Speaking with my wife last night, we came to the conclusion that U.S. Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama suffers from the same problem as that of the head of Canada’s opposition Liberal Party, Stéphane Dion.
They are both intelligent, seemingly well-rounded people, who aim to represent, at least when compared with the rest of the politicians around them at the federal level, a different perspective.
Unfortunately, they both need to draw blood. And soon.
In Obama’s case, fascinating though it may be for pundits, the current Democratic primary is turning into a farce. He’s been in the lead, with both widespread party and public support. And yet, Hillary Clinton has been gaining on him. The problem is that, in being a nice, measured, principled man who doesn’t want to get his hands dirty, he’s allowing the other nominee to eat away at his chances to win the ticket. Clinton can get her hands dirty; she has, she can, and she will. This, combined with a persuasive argument that Obama isn’t seasoned enough to work on a world stage, means that he must roll up his sleeves and “finish” his opponent. Strike the killing blow. Draw blood, lest he be the one whose blood is drained by her well-managed campaign.
With Monsieur Dion, it’s a similar scenario. Elected leader of the opposition after the Liberal Party lost the last federal election to the Conservatives, he was – at the time – if not the most enigmatic choice, certainly the more seasoned, non-conflicted nominee. He’s intelligent, savvy, experienced. Unfortunately, he’s also wary of cameras, his English pronunciation is weak, and most importantly – thanks to a well-managed campaign by the reigning minority Conservative government – is made to look weaker by a series of “confidence motions” the Conservatives have strategically engineered in such a way as to create a poison pill for the Liberals. If they vote against the government on a confidence motion, there’s a good chance there will be another federal election as a result (and all the money, time, and mud-slinging that comes with it). If Dion instructs the Liberals not to vote, they appear to have no backbone. Like Obama, Stéphane Dion must draw blood; an election in 2008, at this rate, is inevitable and he must show that he can punch back (as well as absorbing punches thrown at him).
Is there room for “nice” people in federal politics? Absolutely. There should be more: more disinterested, more historically aware, more cross-partisan politicians. That said, I would be remiss if I also didn’t make it clear that no one wants a wimp leading their country, regardless of whether their wimpishness is a question of intelligence or willpower. Like checking out boxers’ stats before a fight, we look for one thing and one thing only: can they finish their opponent?
This question looms large over the next year.
