Let Ignatieff be Ignatieff

...Or that's the prescription that Liberal MPs offer in this excellent Macleans profile of Michael Ignatieff, by Aaron Wherry, and now online. Good weekend reading.

“I want the Michael Ignatieff that we saw in 2005...He came to the convention that we had, he gave a fabulous speech. I want that guy back.”

                                    -- Martha Hall-Findlay, Liberal MP for Willowdale.

'My hope is that he can find his authentic voice. When I listen to him at times, it’s not the Michael I’ve heard before.”

                                    -- Rob Oliphant, Liberal MP for Don Valley West

"And it’s not enough to just have lots of ideas, lots of policies. People have got to feel, ‘That guy, he’s in my corner. He’s a little funny, he’s got a funny name, he’s been outside the country, but he’s in my corner.’ I mean, that’s the connection you have to make. It’s very visceral. And I feel I make the connection constantly. I don’t think I’m dreaming.”

                                                                -- Michael Ignatieff.

Comments

[Debbie]

This MacLean’s profile of Michael Ignatieff serves as a reminder that you cannot take an academic with zero political experience and make him a leader in 4 years. His handlers are doing a lousy job morphing him into a likeable character. Like I’ve been told since I was knee high to a grasshopper you can’t make a silk purse out of a boar’s ear. How sad is it that he didn’t "see" what a recession looks like prior to this summer and getting out to Canada raw and unplugged. His roots are showing.

[tharwat fawzi]

Although I have not known about Michael Ignatieff except few months ago,I constantly pray now for his success in his steady efforts to restore decency ,respect of human rights ,tolerance and the values that pioneer great Canadians inside and outside the Liberal Party fought to protect in Canada. In my mind , his efforts and the sincerity of his words and deeds are constant guiding light to all in Canada and in the World.

[Sarann]

The ugly witch hunt by the media has seemed to moderate a bit. Harper got a complete free ride for months there. When an issue came up the conservatives threw some kind of band aid at it and the press never analysed or questioned anything, just focussed on any trivial problems the liberals had. I thought it was a disservice to Canadians and I'm not even a liberal

[Jon Drake]

If he remains in the hole he is right now for much longer the chances of him recovering are slim to none. Right now the latest Ipsos Reid poll done last week has the Liberals below the level of support they earned under Dion in last year's election. At 25% he can't claim to bring down the government on behalf of Canadians. He can't even claim to do that on behalf of Toronto, for goodness sake. Who is he really and what does he stand for?