It is being widely reported today that Justin Trudeau will make it official in the coming weeks and enter the race for leadership of the federal Liberals.

This week interim leader Bob Rae announced that the party will hold the most “broad-based leadership race in Canadian history” (whatever that means) and that it will be in April. Contenders for the leadership do not include Mr. Rae, who in his day might have done some damage to the PC majority, but instead is playing out his waning days in an elder statesman role, a type of puppetmaster pulling strings in the hopes of restoring respectability to the party.

BORN TO RUN

Trudeau's closest serious competitor would be former astronaut Marc Garneau, a less charismatic MP who represents a Montreal riding that is only a short car trip from Mr. Trudeau's constituency. Is charisma enough? Is it even necessary? Would you call Stephen Harper charismatic? Certainly not.

Some people are born to greatness, others achieve greatness and yet others have greatness thrust upon them. (A modified version of a Shakespeare quote.) It will eventually be for us to decide which category, if any, Justin Trudeau falls into. He will win the Liberal leadership race...and then what?

Even fans of Mr. Trudeau will wonder if he's got the right stuff. There is much to admire about this principled politician but telling Canadians you could be Prime Minister raises a different set of criteria. Justin will turn 41 this Christmas so any ideas that he's still “just a kid” will have to be vanquished. Then of course, he is “somebody's” kid and that too will play on the minds of many Canadians.

For the Liberals he is the only choice, and they are more than a nuance away from retaking power. It must be him. The planets have aligned and there are no other stars rising. Will whatever he has be enough? LEAVE COMMENTS.

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