, and it's exaltation of the parasitical and corrupt quisling Karzai. Iggy's vocal support of the invasion of Iraq will not go over well with Canadians who are tired of fighting as American proxies. He will be made to wear that support for George Bush's war by the left if he becomes the leader of the Liberals.

Where Iggy would be politically good for the Liberals would be on fiscal policy. He is a classical economic liberal, seeing a smaller role for the state in the economy, and favouring reduced taxes on the rich and scaled-back social programmes. He has the capacity to entice lapsed Liberal voters who moved to the Conservatives back into the fold, bringing many seats into play.

What is sad is that a candidate so damaged should be considered one of the best bets to lead the Liberals through the wilderness. There was a long time when the Liberal Party attracted titans to fight for it's leadership, people like Sir Wilfrid Laurier, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Elliot Trudeau and even Jean Chretien. Neither Iggy or Rae are in the same league. We are watching the decline and final stages of the decline and fall of the most successful political party in the western electoral democracies. The Martin years were the last fluorescence of Liberal decadence before the fall.

The question that remains to be seen is how softly the Liberal Party will go into that sweet night. Will it struggle one more time for life, or will it end not with a bang but with a whimper?

Days Remaining in Bush Presidency: 70