Michael Ignatieff, Liberal messiah and snob-extraordinaire was greeted with amazing news. For the first time in a number of years, Ignatieff will be working full-time, sitting as the Edward R. Murrow chair of Press, Politics, and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Prior to this announcement, Ignatieff was splitting his time between the University of Toronto, and Harvard.
Damn. You can argue all you want that the Harper Conservatives have been nothing but awful at economic, foreign, and public policy. There’s one thing that we need to commend the Harper government for predicting — 5 years in advance.
It’s true. Ignatieff was just visiting Canada. Then he was just visiting Harvard. Now he’s there for keeps.
I suppose he has the qualifications for the job. A University of Toronto graduate, Cambridge educated, Harvard doctorate recipient and all. He also took Canada’s “natural governing party”, which was already tail-spinning for nearly a decade, and decided to throw his academic papers into the propellers to see what could happen.
On behalf of all Canadians, I would like to congratulate Michael Ignatieff. Like a washed-up Canadian actor, he managed to break his way into the American scene in a miraculous comeback.
The Liberal Party? It’s doing well. They have learned from their mistakes. Instead of following the same “Oh, please help us, you are the chosen one” route, they decided to pick a leader that Canadians could feel confident in.
Justin Trudeau is here for the long haul. He’s going to end the Liberal Party’s electoral drought. He has a great platform, featuring <insert the Trudeau policy agenda here if/when he decides to say something>.
See ya Canada!
Michael Ignatieff
In a way, Mr. Ignatieff, you were a necessary step in the evolution of the Liberal Party. A significant other who taught the Liberals about themselves, so they could be ready when they meet the right person. You showed them what they did right, what they did wrong, and what might have been.
In any case, congratulations on your position at Harvard. The University of Toronto will be just fine. Maybe Ignatieff will use his failed electoral bid as a case study in a Canadian politics course. You will be with us, in spirit.